Battle Creek, MI, Oct. 13, 2020 – Today, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation announced the launch of Racial Equity 2030, a call for bold solutions to drive an equitable future for children, families and communities across the globe. In honor of the foundation’s 90th anniversary, the Challenge will award $90 million to invite, build and scale actionable ideas for transformative change in the systems and institutions that uphold inequities.

“Racial Equity 2030 is an invitation to build on this moment and advance equity,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “At the Kellogg Foundation, we know that change happens through people and their collective action. That’s why we’re awarding $90 million to fuel creative and actionable solutions to achieve racial equity in the next decade.”

Today, too many children’s futures are bound by the color of their skin, their families’ circumstances or the limits of opportunity in their communities. Racial Equity 2030 seeks bold ideas to create a future that is equitable and just.

The novel coronavirus pandemic has compounded many of the inequities in health, wealth, education and opportunity. And global outcry has ensued from decades of racial and systemic injustice. Racial Equity 2030 is a chance to reimagine and to build a future where equity is realized. Teams of visionaries, change agents and community leaders from every sector are encouraged to apply.

Interested organizations must register to apply before Jan. 28, 2021. Complete applications are due by Feb. 25, 2021 and will be assessed by expert reviewers, as well as by peer applicants.

Racial Equity 2030 extends an invitation to communities across the globe to join in this pursuit. Applications must embrace and reflect the values of racial equity and justice. They must be led by a team that centers on lived experience and includes communities most affected by the issues as part of leadership in the project. More details can be found on the Challenge website: https://racialequity2030.org.

The Challenge is being managed by Lever for Change, a nonprofit that leverages its networks to find and fund solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, including racial and gender equity, economic development and climate change.

“We welcome innovative ideas from and for communities around the world,” said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. “It’s time to reimagine what is possible, to remove the barriers that stand in the way of social progress for all, and to make big investments that advance racial equity and economic opportunity at scale.”

Applicants are welcome to propose early-to-mid-stage ideas, as up to 10 teams will be selected as Finalists and each will receive a one-year $1 million planning grant, which includes nine months of capacity-building support to further develop their project and strengthen their application. At least five additional awards adding up to $80 million will be announced in the summer of 2022. At least three Awardees will each receive a $20 million grant. Two additional Awardees will each receive a $10 million grant. Grants will be paid out over nine years to coincide with W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s 100th anniversary in 2030.

More information on Racial Equity 2030 and other competitions can be found at www.leverforchange.org.

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W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. To learn more about WKKF, visit www.wkkf.org or follow WKKF on Twitter at @wk_kellogg_fdn.

Lever for Change

Lever for Change, a nonprofit affiliate of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, leverages networks to find and fund solutions to the world’s greatest challenges, ranging from racial and gender equity to economic development and climate change. Building on the success of the MacArthur Foundation’s $100 million competition, 100&Change, Lever for Change customizes and manages open and transparent competitions for donors. In addition, we match donors with nonprofits and social enterprises in our Bold Solutions Network whose solutions to significant social challenges were highly ranked after rigorous evaluation in one of our competitions. Currently, Lever for Change is managing nine competitions, ranging in size from $10-to-100 million, awarding $295 million to grant recipients and strengthening dozens of top organizations. For more information, visit www.leverforchange.org.

Media Contact: Marc Moorghen, Communications Director, Lever for Change, mmoorghen@leverforchange.org.