What makes a city successful? Miami-based Knight Foundation aims to answer this question with their latest contest, the Knight Cities Challenge. Innovators across all disciplines are invited to propose their idea to improve one of 26 Knight communities, cities across the United States with an established network of support for the foundation's initiatives. Proposals should focus on three key levers of city success: attracting and retaining talent, expanding economic opportunity, and creating a culture of robust civic engagement in the chosen community. “No project is too small — so long as your idea is big,” says Carol Coletta, Vice-President of community and national initiatives for Knight Foundation.
Initial applications require only two 150 word abstracts describing the project's ambitions. Submissions from around the world are welcome, but all projects must be executed in one of Knight's 26 communities in partnership with a local contact. After a jurying process, finalists will be required to submit a complete proposal to receive a share of the $5M endowment for the challenge. Finalists will be scored according to "impact, innovation, inspiration, learning and capacity."
Applications are due at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time on November 14th and must be submitted online. Learn more about the foundation and the Knight Cities Challenge here.
