Audacious Project Awards $1B to 2023 Cohort Grantees

The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding initiative housed at TED, awarded $1 billion in support of its 2023 cohort. The initiative is in its fifth year, and it grants funds to “the world’s greatest changemakers.” 2023 Cohort Grantees include ten initiatives, each of which is focused on key issues such as climate change, migrant rights, or criminal justice reform. The project aims to catalyze social impact on a grand scale.

Each year, the collaborative seeks highly influential changemakers who are making an impact at both a local and global level. Upon being selected, the Audacious Project helps grantees develop bold solutions to critical challenges across the globe. 

Cohort Grantee Selection Process

The organization has a reputation for identifying innovative ideas and matching the creators with the appropriate resources. This non-profit encourages changemakers to dream big while helping them shape their ideas into long-term goals. In short, once those goals are strategically developed, Audacious Projects assists the grantees with presenting their solutions to gain further support.

Projects are sourced from public applications and a global network of partners. Next, applicants are narrowed down to a group of finalists. The projects chosen during this round enter into a rigorous ideation process. Afterward, assistance is provided to ensure their proposals are achievable and compelling. After private donor presentations, the projects are publicly presented at TED. Funded projects are expected to pursue their plans and share updates on key milestones. 

The 2023 Audacious Project Cohort 

The ten recipients have received funding between $40 million to over $200 million. Some of the recipients include; Global Fishing Watch, Canopy, and ReNew 2030. These three projects, in particular, are pursuing climate restoration and environmental justice, which is just a small sampling of the 2023 award winners. Additional recipients include CAMFED, Innovative Genomics Institute, and Think of Us.

“With our 2023 Audacious Project cohort, some of the most complex and challenging problems we’re facing right now – transitioning to renewable energy, increasing access to reproductive health care, transforming our foster care system, and more – are being met by some incredible idea-makers,” said Anna Verghese, Executive Director of The Audacious Project. “Each one offers an approach to shift the status quo and the systems they operate in, and will hope to breathe possibility and transformation into these critical issues.”

The current cohort will present their ideas onstage at TED2023, April 17-21, 2023, joining a portfolio of 39 previous Audacious projects. 

Read more about The Audacious Project and its five years of impact.