Every moral ambition journey starts with the right connection.

Maybe you’re a social entrepreneur looking for a funder to help you dedicate yourself fully to your mission. Or you’re an activist searching for someone with a platform to amplify your message and mobilize support. Or perhaps you have a promising idea, and you’re seeking expert feedback to refine it.

At The School for Moral Ambition, we believe that all great ideas need the right support. That’s why we create opportunities for ambitious idealists to pitch their ideas to our community and connect with people who can help.

For example, participants in the Circle program take part in a Reciprocity Ring, where they ask for help and share valuable connections to support one another. On our Community Platform, ambitious idealists post requests on the forum where others can contact and assist them. And now, at our community events, members literally step onto our soapbox to pitch their ideas, seeking support to move their missions forward.

Want to know how you can find the help you need — or lend a hand to someone else? Start here: read about how the soapbox works, and explore a list of past pitches at the bottom of this page. Your connection might be just what someone needs to start their journey.
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How it works

“We want people to leave our events with the feeling that they truly can and should take the next step immediately”, explains Community Manager Marijn Scheltens. “It’s not just about getting together and having a good time — it’s really about action.”

So, how does the soapbox work? It’s very simple:

1. First, you pitch your idea in our Typeform. Make sure to explain how it is sizable, solvable and sorely overlooked. 
2. Next, Marijn will select which pitches will be featured at the next event. We can’t feature everyone at one event, but we’ll always try to find a spot.
3. At the event, you get on the soapbox and have 1 minute to pitch your idea to the community. Make sure to include what problem you want to solve, what your proposed solution is, and what you need to take the next step.
4. After your pitch, community members can reach out and offer their help. We will also feature pitches here, on our website, for two months after the community drinks were held. 

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Whether it’s launching a new initiative, looking for a job, or simply having a conversation, the key question is: what do you need to turn your ideals into action?

“The soapbox can truly make a difference for anyone starting out with morally ambitious projects,” says Marijn. “Even if you don’t find exactly what you were looking for, you almost always walk away with valuable connections. You never know who else might be working on something similar, or who might have exactly the insight or resource you need to take your next step.”

➡ Get started here‍

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Get started

Interested in pitching your own idea and looking for inspiration? Or looking to help out someone else with their morally ambitious project?

Check out the list of previous soapbox pitches here, and find the contact you need to start changing the world.
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A cheat code for tobacco legislation

Joachim Verheyen, fellow in the Tobacco Control Fellowship

‍Joachim believes the EU can lead the fight against Big Tobacco. As a Tobacco Control Fellow, he worked with ENSP, an organization at the heart of European tobacco control efforts. Now, ENSP’s future is at risk, just as they are poised to shape crucial new EU legislation on tobacco products. Joachim is looking for connections to funders who can secure ENSP’s ability to draft and advocate for transformative EU tobacco legislation.

✉ Reach out to Joachim on our community platform
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An end to energy-draining data storage

Leander van der Veer, marketing & communications specialist

‍Leander believes our unused data is destroying the planet. During his Moral Ambition Circle he discovered that unused files — or ‘dark data’ — account for more than half of all online data. And data storage contributes to about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Leander is looking for others to join the initiative he launched with Joep Steenbeek called Control Dark Delete.

✉ Reach out to Leander on our community platform
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‍A home for every foster child

Sanne Tji, organizational psychologist

‍‍Sanne believes every child deserves a home. Through Mijn Pleegouders, she’s rebuilding trust in foster care and reaching underrepresented communities. In just three months, she has inspired over 80 potential foster parents. Sanne is looking for experts in youth care financing, process design, and a "courage coach" to keep her moving forward.
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✉ Reach out to Sanne on our community platform
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A social network for the silent middle

Willem Sodderland, entrepreneur

Willem believes extreme polarization is the root of many societal issues. He wants to create an AI-driven solution to amplify the "silent middle" — those seeking a balanced, inspiring way forward. By harnessing the positive power of social networks, he aims to rally people behind a narrative that can get society unstuck. Willem is looking for collaborators to validate and build this vision.

✉ Reach out to Willem on our community platform
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A network of ambassadors for education

Meintje Spijker, non-profit director

Meintje believes education needs all of us. Through the Education Ambassadors Foundation, she’s tackling the teacher shortage by connecting volunteers to classrooms. Ambassadors support teachers with coaching, activities, and lesson prep. Since 2020, the program has grown from one school to 150 ambassadors in 8 regions — and it’s expanding. Meintje aims to reach 20% of Dutch schools by 2030 and is looking for ambassadors through your network, support to scale up and ideas to expand to other sectors.

✉ Reach out to Meintje on our community platform

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