Intro
Planetary Council is an organization that recognizes the current challenges in global governance, such as the gridlock at the UN Security Council level.
We exist to provide actionable policies and advisory services aimed at resolving the metacrisis and building a thriving civilization.
The purpose of this round is to activate and support projects and initiatives working towards aligned goals.
Name (or Topic/Theme) of Proposed Round:
Planetary Council — Building Blocks of Civilisation
Social Handle of Your Organization:
Twitter: @PlanetCouncil
Telegram: t.me/PlanetaryCouncil
Mirror blog: mirror.xyz/0x315f80C7cAaCBE7Fb1c14E65A634db89A33A9637
WWW: PlanetaryCouncil.org
Eligibility Criteria:
Main eligibility criterion in one sentence:
Are you a building block of civilisation?
In other words, if we were to start fresh 
and rebuild civilization from scratch, what would your role be?
Some building blocks that come to mind:
- Culture
- Media
- Entertainment
- Education
- Healthcare
- Economy
- Law
- Food system
- Governance / coordination
- Energy
- Transport
- Housing
- …
- The list is not exhaustive. If you belong to a category that is not explicitly listed here you are still encouraged to apply.
Explicitly excluded from this round: DeFi. This is because DeFi as an industry received loads of funding in general. Projects not excluded from the round include those working towards a better economic system, such as:
Examples of eligible projects, all of them operating in the area of law / legal / dispute resolution:
- https://www.independenttribunal.org/
- https://kleros.io/
- https://legalscreenshot.com/
- https://www.peace-keepers.io/
- ULEX: An Open-Source Legal System - video from IndieGoGo campaign by StartupSocieties (now appears discontinued but gives an idea about the type of project)
Examples from the previous Planetary Council round:
| Project | Civilisation building block justification |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Geoengineering | Obvious need for bioregional regeneration beyond existing nation states boundaries |
| Institute of Metacrisis | Researching, educating, raising awareness of the metacrisis dynamics. Essential to change the course of the planet |
| Global education curriculum | Reading, writing, numbers,communication, problem solving, critical thinking, foreign languages, not just English to avoid “imperialistic neocolonialism” vibe. |
| WorldVote | Worldwide system of voting is as close as it gets to being civilisation building block. |
Further examples illustrating the eligibility criteria:
| Project | Civilisation building block justification |
|---|---|
| Open Root Server Network | An alternative to ICANN that manages domain resolution on the internet, essential for preventing a single US-based entity from ruling over the internet. |
| Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED) | Ensuring food security, especially in the context of MBBF (multiple breadbasket failure)—a situation where several of the world’s major agricultural regions (breadbaskets) experience significant crop failures at the same time. |
More specific definition of “building block of civilization”?
It is our view that the examples provided above are sufficient to indicate which projects are eligible, and we are comfortable with the four-word definition: “building block of civilization.”
A more specific definition could backfire—someone might reverse-engineer it to fit their project, or someone else may decide that, even though their project is a true civilizational building block, it doesn’t fit the definition.
List of questions to the applicants:
- MTP (Massive Transformative Purpose), North Star, Big Hairy Audacious Goal—what is the main reason for your project’s existence? Provide your inspirational 1-liner statement.
For example:
TED: “ideas worth spreading”
Google: “organise the world’s information”
- Describe your vision of overwhelming success. Assuming everything goes perfectly, what is the end game of your project?
For example:
Planetary Council becomes the natural successor of the United Nations and every human receives universal basic food / water / education / housing / healthcare. All business models based on scarcity (lifesavingthat is $1 to manufacture and sold at 1000x markup) are eradicated and humanity begins the new era of abundance and planetary regeneration.
- The problem you are addressing now:
1-liner elevator pitch, intentionally brief and concise
- The solution you are providing now:
1-liner elevator pitch, intentionally brief and concise
- Describe how this project is a building block of civilization.
Ideally a 1-liner. If a longer explanation is required, it might be a
- Current size of the project.
How many people: full time, part time, volunteers, consultants, advisors, community members?
- Current funding of the project.
If you are long enough in the grant game you surely have this data readily available
- Existing successes / accomplishments / achievements / impact / deliverables of the project
If applying with just an idea and a pitch deck, please showcase accomplishments and credentials of the founders.
This is your chance to shine, be bold!
- Independent proof of legitimacy:
Press, media, podcasts, the more the better
-
Business model, how are you making money, how are you financed?
-
What is your roadmap for the next couple of months?
-
WWW link
-
Twitter link
-
Telegram / Discord public chat link
Evaluation Criteria / Method / Apparatus
Note: there is a difference between “eligibility” and “evaluation”. Eligibility: is the project eligible? Evaluation: once eligible, what is the scorecard?
We will use the scorecard template from Round Operations Guide.
NON-NEGOTIABLE: being a building block of civilization.
Secondary eligibility criteria: early days, startup phase, up to $420k in funding. On this basis, some of the projects mentioned previously would not be eligible, even though the solution they offer is a building block of civilisation.
| Criteria | Weight |
|---|---|
| Radical innovation | 20% |
| Potential to change the world | 20% |
| Social proof and existing accomplishments | 10% |
| Grit, power, determination of the team | 10% |
| TBD | . . . . |
| TBC | . . . . |
| Ability to clearly articulate MTP / problem / solution as a 1-liner | 5% |
| Meme game | 5% |
| Overall quality of the application | 5% |
| Personal preference / intuition / gut feeling / free vote | 10% |
| Excessive use of AI* | -20% |
*We want to learn about your human intelligence, not AI buzzword bingo. Some minor AI edits, proofreading, clarity = of course. Just don’t overdo the AI, negative points for excessive AI use.
