On April 7, 2021, the MacArthur Foundation announced a $100 million grant to Community Solutions to accelerate an end homelessness in 75 U.S. communities in five years. MacArthur’s Board selected Community Solutions from the six finalists in 100&Change, the Foundation's global competition to fund a single proposal that promises real and measurable progress in solving a critical problem of our time.
Recipient
Community Solutions supports communities in building robust, data-driven systems that make homelessness rare and brief, an end state called “functional zero.” The initiative brings together local government agencies and nonprofit organizations to work as a single community team to achieve a population-level result. The organization coaches local leaders on using individual-level, real-time data to gain a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics of homelessness in their community. Using data, communities are able to identify key opportunities to intervene, track and improve outcomes, and target resources to address gaps in housing. Community Solutions regularly convenes community teams from across the country to facilitate peer learning, train local leaders in key skills, and sustain momentum for ambitious change.
Finalists
Applicants were asked to propose a bold solution to a significant social challenge anywhere in the world. The competition attracted 3,690 registrants and 755 proposals submitted from 61 countries. Of these proposals, 475 passed an initial administrative review. First, they were evaluated by peers. Then, 453 teams moved on to be reviewed by a panel of external judges using common criteria.
Based on the reviews, we identified the highest-scoring 100&Change proposals, a.k.a. the Top 100. Each is listed in our Bold Solutions Network, which showcases highly-rated, rigorously-evaluated proposals that emerge from each of Lever for Change’s competitions to help applicants gain visibility and funding from a wide array of funders. Collectively, the Top 100 provide $10 billion worth of compelling projects to address some of the world’s most critical social challenges.
From the Top 100, the field was narrowed down to six finalists. Each received technical support over the course of six months to strengthen their work, raise their visibility, and increase their potential to secure funding. From this group of finalists, one awardee, Community Solutions, was ultimately selected.
The Finalists are listed below in alphabetical order:
- Clinton Health Access Initiative & Murdoch Children’s Research Institute: Bringing life-saving oxygen therapy to children worldwide
- Community Solutions: Accelerating an end to homelessness in 75 U.S. communities in five years
- National Geographic Pristine Seas: Safeguarding and restoring the ocean’s health and productivity
- Project ECHO: Democratizing life-saving medical knowledge and care
- Report for America: Eliminating American news deserts
- The World Mosquito Program: Protecting communities by preventing transmission of mosquito-borne disease
The MacArthur Foundation and Lever for Change are seeking additional donors to fund all of the 100&Change finalists, as well as a number of other highly rated organizations that applied to the challenge, to ensure that these outstanding projects secure the resources they need to carry out their vital work.
If you are interested in funding any of the 100&Change projects, please contact Dana Rice, Vice President of Philanthropy at Lever for Change.
