Apply Today: Moonshot Cohort Experience

Taking place in the fall and spring semesters of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Moonshot Cohort is designed to prepare ASU teams to compete for philanthropic “moonshot” funding. Moonshot philanthropy invests in ambitious ideas that have the potential to transform society by tackling our greatest challenges.

Participants in the 2023-2024 ASUF Moonshot Cohort Experience will:

• Develop a foundational understanding of philanthropy–in particular, moonshot philanthropy.
   
• Develop and apply their skills in “moonshot thinking,” including systems thinking, Theory of Change, and approaches to scale.
   
•  Produce useful deliverables, including:
  ○ A pitch deck presented to philanthropic program officers in a culminating demo day.
  ○ A concept note submitted to a real moonshot competition.
   
• Engage in philanthropic “competitive intelligence” to understand and engage with potential funders.
   
• Build a network of ASU peers.
   
• Identify and connect with relevant community partners.

Objective

• Position teams of ASU faculty, staff, and their community partners to compete for and receive philanthropic moonshot funding to advance their Charter-driven work.

Overview

• The cohort experience will take place over the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 semesters.
•  The fall semester will focus on the foundations of philanthropy and fundamentals of moonshot thinking. 
• During the spring semester teams will develop materials that can be used for future proposals to philanthropic moonshot funders. 
• The cohort will culminate in a “Demo Day” during which participants will have the opportunity to present their ideas in front of program officers from philanthropic foundations.
• Participants will also have the opportunity to submit a written concept note to an active funding opportunity.  
• Here is the recording from the  Moonshot Cohort Information session that we hosted last week.
• Additional information can also be found on the Moonshot Cohort flyer. 

Application 

More detailed instructions on the application process can be found on the first page of the application. 

Timeline:

• Applications open on May 1st
• Applications will be due on May 22, 2023, at noon.

Please reach out to Monro Obenauer (monro.obenauer@asufoundation.org) with any questions about the Moonshot Cohort application process. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!