Exploratory, Visionary Ideas Strategy

Despite the amount of research, conversations, thought and planning we’ve put into our new Framework for Grantmaking and Learning, we’re still leaving room for new ideas. While traveling across the state, we heard that ZSR needs to be more adaptive, more flexible and take more risks to identify NC’s best, brightest and boldest ideas. As we begin working more deeply with communities and continue working more broadly across the state, we know we’ll learn things we didn’t know and discover transformative ideas we’ve never thought of. Some of these ideas will come from communities; some may come from our own staff and board.

Our strategy for investing in exploratory, visionary ideas will evolve over time. Unlike traditional grantmaking, it won’t be wedded to pre-defined grant cycles or applications. Instead, information and applications will be available as new projects or initiatives are announced.

Have an Exploratory, Visionary Idea? Share it with us here!

Our investments will vary widely from year to year as we remain flexible, adaptive, and responsive to what we learn. This type of philanthropy may be high-risk, but it’s a risk we’re willing to take to fuel North Carolina’s most promising ideas.

We're starting by investing in three ideas.

In 2018, as part of ZSR's Exploratory, Visionary Ideas Strategy, we launched two initiatives: An All For NC Fellowship and an Inclusive Public Art initiative.

Watch this short video (below) that explains our Exploratory, Visionary Ideas Strategy.