Lever for Change & Reid Hoffman Announce Five Finalists for $10 Million Challenge to Increase Trust in U.S. Institutions

CHICAGO, IL, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Reid Hoffman and Lever for Change announced five finalists for The Trust in American Institutions Challenge, a $10 million open call designed to scale a bold solution that will build and restore public trust in the core institutions that form the pillars of our society in the United States.

As public trust in institutions continues to reach historic lows, each of the five finalists have identified key leverage points to renew, rebuild, and/or establish trust in core institutions across the country. In doing so, they seek to strengthen the ties Americans have to one another, the health of our communities, and the future of American democracy.

The five finalists' projects are listed below in alphabetical order:

• American Journalism Project, Revitalizing Local News to Restore Trust and Reunite American Communities
• CalMatters, Digital Democracy: Restoring Trust in Government
• Recidiviz, Retooling Corrections to Be Responsive to Americans
• Results for America, See It to Believe It: Building Government Trust Through Results
• Transcend Inc, Co-Designing Education: Community Voices to Rebuild Trust in Public Schools

“Trust is the foundation of a healthy democracy and a thriving society,” said Reid Hoffman. “These five finalists are not just responding to a crisis of confidence—they are leading the way with bold, scalable solutions that can improve and rebuild the public’s faith in our most essential institutions. We are inspired by their vision and proud to support their efforts through this Challenge.”

The Trust in American Institutions Challenge received 375 applications from organizations based in 43 states and Washington, D.C. Applicants proposed solutions that sought to build trust in institutions – from education to government to local news – and underwent multiple rounds of review. Organizations serving people in urban areas and rural areas applied to this initiative in equal measure, underscoring that Americans have more in common than they might think. The finalists represent this diverse breadth of backgrounds and were selected based on the four Challenge criteria: whether they were bold, transformative, scalable, and durable in their approaches.

Each of the five finalist teams will receive an initial project development grant of $200,000 and technical assistance to strengthen their proposals. After submitting revised applications, one finalist will be awarded $9 million to implement their solution. The Trust in American Institutions Challenge awardee will be announced in the Spring of 2026.

The Trust in American Institutions Challenge is being managed by Lever for Change, a nonprofit that leverages its networks to help donors find and fund bold solutions to the world’s biggest problems. All five finalist proposals will be added to Lever for Change’s network, which offers ongoing learning and networking opportunities to expand the impact of their work, raise their visibility, and increase their potential to secure funding.

"It is imperative that we reverse the trend of declining trust in our institutions,” said Cecilia A. Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. “These five finalists offer a powerful roadmap for building trust in the institutions that shape our daily lives, and they hold the potential to reshape how people engage with and believe in the systems that serve them.”

Lever for Change invites more donors to join in funding these finalists and other top-ranked organizations identified in The Trust in American Institutions Challenge. More information about the Challenge can be found at https://leverforchange.org/open-calls/trust-in-american-institutions/

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Reid Hoffman

An accomplished entrepreneur, executive, and investor, Reid Hoffman has played an integral role in building many of today’s leading consumer technology businesses including as the co-founder of LinkedIn. He's currently a partner at Greylock and the co-founder of Manas AI, which is leveraging AI, computational chemistry and best in class biology to cure cancer faster. He is the co-host of two podcasts, Masters of Scale and Possible, and the co-author of six best-selling books including his most recent, Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future. Reid serves on a number of not-for-profit boards, including Lever for Change, Endeavor, and Opportunity@Work.

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 $2.5 billion in grants and worked with more than 500 organizations worldwide. Discover new potential at leverforchange.org.

Angie Ngo
Lever for Change
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