UP's initial Search identified and supported compelling initiatives that had the potential to scale their impact using a finite of philanthropic capital.  Each of our awardees represents a different hypothesis about how to create sustainable social change.  We received nearly 1,000 submissions over the lifetime of the search, representing a diverse array of sectors, strategies, geographies, and stages of development.  We evaluated submissions from numerous perspectives, especially their potential breadth and depth of impact, plausible pathway to scale, absence of alternative funding, and the ability of a committed team to implement the idea.

UP continues to work with several of our awardees that are still implementing, in addition to engaging with past awardees to respond to catalytic opportunities for follow-on investment as they arise.

We are pleased to have supported the outstanding initiatives below:

TalkingPoints

Enabling School-Family Engagement Through a Multilingual Communication Platform

Coming Clean

Campaign for Healthy, Local Food Procurement at Dollar Stores in the US

Solar Soaker

Testing the Impact and Market for a Low-Cost Solar Washing Device

Suyo

Unlocking the Economic and Social Value of Low-Income Families' Homes Through Property Formalization

Ambercycle

A Breakthrough Closed-Loop Recycling Technology to Create New Materials Out of Waste Plastic

No Means No Worldwide

Scaling an Evidence-based Rape Prevention Program for Adolescent Boys and Girls

Breakthrough India

Scaling A School-Based Adolescent Program to Address Gender-Biased Sex Selection in India

Development Media International 

National Scale-up of a Radio Campaign for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Survival in Mozambique

Precision Agriculture for Development

Developing a High-Quality Advisory Service for 100 Million Farmers using New Technology Tools

Saga Education

Fighting Educational Inequity Through the Power of Tutoring Relationships 

Civil Rights Litigation Venture Fund

Using a Venture Fund Investment Structure to Finance Criminal Justice Reform Litigation

Parsyl

Providing Actionable Insights to the Vaccine Market

mRelief

Streamlining the Food Stamp Enrollment Process to Unlock Unclaimed Benefits for Low-Income Americans

Honduras Safer Municipalities & Jobs Program

​Evaluating the Impact of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on the Life Trajectory of Youth in High-Crime Contexts

Optimizing Ventilation to Improve Health

 Developing Affordable Designs to Increase Household Ventilation and Improve Health in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Graduated Reintegration

A New Model of Reentry to Reduce Mass Incarceration in the United States

RCT of a Reformulated RUTF

Ensuring Cognitive Recovery for Malnourished Children

StrongMinds

Treating Depression at Scale in Africa through Self-Perpetuating, Community-Based Interpersonal Therapy Groups