100&Change will empower Sentinel to change how communities approach early detection and containment of infectious disease outbreaks globally. More than 3,000 public health workers from 53 of 54 countries in Africa have already been trained through Sentinel’s approach, and it aims to strengthen its existing framework in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, while also extending its geographic reach across three other African countries over the next five years.
“We are deeply grateful to the MacArthur Foundation for this transformative investment,” said Pardis Sabeti, co-director of Sentinel and Institute Member at the Broad Institute. “With this support, we can build a future where every community has the tools, knowledge, and power to detect and stop outbreaks before they spread. It’s an opportunity to show what’s possible when science, innovation, and a sense of solidarity come together to protect humanity.”
“This investment affirms that solutions to global health challenges can be led from Africa.”
“This investment affirms that solutions to global health challenges can be led from Africa,” said Christian Happi, co-director of Sentinel and Director of the Institute of Genomics and Global Health at Redeemer’s University, Nigeria. “Sentinel is about trust, collaboration, and building the systems that allow every country to respond swiftly and confidently to disease threats. With the MacArthur Foundation’s support, we can create lasting resilience together.”
2025 Finalists
The 100&Change competition invites problem solvers around the world to put forward their most ambitious ideas. In addition to Sentinel, the competition’s other Finalists were: Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Pratham USA, Texas Children’s Hospital, and The Wikimedia Foundation. All five Finalists, alongside 48 other top-ranking organizations from this round of the competition, have joined Lever for Change’s Bold Solutions Network, a curated network of vetted organizations, that have the potential to secure additional funding and expand their impact.
“The ideas surfaced from the 100&Change Finalists and through this process show what’s possible when we dare to think big,” said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. “We remain committed to helping them unlock the resources needed to drive lasting impact and invite other funders to join us.”
More About 100&Change
100&Change is a distinctive competition that is open to organizations and collaborations working in any field, anywhere in the world. Proposals must identify a problem and offer a solution that promises significant and durable change.
This third round of the competition received 869 valid applications from organizations and collaborations worldwide. 100&Change was designed to be fair, open, and transparent. The identity of the judges and the methodology used to assess initial proposals are public. Applicants received comments and feedback from their peers, judges, and technical reviewers. The five Finalists worked with expert teams to strengthen their proposals, plan for evaluation and learning, and authentically engage with communities of interest. Key issues in the competition are discussed in our 100&Change Perspectives blog posts.
In the inaugural round of 100&Change, in 2017, Sesame Workshop and International Rescue Committee were awarded $100 million to educate young children displaced by conflict and persecution in the Syrian response region and to challenge the global system of humanitarian aid to focus more on building a foundation for future success for millions of young children.
In 2021, in the second round of 100&Change, the MacArthur Foundation awarded $100 million to Community Solutions to accelerate an end to homelessness in 75 U.S. communities in five years through “Built for Zero.”
