Selective coverage of the last ten years, including a 2016–2018 evaluation. Sources inform our design; they are not institutional partners or endorsements.
11 sources · Reviewed October 22, 2026
Prize design2019 · Practice guide
Nesta · Challenge Works
Design the problem before designing the prize
The 2019 practice guide explains why incentives, a clear challenge and practical support must work together. A prize should attract people capable of solving the problem and help good ideas reach implementation.
What this means for a family office
Define measurable success, who can participate, what evidence counts, and the route from a winning solution to adoption.
Scope: A design framework, not a prediction of success for any particular prize.
What the first 100&Change cycle taught its organizers
The evaluation covers the 2016–2018 cycle. Open applications, outside judges and technical assistance offered value; applicants also needed more guidance and useful feedback.
What this means for a family office
Use progressive diligence, clear screening and reusable evidence. Treat applicant time as a real cost.
Scope: Lessons from one program and cycle require adaptation.
Carbon Removal guidelines specify phases, milestone awards, evidence requirements and independent judging. Confidential information and verification visits are treated as part of the operating model.
What this means for a family office
Record baselines, milestones, evidence and verification separately from a team’s narrative.
Scope: Rules for a carbon-removal competition are not universal scientific standards.
Challenge participants can gain visibility, stronger proposals and access to continuing support. Application burdens remain consequential, especially for smaller organizations.
What this means for a family office
Keep an enduring opportunity pipeline and support promising teams beyond the final selection.
Scope: Reported participant experiences vary; a network does not guarantee funding.
Make independent judgment consistent and explainable
Shared rubrics, reviewer training, calibration and review of written assessments help address variation in scoring. Lever for Change describes a normalization process for its own open calls.
What this means for a family office
Require conflict disclosure and reasons. Publish the rubric before a cycle; retain raw assessments and a human decision record.
Scope: Moonshot does not currently normalize scores or select winners automatically.
An impact intention needs a measurement discipline
GIIN distinguishes impact investing by its intention to deliver measurable social or environmental benefit alongside financial return. It recommends a theory of change, targets, monitoring and learning.
What this means for a family office
Separate philanthropy from return-seeking capital; define the baseline, metric, target and evidence before counting an outcome.
Scope: A measurement framework does not establish financial suitability or verified impact.
The April 2026 Carbon Removal report tracks activity during and after the competition, including organizer-reported capital raised and deployment progress.
What this means for a family office
Maintain a post-award record of follow-on financing, deployment, outcomes and unresolved risks.
Scope: Capital raised is neither investment yield nor proof that the prize alone caused the result.
These are linked primary sources with original summaries, not republished articles or a claim of Creative Commons licensing. Save a private reading list in your family office workspace →.