What is required to apply to the open call?
All applicants are required to complete the pre-application questionnaire on behalf of their applying host organization. This will help to determine if
- prospective applicant organizations are eligible to host a Bellagio Center convening, and
- the proposed convening is broadly in alignment with the Elements of a Successful Bellagio Convening.
Applicant organizations who meet the eligibility criteria and appear to be a potential fit for convening at the Bellagio Center will be prompted to download the Expression of Interest form at the conclusion of the pre-application questionnaire.
The Expression of Interest form must be filled out in the provided template. Once complete, all Expressions of Interest forms must be submitted to The Rockefeller Foundation in .PDF format through our online submission portal.
Please note, other formats (e.g. .doc, .pages, .pptx, .jpg, .png, etc.) will not be accepted and completed submissions that are not in the provided template may not be considered.
The Bellagio Center Program Team reviews Expression of Interest forms on a bi-annual basis and will reach out to the strongest applicants in July (for applicants requesting Q1 and Q2 convenings) or December (for applicants requesting Q3 and Q4 convenings) to invite full convening applications.
How will my application be evaluated, and what convenings do you prioritize?
We prioritize convenings that are designed around achieving a clear, specific goal and occur at a pivotal moment for the work being done. All convenings must focus on a demonstrably charitable purpose and cannot involve political campaign activity or lobbying of any kind. While we consider and approve applications across any thematic area, The Rockefeller Foundation is particularly interested in convenings for 2026 that focus on the themes listed on our program Application Themes webpage.
Please review our Elements of a Successful Convening page for more details about what we look for when selecting for the Bellagio Center Convening Program. The Bellagio Center is not designed for gatherings such as internal strategy sessions, board meetings, capstone projects, training programs, large-scale conferences, or academic symposiums.
The open call process is highly competitive. Please understand that even very strong applications may be declined due to the large volume of applications we receive and the Bellagio Center’s availability.
How is “charitable purpose” defined for the purpose of the Bellagio Center Convening Program?
All convening proposals must satisfy the requirements for charitability set by the United States Internal Revenue Service, which include the provision of relief to the poor, advancement of education or science, preservation of the natural environment, and promotion of social welfare.
Convenings cannot have the purpose of generating profit or providing a for-profit company with a service or benefit.
When presenting your convening proposal, please be sure to clearly articulate how the outcomes of your convening are charitable, including who will benefit from the convening results and how that benefit will be realized after the convening.
How are Political Campaign Activity and Lobbying defined for the purpose of the Bellagio Center Convening Program?
The Rockefeller Foundation is a non-partisan, non-profit organization, and the use of our space and resources must adhere to all limitations on political campaign activity and lobbying as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.
Convenings held at the Bellagio Center cannot include activities or results that may be used to influence the outcome of any United States public election, or any public election outside of the United States, or to carry on, directly or indirectly, any voter registration initiatives.
Convenings held at the Bellagio Center cannot support or be associated with any activities that may constitute lobbying as defined in the Internal Revenue Code Section 4945(d)(1) and the regulations thereunder.
When is the 2025 open call application deadline?
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.
Expressions of Interest must be submitted via the online submission portal by 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Friday, May 30, 2025, by 5:00pm U.S. Eastern Time.
A subset of applicants will be invited to submit full applications in July of 2025 for the opportunity to convene at the Center in Q1 or Q2 of 2026 or in December 2025 for the opportunity to convene at the Center in Q3 or Q4 of 2026.
I have applied in the past. Am I able to apply again?
Yes. There are no limitations on the number of times you can apply to the Bellagio Center Convening Program. However, if you are planning to re-apply with the same convening idea that you have applied with previously, we strongly encourage you to visit our Elements of Successful Convening page before submitting your Expression of Interest.
If you are applying to the Bellagio Center Convening Program with a convening that is identical or similar to one you have hosted at the Center in the last five years, please be advised that we do not support repeat year-on-year convenings such as annual events, or recurring milestones for a single project.
Am I eligible to apply?
The following conditions must be met to apply to host and organize a Bellagio Center convening:
- The convening must have a clear social benefit and charitable purpose;
- All applicants must be over the age of 18;
- Applicants cannot be United States government officials, as defined by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service;
- Applicants cannot run for a United States public office or be employed by the campaign of an individual running for public office in the United States during the convening;
- Applicants cannot hold public office in countries outside of the United States during the convening;
- Applicants cannot run for public office in countries outside of the United States or be employed by the campaign of an individual running for public office in countries outside of the United States during the convening;
- Applicants cannot be Rockefeller Foundation Personnel or a Related Party;
Definition of “Rockefeller Foundation Personnel” and “Related Party”:
- “Personnel” includes all trustees, officers, and staff of the Foundation, as well as non-trustee members of the Investment Committee.
