Donors and philanthropy experts led by TED, which organizes the popular conferences and talks, announced that they will distribute more than $280 million among eight organizations for its Audacious Project.
The new projects will focus on criminal justice, data technology, ocean protection, and new scientific discoveries. The organization did not disclose how much money each organization would receive. More than 1,500 nonprofits applied for funding.
The Audacious Project, started in 2018, is led by TED, the Bridgespan Group, the Skoll Foundation, Virgin Unite, Dalio Philanthropies, and others. The new funding totals about $30 million more than the amount last year and will support three more organizations than in 2018. (The previous Audacious Project funding, totaling $250 million, included five grantees and two pilot programs that were not counted in the main list).
The new nonprofits receiving funding were announced on a TED Talk stage. Ahead of the event, Chris Anderson, TED’s leader, touted the nonprofits’ “jaw-dropping visions” and ideas.
“At a time when many people are fearful about humanity’s prospects, these projects offer a beautiful counter-narrative of ingenuity, determination and hope.”
TED says the groups it selected focus on providing answers to a specific question or problem in the world.
Here are the issues and winning grantees:
Racial bias in policing.
The Center for Policing Equity wants to use data to measure the behavior of police departments. The organization urges police departments to join its national justice database to develop more comprehensive data.
Educating girls in India.
Educate Girls uses volunteers to persuade parents and elders in India’s rural communities to register girls for school and help them stay enrolled. The group’s goal is to get one million more girls into classrooms.
Creating the next generation of medicines and materials.
The Institute for Protein Design, established in 2012 with the help of the University of Washington, does research on drugs, vaccines, and fuels. The institute is among the many organizations seeking vaccines for HIV and cancer. Another goal is to understand how to block infections, capture toxins, and reprogram cells.
Using plants to slow climate change.
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies wants to engineer plants to remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Reducing disease from parasitic worms.
The END Fund aims to provide “deworming” treatment to 100 million people in Africa while supporting partnerships to increase access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education.
Protecting vast areas of the ocean.
The Nature Conservancy hopes to protect 4 million square kilometers of the ocean in the next five years by buying up the debt of 20 island and coastal nations in exchange for their commitment to use the savings to protect at least 30 percent of local marine areas.
Reducing the role of the internet in child sexual abuse.
Thorn, founded by actors Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, is dedicated to helping law-enforcement officers rescue children from sex traffickers.
Getting children ready for school.
Waterford UPSTART, which provides free services to help parents prepare their children for kindergarten, aims to provide access to early education to 250,000 children across the United States.
