Crankstart and Lever for Change announce $150 million competition for the world’s best ideas to improve San Francisco

The competition will award up to $150 million to organizations anywhere in the world with ideas for making San Francisco a better place to live.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, UNITED STATES, August 5, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Crankstart and Lever for Change today announced Boundless San Francisco, a competition that will award up to $150 million to organizations anywhere in the world with ideas for making San Francisco a better place to live. Up to three awardees will receive up to $50 million each to bring their proposal to life.

The story of San Francisco has always been one of exchange — of ideas born here that have spread throughout the world, and of people and ideas from elsewhere that have shaped this city. Boundless San Francisco — open to proposals in any subject area, from near or far — builds on this tradition and reflects the premise that the next great idea for the city could come from anyone, anywhere.

Successful proposals will pair an ambitious vision for San Francisco's future with a clear, credible plan to build it and make it last. In addition to grant funding, applicants may request flexible, below-market capital (such as a low-interest loan). Projects must primarily benefit San Francisco.

Boundless San Francisco is funded by Crankstart, a San Francisco family foundation that has contributed nearly $1 billion to the local community — supporting education, economic mobility, housing affordability, parks and community spaces, and other causes. Lever for Change, which has run 18 global and domestic open calls and influenced over $2.6 billion in philanthropic giving, will manage the competition.

“San Francisco’s history shows the power of connecting people and possibilities from around the world, and Boundless San Francisco is designed to help surface those ideas,” said Missy Narula, Chief Executive Officer of Crankstart. “Boundless San Francisco is an invitation to bring fresh ambition and ingenuity to reimagine what’s possible for San Francisco.”

“We believe that, by inviting bold ideas from unexpected places, we can identify solutions that create enduring change for San Francisco and the people who call the city home,” said Kristen Molyneaux, Ph.D., President and Co-founder of Lever for Change. “We look forward to sourcing solutions that strengthen the city’s social and civic fabric and help shape an even more vibrant future for generations to come.”

Organizations can learn more, confirm their eligibility, and begin an application at boundless-sf.leverforchange.org. Registration closes on September 11, at 5 p.m. Pacific time, and completed applications are due October 9, at 5 p.m. Pacific time.

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Crankstart
Crankstart is a San Francisco-based family philanthropy devoted to bolstering the foundations of a just society. Since its formation, Crankstart has awarded over $1.8 billion in grants supporting wider access to quality education, jobs with prospects for advancement, housing security, the protection of civil rights, scientific research, arts and culture, and beyond, with over half this total directed toward the Bay Area.

Lever for Change
Lever for Change is a nonprofit that creates equitable access in the world of philanthropy, enabling donors to discover and invest in organizations with transformative potential. Through an inclusive open call approach, the team invites organizations of all sizes from around the world to showcase their big ideas and receive donor funding and resources to make them happen. To date, Lever for Change has influenced over $2.6 billion in grants and worked with more than 500 organizations worldwide. Discover new potential at leverforchange.org.

Alex Tourk
Ground Floor Public Affairs
tourk@gfpublicaffairs.com

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