The Bellagio Center Convening Program/

Bellagio Center Targeted Call for Convening Proposals

For more than 60 years, The Rockefeller Foundation’s Bellagio Center has brought together leaders from around the world to advance bold ideas and develop breakthrough solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.

Through small, focused convenings in Bellagio, Italy, the Center supports deep, sustained collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and geographies — helping organizations strengthen solutions, build unlikely partnerships, and translate ideas into action that drives lasting change.

Each year, the Bellagio Center hosts approximately 60 one-week convenings, welcoming around 1,100 participants from across the globe. Convenings held at Bellagio have launched landmark initiatives that have reimagined our energy, food, health, and financing systems, including the Global Energy Alliance (GEA), the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI),  CGIAR and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN).

About the Targeted Call for Convening Proposals

The Rockefeller Foundation is piloting an invitation-based approach through which a select group of organizations are invited to apply to host a convening at the Bellagio Center.

This approach allows the Bellagio Center to

  • Focus convening capacity on areas of strategic importance and emerging opportunity
  • Support time-sensitive or catalytic work at critical moments
  • Ensure strong alignment between proposed convenings and The Rockefeller Foundation’s mission and values

Being invited to apply reflects a belief that your work may be well suited to the Bellagio Center’s convening environment.

An invitation to apply is not a guarantee of selection, and not all invited applications will be approved.

  • Advance a specific solution with the potential to drive meaningful breakthroughs in a field, system, institution, or public discourse
  • Hinge on a clear, specific, and compelling charitable purpose that contributes to improving the lives of underserved and vulnerable populations
  • Articulate a clear and credible path to impact, linking convening outputs to progress beyond the convening itself
  • Demonstrate a thoughtful understanding of where demand for the solution comes from and outline a credible plan to engage relevant stakeholders in shaping, adopting, or advancing the work
  • Capitalize on a catalytic moment to advance the work
  • Demonstrate sufficient organizational capacity and resourcing to plan, execute, and support meaningful follow-through after the convening
  • Learn more about the Elements of a Successful Convening
What Selected Convenings Receive

Organizations selected to host a convening receive:

  • Use of the Bellagio Center in Bellagio, Italy, for a five-day convening (including arrival and departure days)
  • Lodging, meals, and meeting space for all participants during the convening
  • Ground transportation between Milan and the Bellagio Center
  • Limited travel support, available in specific cases to support inclusion and access (parameters apply)
  • A dedicated Bellagio Center Convening Partner and access to design guidance and resources

The Bellagio Center provides room and board, but does not provide grants or other financial support.

What We Expect from Convening Hosts

Convening hosts are expected to:

  • Lead all aspects of convening planning and execution, including agenda development, facilitation, and participant management
  • Own convening outcomes, from participant curation through post-convening follow‑through
  • Adhere to all Bellagio Center policies and uphold professional standards of conduct onsite
  • Engage in light pre‑ and post‑convening reflection, helping The Rockefeller Foundation understand outcomes and progress related to work advanced at Bellagio

Hosting a convening requires time, capacity, and sustained engagement beyond the convening week itself.

Application Timeline

For additional details, including eligibility requirements, travel support parameters, and review timelines, please consult our Frequently Asked Questions page. The Foundation reserves the right to update these dates, and will communicate any changes on this page.

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Questions?

If you have questions about your invitation or the Targeted Call process, please contact the Bellagio Center Program Team at bellagioapplicant@rockfound.org.

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