Ideas. Action. Impact.

While others celebrate America's past, we're backing the ideas that will build what comes next.

The Community Futures Challenge is a national competition open to every eligible U.S. 501(c)3. Five winners. $250,000 in grants. Tomorrow's ideas — today.

Apply now Read the brief

$250K

Total grant size

Distributed equally across five winning teams.

Winners · $50K each

Selected from a nationwide open call.

9 mo.

Program duration

September 2026 — February 2027.

Ideas are the origin. Action is the engine. Communities are the proof.

America's first 250 years were powered by bold, disruptive ideas. What comes next is being built now by the people moving America forward.

PMI U.S. is invested in America — and in the people and projects shaping what's next. To honor America's 250th anniversary and spirit of innovation, PMI U.S. is funding the Community Futures Challenge, a national innovation platform designed in partnership with Arizona State University as official Judging Partner, to uncover America's boldest ideas — and help turn them into reality, anywhere in the country.

Innovate

Submit a community-focused idea — workforce development, economic mobility, public infrastructure, civic technology, entrepreneurship, or another field. Early-stage, pilot, and scaling projects qualify.

Compete

Move through a review by an independent panel of nationally acclaimed judges. Five dimensions. 100 points. No shortcuts.

Win $50K

Five winning teams each receive an unrestricted $50,000 — and are recognized at a dedicated event in Q1 2027.

Five dimensions. Independently judged.

Each criterion is scored out of 10 and weighted by an independent panel of nationally acclaimed judges.

01

Community impact

Does this innovation meaningfully improve conditions for real people in a real community?

25%
02

Feasibility

Is there a credible, executable plan? Does the team have the capacity to deliver?

20%
03

Innovation

Is this a genuinely new approach, or a meaningful improvement on an existing one?

20%
04

Sustainability

Can this grow beyond its initial community? Is there a replication model?

20%
05

Founder & team

Does the person or team behind this have the drive, background, and community connection to execute?

15%

An independent panel of nationally acclaimed leaders.

Submissions are reviewed and scored by eight judges — entrepreneurs, scholars, journalists, and public servants chosen for their work moving American communities forward — under the leadership of its chair.

Chair

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan

University Professor, Arizona State University; Former Director, U.S. National Science Foundation (AZ) – Chair of Judges

ASU Foundation Chair in Computing and Augmented Intelligence and former Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Judging panel

JoAnne Bass

19th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (Ret.); Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (DC)

The first woman to serve as the senior enlisted leader of a U.S. military branch, with a 31-year career championing readiness, leadership development, and the welfare of more than 600,000 Airmen.
Steve Clemons

Founding Editor-at-Large, Semafor; Host, The Bottom Line, Al Jazeera English (DC)

Editor at Large, The National Interest; Founding Editor at Large, Semafor; host of The Bottom Line on Al Jazeera English; and founding Executive Director of the Nixon Center (now the Center for the National Interest).
Hugh Forrest

Founder, Gather & Grow Experiences; former President & Chief Programming Officer, SXSW (TX)

The architect of SXSW's transformation into a global gathering for technology, innovation, and culture. Named Austinite of the Year and Austin Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young.
Dr. Mark Naufel

President & CEO, University of Silicon Valley (CA)

President & CEO of the University of Silicon Valley and co-founder of ASU's Luminosity Lab, working at the intersection of art, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Leah Pisar

Chair, Project Aladdin; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council (NY)

Founder of PH7 Advisory to curate constructive conversations among diverse voices; expert in U.S. foreign policy and cultural diplomacy; honorary chair of Project Aladdin.
Dr. Velma Trayham

President & CEO, Black Chamber of Arizona; Founder, Millionaire Mastermind Academy; Author (AZ)

President & CEO of the Black Chamber of Arizona, Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and founder who has helped more than 8,000 minority and women entrepreneurs launch and scale businesses.
Ted Yang

Founder & President, Cantata Media; Serial Entrepreneur & Investor (CT)

MIT engineer, entrepreneur, former finance executive at Bridgewater and Citadel, founder of more than a dozen companies, author of Ageless Peak Performance and Table for Five, and member of the Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education.
Kent Yoshimura

Co-Founder & CEO, Neuro (CA)

Co-Founder and CEO of Neuro and a multidisciplinary creative and athlete whose work spans health, film, public art, and digital media; featured by NBC, The New York Times, TIME, and NPR.

Questions, answered.

Who is eligible to apply?

The nationwide search is open to U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations tackling one of America's toughest problems. The lead applicant must be aged 21 or older. The project must serve adults 21 and older within a defined U.S. community. Early-stage, pilot, and scaling projects qualify; fully self-sustaining initiatives do not.

What communities are eligible to apply?

Applications are open to projects serving defined geographic communities in the United States, across all 50 states. Applicants do not need to be located in, or serve, one of the Innovation Tour cities. Eligible projects should demonstrate a clear connection to a specific U.S. community and show how the proposed solution addresses a local need with potential relevance beyond that community.

What kinds of projects are we looking for?

You name it. Workforce development. Economic mobility. Public infrastructure. Civic technology. Entrepreneurship. Anything that materially strengthens a U.S. community. We favor the specific, the replicable, and the measurable over the broadly aspirational.

When do submissions open and close?

Submissions open September 1, 2026 and close November 30, 2026. Finalists will be notified in January 2027. The five winners are announced and recognized at a dedicated event in early 2027.

How are proposals judged?

An independent panel of nationally acclaimed judges scores entries across five dimensions, each on a 0–10 scale weighted by importance: community impact (25%), feasibility (20%), innovation (20%), sustainability (20%), and founder/team (15%) — 100% in total. The full panel is published on this site under Judges.

What role does PMI U.S. have in selecting winners?

Submissions will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges using the published selection criteria. PMI U.S. is supporting the program and funding the awards, while the judging process is designed to ensure credibility, transparency, and alignment with the Challenge's stated goals.

Are there restrictions on how the $50,000 can be used?

The grant is unrestricted, but recipients are expected to deliver against the project plan submitted in their application and to participate in light reporting and storytelling moments tied to the program.

Will applicant information or stories be used publicly?

PMI U.S. and ASU may highlight selected applicants, finalists, and winners through program communications, storytelling, events, or media opportunities. Any public use of participant names, project details, images, or stories should be handled in accordance with program terms and any required permissions or consents.

In partnership with

Official Judging Partner

The ideas that build America's next chapter are already out there.

Five winners. $50,000 each. Submissions open September 1, 2026 and close November 30, 2026.

Start your application