Overview
- Michael Moritz and Harriet Heyman are directing up to $150 million through their Crankstart foundation to fund proposals that aim to transform San Francisco, with up to three winners receiving implementation grants of $10 million to $50 million each.
- The competition is open to nonprofits, businesses and universities worldwide and invites proposals across civic areas such as housing, transportation, crime prevention and homelessness.
- Selection will be staged: a small group of finalists will receive technical support and share $1 million to $3.5 million in project-development grants before a final expert panel chooses the top implementers.
- Organizers are accepting applications now, will host an informational webinar and require full proposals by a fall deadline ahead of a participatory peer-review phase that narrows contenders for final evaluation.
- Presented as a private-sector complement to city efforts, the contest favors ambitious, scalable projects judged on transformative ambition, viability, evidence of results and long-term durability, which could reshape how large civic interventions are funded and tested in San Francisco.