Donor-restricted endowment
Gifts designated for long-term stewardship and a permitted charitable mission, governed by written terms and applicable institutional-funds law.
PERMANENT CAPITAL. PERMANENT POSSIBILITY.
Imagine the enduring philanthropic prestige of a great university endowment—dedicated entirely to the world’s most consequential breakthroughs. The Moonshot Prize Endowment is an institution being designed to fund independent global prizes for generations.
Institutional founding proposal · No charitable contributions accepted · Opal collaboration under discussion, not confirmed.
Nobel made discovery timeless. Breakthrough Prize gave science new cultural reach. XPRIZE mobilized ambitious solutions. Moonshot Prize proposes a new synthesis: a professionally stewarded charitable endowment, independent laureate selection, and measurable long-term impact.
Family offices can help define philanthropic fields and the lasting identity of named funds, while expert juries—not donors—make the scientific decisions. The proposed institution will maintain a public ledger of endowment policy, independent award selection, and verified results.
One global institution. A diversified pool of enduring endowed funds. A disciplined spending rule. Restricted prize missions under independent charitable governance.
Gifts designated for long-term stewardship and a permitted charitable mission, governed by written terms and applicable institutional-funds law.
Proposed 3.5–4.5% annual spending policy based on a multi-quarter trailing asset-value average, subject to board judgment and donor restrictions.
Expert panels recommend laureates through documented review, recusals, eligibility controls and audit-ready selection decisions.
Explore hypothetical annual program capacity under a prudent distribution rule. These are illustrations, not a pledge, investment projection, or gift offer.
Assumes annual distributions are made as a percentage of endowment value. A real policy would use a trailing average, liquidity controls, spending guardrails, fees, and donor restrictions.
Total annual expenditure budget from a 4.0% policy
Each proposed named fund backs an independent award field, with eligibility, endowment adequacy and distributions approved through institutional governance. None of the categories is yet funded or accepting nominations.
Breakthroughs making advanced intelligence meaningfully safer, accountable and accessible.
New knowledge increasing years lived in health and improving access to vital care.
Proven breakthroughs in learning science, opportunity and human agency.
Measurable progress in energy, food, freshwater, oceans and ecosystems.
Foundational advances in physics, mathematics, space and quantum science.
Evidence-based advances in peacebuilding, opportunity and public well-being.
Award frequency and size are contingent on legally available distributable resources and independent board approval, not a guaranteed annual gift payout.
A prudent four-stage pathway. At this stage, expressions of interest are exploratory and nonbinding; actual gifts require a qualified recipient and executed terms.
Define family values, the research mission, naming wishes, and desired level of involvement.
Approve the charitable vehicle, board structure, endowment policy, expert selection rules, and legal terms.
Execute a restricted gift agreement after legal and tax diligence; receive contributions only through authorized channels.
Report investment governance, approved annual spending, independent laureate decisions, and real-world impact.
The founding council will evaluate endowment adequacy, legal form, naming, investment oversight and how each gift aligns with an independent charitable mission.
Explore contributing to a pooled, long-term mission endowment with founder recognition subject to agreement.
Explore supporting a recurring mission-specific prize and stewardship program; ultimate award size is budget-dependent.
Explore supporting a landmark prize portfolio or platform-level, long-duration institutional endowment.
Opal Group's Family Office & Private Wealth Management Forum West gathers family offices, foundations and wealth stewards to discuss technology, investing, impact and succession. It is the ideal audience for an invitation to help shape the Moonshot Prize Endowment.
Opal Group's partnership, sponsorship or hosting of a Moonshot Prize session has not been confirmed. Participation in its event must be arranged directly with Opal.
The board stewards the permanent charitable purpose. A majority-independent scientific council controls review design, merit assessment and winner recommendations. Family founders may contribute knowledge and participate in mission stewardship, but cannot direct individual awards or benefit related parties.
Read the proposed founding charter and governance principles ↗Help define an independent institution that can honor discovery long after its founding families are gone. Start with a nonbinding conversation.
Not a donation portal, pledge acceptance, or representation of tax-exempt status. Independent legal formation and authorization are pending.