Successful Bellagio Center Convening Program applications are bold, ambitious, and designed around a clear vision of how the convening fits within a broader journey of work to achieve measurable impact. By providing a small format and thought-provoking location along the shores of Lake Como, the Bellagio Center offers a unique environment for global leaders and changemakers to advance breakthrough solutions that address the world’s most challenging problems.
Bellagio Center convenings are selected through an annual open call for applications, as well as an internal referral process. In both cases, applicants must submit a full application and go through a competitive review process. The first step in the application process is a pre-application questionnaire to verify eligibility and convening readiness.
Eligible applicants are then invited to complete an online Expression of Interest to share the details of their proposed convening. The Rockefeller Foundation will invite a shortlist of candidates to submit a full application in July (for convenings in Q1 or Q2 of 2026) or December (for convenings in Q3 or Q4 of 2026). Final decisions will be made on a quarterly basis, approximately four to six months in advance of the dates available at the Center.
All applicants are required to complete our pre-application questionnaire by 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on May 28, 2025, in order to proceed to the Expression of Interest phase.
