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The Bellagio Center Convening Program

The 2025 Bellagio Center Convening Program applications are now closed. Explore details about the program below to get ready for the 2026 application cycle.

For more than 110 years, The Rockefeller Foundation has united the efforts of leaders, luminaries, and trailblazers from around the globe to solve the world’s most challenging problems and promote the well-being of humanity. Convenings are critical to realizing the Foundation’s mission.

Each year, the Bellagio Center hosts approximately 1,000 people through 60 week-long convenings for groups working collaboratively to create and implement breakthrough solutions to the world’s greatest challenges. Bellagio convenings have launched landmark initiatives that have transformed our energy, food, health, and financing systems, such as the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the CGIAR and the Global Impact Investing Network.

Successful Convenings:

  • Demonstrate the potential to advance a solution that will positively impact humanity and transform the course of things
  • Hinge on a clear, specific, and compelling charitable purpose that will improve the lives of underserved and vulnerable populations
  • Have a defined path to create measurable impact towards long-term goals, with the convening situated at a pivot point in the work 
  • Engage diverse stakeholders who are necessary for success, before, during, and after the convening
  • Are timely and centered during a moment that helps catalyze impact
  • Have a team positioned to support convening planning, execution, and follow through

How We Support Convenings:

  • Convening strategy and design support
  • Travel support for eligible participants
  • Ground transportation from Milan to the Bellagio Center
  • A dedicated on-site convening lead
  • Lodging, food, and tech support

Application Themes:

The 2025 Bellagio Center Convening Program applications are now closed. Explore details about the program below to get ready for the 2026 application cycle.

  • Addressing Climate Change
    Climate change must be addressed through energy systems, health systems, food systems, financial systems, and policy. Under this theme, we will support leaders and organizations working on solutions to address climate change using these approaches.
  • Building Vibrant, Connected, and Resilient Societies
    Humans thrive when we recognize that all our futures are inherently intertwined. Under this theme, we will support leaders and organizations addressing the challenges of building vibrant, connected, and resilient societies.
  • General Open Call
    The General Open Call is for convenings that don’t align with Addressing Climate Change or Building Vibrant, Connected, and Resilient Societies. These convenings can be focused on any issue but must demonstrate a compelling charitable purpose.
  • For small ideas, you can go to any retreat, but to think expansive, fearless ideas and then design something innovative and courageous to put them into practice, there is no place like Bellagio.
    Seth Berkley
    CEO, Gavi
    The Vaccine Alliance

The Power of Convening

True breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation. In the inaugural edition of Bellagio Breakthroughs, we share the stories of four Bellagio Center convenings that led to transformative change in health, food, financing, and power systems.

Read the latest issue

The History of the Bellagio Center

The Bellagio Center has a long history of impact, from convenings that led to the Global AIDS vaccine initiative, to residencies that have furthered the work of some of the world’s leading thinkers and creators.

Learn More
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