Funding Bold Ideas That Can Change the World
Have you ever had a transformative idea that could tackle one of the world's most pressing challenges but lacked the resources to bring it to life? The Audacious Project might be your answer.
What Makes an Idea Truly Audacious?
An audacious idea isn't just big—it's transformative. The Audacious Project looks for ideas that embody three key inspirational qualities:
- Transformative Vision: Your idea should boldly address one of the world's most urgent issues. It should represent a paradigm shift in approaching a significant problem.
- Creating Lasting Impact: Rather than incremental change, your idea should leap forward toward creating a better world. The vision should bring meaningful change in years, not generations.
- Innovation and Originality: Your approach should challenge conventions, disrupt the status quo, or change narratives for the greater good.
Convincing the Audacious Project
Having a bold vision is just the beginning. Your idea must also demonstrate:
- Proven Concept: Evidence of potential impact through past successes, demonstrated demand, and sustainability.
- Clear Outcomes: A well-defined endpoint after multi-year funding, with a strategic roadmap detailing not just implementation but the actual changes your idea will create.
- Established Support: A capable team backed by a nonprofit, NGO, or institution that can receive and manage philanthropic funds. Most past projects had annual operating budgets of $2 million or more.
The Application Process
The Audacious Project follows a structured process to identify and support game-changing ideas:
- Idea Submission: Share your concept through their open ideas survey.
- Invitation & Vetting: Selected candidates receive invitations to submit detailed applications, followed by multiple rounds of vetting.
- Refinement: Finalists work with the Audacious team to strengthen and polish their vision.
- Funding & Launch: Finalist ideas are presented to donor groups, and funded projects are shared with the TED community through TED Talks.
Impact on Recipients
Previous recipients highlight the transformative nature of Audacious support:
- "It was catalytic in actually bringing more donors and supporters not only to our organization but to the field in general."
- "The cohort is a group of people trying to light up the world and doing it together."
- "It really allows you to work with a child over a multi-year period so that the impact you're having is much deeper."
Key Information for Applicants
- Eligibility: Individuals 18+ can apply on behalf of a nonprofit, NGO, institution, or collaborative effort.
- Current Deadline: April 15, 2024 for the current application cycle.
- Collaborative Applications: The project encourages teaming up with like-minded organizations—one of their most powerful 2018 ideas came from two organizations working together.
The Audacious Project represents a unique opportunity for visionaries with bold ideas to secure the resources needed to create meaningful change. If you believe your idea can transform the world, this might be the platform you've been waiting for.
