Then &Amp; Now: Minkel on a Mission to Fund Creative Thinkers

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Karen Minkel's job is "to connect our highly rated proposals to donors who are as excited about them as we are," she tells the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal.

Minkel is the philanthropy director for Lever for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit that holds open competitions to address some of the world's biggest problemsincluding racial inequity, gender inequality, lack of access to economic opportunity, and climate changeand offers prizes ranging between $10 million and $100 million.

Since its inception in 2019, Lever for Change has facilitated more than $1.3 billion in grants.

Its goal is to reach $2.5 billion by 2025.

The appeal, Minkel says, is that it's an opportunity to "openly source projects or organizations that align with your area of interest."

Since its inception, Lever for Change has developed and managed customized challenges on behalf of a variety of funders, including Pivotal Ventures (Melinda French Gates), institutional funders like the WK Kellogg Foundation, corporate funders like the LEGO Foundation, as well as philanthropic advisers and new and anonymous donors.

As of June 1, Lever for Change has facilitated over $1.3 billion in grants.

Minkel began working for the organization in April 2022.

She worked for the city of Fayetteville for seven years (2005-2012), three of those as director of

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