- “Related Party” includes any living spouse, domestic partner, parent, sibling, child, or other family member or individual with whom there is an intimate personal and/or economic relationship.
- For Foundation trustees, directors, officers, key employees, and persons exercising the power of such positions, “related party” includes the following living relatives:
- Spouse or domestic partners;
- Parents and step-parents;
- Grandparents and step-grandparents;
- Siblings and half-siblings and their spouses;
- Children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, and their spouses; and
- Other family members or individuals with whom there is an intimate personal and/or economic relationship
When will I hear back?
Applicants will be notified of whether they have been declined or invited to submit a full application in July or December 2025, based upon the quarter requested in their Expression of Interest form. If selected to submit a full proposal for Q1 or Q2 of 2026, applicants will receive an invitation from the Rockefeller Foundation in mid-July. If selected to submit a full proposal for Q3 or Q4 of 2026, applicants will receive an invitation in mid-December.
For applicants invited to submit full applications, we aim to make final decisions approximately four to six months ahead of the dates we are able to offer at the Bellagio Center.
When do convenings take place?
The Bellagio Center typically hosts convenings from February through mid-December. The Center is closed in January.
Can I request specific dates for my convening?
The Bellagio Center calendar is set well in advance. If your convening is approved, we will provide available dates. While we try to accommodate requested timeframes, we cannot guarantee specific dates will be available.
How long are convenings?
Convenings at Bellagio occur over five days (Monday through Friday or Tuesday through Saturday). The first day is reserved for participant arrivals, followed by three full working days, and the final day is reserved for participant departures. While we can accommodate convenings shorter than five days, we cannot accommodate convenings longer than five days.
How many participants can my convening have?
The maximum number of participants (including all staff, facilitators, and security personnel) is 21 or 22, depending on the building in which your convening takes place. We cannot accommodate convenings with more than 22 participants.
Can I invite more participants to my convening if they stay in a hotel, rather than at the center?
No. All convening participants (including support staff and security, if needed) must stay onsite at the Bellagio Center.
What kind of support does The Rockefeller Foundation provide for Bellagio Center convenings?
The Rockefeller Foundation provides convening facilities, meals, accommodations, and ground transportation for all convenings held at the Bellagio Center. To assist participants in securing visas into Italy, The Rockefeller Foundation staff in Italy are able to provide invitation letters for use at local embassies.
The Rockefeller Foundation also provides all Bellagio Center convenings with consultation service from our expert design partners, who can help sharpen convening purposes and propose specific tactics for fostering participant engagement and building post-convening momentum. In addition, we provide a designed, branded agenda template as well as other convening materials designed to maximize your convening’s impact during and after the convening. If you’d like to explore more resources related to convening design, we encourage you to visit our website.
Does The Rockefeller Foundation provide funding for travel to the Bellagio Center?
Convening host organizations or their participants are expected to cover international travel costs to reach Milan, Italy. However, travel support awards are available to help organizations defray expenses for individuals who would not otherwise be able to participate.
We do not defray costs for individuals from well-resourced organizations, such as philanthropic institutions or corporations, nor for participants of convenings hosted by well-resourced organizations. The Rockefeller Foundation cannot support the travel costs for U.S. Government Officials or high-net-worth individuals under any circumstances.
Can my organization submit multiple applications?
Organizing, planning, and executing a successful convening requires a significant amount of time and resources. While we do not limit the number of applications an organization submits, we strongly recommend considering the bandwidth necessary to support, organize, and resource multiple convenings in a single year and prioritize the most promising convening for the Bellagio Center.
How do I apply for the Residency Program?
Our application for 2026 residencies is currently closed. We anticipate opening our application for the 2027 residency in early 2026. If you would like to be notified when we announce our open call for residency applications, we invite you to sign up here.
How do I apply for the Big Bets Fellowship Program?
Our application for 2025 Fellows is currently closed. We anticipate opening our application for the 2026 Fellows in early 2026. If you would like to learn more about our Fellowship Program, we encourage you to visit our website.
Where can I go if I still have questions?
The Bellagio Center Program Team is available to answer any additional questions. Email them at bellagioapplicant@rockfound.org.