TED Stage with speakers from Audacious Project Session 4

About

A collaborative Approach to funding big ideas

Introducing the Audacious Project

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The Audacious Project is a collaborative funding initiative catalyzing social impact on a grand scale. Every year we select and nurture a group of big, bold solutions to the world’s most urgent challenges, and with the support of an inspiring group of donors and supporters, come together to get them launched.

Housed at TED, the nonprofit with a long track record of surfacing ideas worth spreading, and with support from leading social impact advisor The Bridgespan Group, the funding collective is comprised of several respected organizations and individuals in philanthropy.

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Our goal is to match bold ideas with catalytic resources.

We encourage the world’s inspirational changemakers to dream bigger than ever before.

Help shape their best ideas into viable multi-year plans.

Present those solutions in a compelling way to potential supporters.

The Process

Every year, we work with proven changemakers to surface their boldest ideas for tackling global problems.

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Sourcing & review

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners and donors. They are narrowed down to a group of finalists whose ideas are representative of a broad range of geographies and issue areas while elevating leaders with proximity to the communities they serve.

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Idea shaping & investment support

Each finalist project goes through a rigorous ideation, due diligence, and investment support process, to ensure their proposal is achievable and compelling.

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Funding & launch

Finalist projects are presented privately to groups of donors and are then publicly unveiled at TED. Funded projects then pursue their plans and share regular updates on key milestones reached with donors and the public.

We would like to recognize the many parties who have come together to make The Audacious Project possible. They have contributed in various roles: as donors, thought partners, in project sourcing, due diligence, as catalysts, and more.

Partners & Collaborators

Gates Foundation
Ballmer Group
Barbara and Amos Hostetter
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation
Chris Larsen & Lyna Lam
Clara Wu & Joe Tsai Foundation
Climate Leadership Initiative
Craig & Susan McCaw
Crankstart
Dalio Philanthropies
Delta Philanthropies
ELMA Philanthropies
Hansjörg Wyss & Rosamund Zander
James Family Charitable Foundation
Joe Gebbia
Laura & John Arnold
Laura and Gary Lauder and Family
Lyda Hill Philanthropies
MacArthur Foundation
MacKenzie Scott
Mike & Sukey Novogratz
Nat Simons and Laura Baxter-Simons
Oak Foundation
Overdeck Family Foundation
Pivotal Ventures
Quadrature Climate Foundation
Rippleworks Foundation
Robertson Foundation
Science Philanthropy Alliance
Sea Grape Foundation
Seadream Family Foundation
Skoll Foundation
Someland Foundation
Steve & Genevieve Jurvetson
The Bridgespan Group
UBS Optimus Foundation
Valhalla Foundation
Virgin Unite
one acre fund

2020 impact
a year of resilience and adaption

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Get in touch

audacious@ted.com
Email the Audacious Project

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Press and media

audacious@thenumber29.com
Email No. 29

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