Appeals
We designed the evaluation criteria to be fair, transparent, and both objective and subjective, with each evaluator having a “free vote,” allowing them to use their personal preference.
Our decision is final. We do not intend to run an appeals process unless absolutely required.
Marketing Plan:
Round History:
Right after the GG20 we run the round outside of the regular Gitcoin cycle. This is the only round done by the Planetary Council so far. Link to the explorer:
The numbers were rather unimpressive due to the “out of cycle” timing and market conditions.
This time, we hope to participate in the main event—GG22 is a powerful vehicle for outreach and community building, with everyone in donation mode. We anticipate a much higher turnout this time around.
Team Running This Round:
| Role | Name | Relevant Experience | Bio | Social Handle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round Operator | Mars | Previous round operator | Originally from  |
@marsXRobertson on Twitter, @marsrobertson on GitHub |
| Operations Associate | Greg | Previous grant recipient | Originally from  |
@grigore_trifan on Twitter, @GregTrifan on GitHub |
| Operations Associate | Miloje | Full stack hacker and entrepreneur | Originally from  |
@FCBtcpioneer on Twitter, @milojeBtc on GitHub |
Alignment with Gitcoin’s Intents:
This round aligns with Allo GMV by curating high-quality projects and committing to substantial marketing efforts. These activities make it highly likely that this round will secure at least 20% crowdfunding proportional to the matching pool, directly contributing to the success of Allo GMV.
Anticipated Size of the Matching Pool
The matching pool is anticipated to be $5k, already available through sales of the genesis.re passports and historical fundraising.
Funding address: https://etherscan.io/address/0x000007f073eda2e5aaf9497993c1f7fed1242f90
We have a clear plan in place for future fundraising, including:
- Further sale of the genesis.re passports
- Sales of memorable banknotes: https://moneyfromthefuture.com/
- Personalized outreach to potential philanthropic donors and impact investors.
Advisors for This Round:
Wholistic system thinkers / polymaths / multipotentialites.
Amazing human beings who are aligned with the mission of the Planetary Council.
| Name | Links | Bio / Relevant Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Alis0r | x.com/fundotherworlds | A graduate in International Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Naples l’Orientale, Alis0r has over 15 years of experience in grant writing, project development, and regenerative solutions. Driven by a passion for sustainable socio-economic models, Alis0r has worked on European Union programs like ERASMUS+, LIFE+, and Horizon2020, collaborated with the Global Ecovillage Network, and facilitated the use of blockchain technologies for environmental conservation at 17tons.earth, demonstrating a constant commitment to systemic change. In parallel, Alis0r’s personal transformation journey, grounded in psychological and meditative practices, has inspired the pursuit of a second bachelor’s degree in psychology. Alis0r also has previous experience as a Gitcoin user. |
| MadMunky2140 | Nostree | Cypherpunk, Nostr and Bitcoin artist, MadMunky is a woodworker, designer, creator, and privacy advocate. As a tech enthusiast searching for free-market solutions, MadMunky is one of the founding members of 2140.wtf, a project that shares cypherpunk ethos and values through art, music, money, and culture. Driven by a passion for connection, MadMunky aspires to create spaces and educational platforms where people can practice the change they want to see in the world. Although new to Gitcoin, MadMunky brings a wealth of experience in design, privacy, and decentralized tech solutions. |
| Jesús Ledesma (Neoindigena) | https://www.linkedin.com/in/neoindigena/ | Forestry Engineer, Ethnobotanist, Agriculture Monitor, Permaculture Designer, and Regenerative Systems Developer. While deeply connected to nature, Jesús also grew up surrounded by technology. His avatar, “Neoindigena”, embodies a vision of how technology can help us reconnect with a wild and sustainable lifestyle. With a long background in permaculture, Jesús currently coordinates RegenHub.Earth (Regenerative Hubs Network), Forest Living (Regenerative Accelerator), and Reverdecer (Smart Social Agroforestry). Although Jesús has no prior Gitcoin experience, he brings extensive expertise in regenerative systems and sustainable agriculture. |
(We have approached a few other knowledgeable, insightful, well-connected individuals but haven’t received affirmative answers yet. We will update the proposal if/when confirmed.)
Funding Mechanism:
Inspired by the CCN (Climate Coordination Network) that used the similar mechanism in GG21:
- 50% traditional QF: https://www.wtfisqf.com/
- 50% COCM: WTF is Cluster-Matching QF? | Gitcoin Blog
We are using this mechanism because it appears as the best option for this round.
Community Size and Engagement:
Quality over quantity. Organic growth rather than manipulating metrics.
Twitter: 103 followers @PlanetCouncil
Telegram: 21 members t.me/PlanetaryCouncil
In the era of airdrops, there are various “quests” that require users to follow, retweet, and join Telegram groups, but we intentionally abstain from this strategy. We prioritize organic growth over “mercenary farmers.” On the positive side, since we started preparing for GG22, engagement in our group has significantly increased!
Type of Projects to Fund:
To avoid duplicating content, please scroll up to the Eligibility Criteria section.
Type of projects to fund = those matching eligibility criteria = building blocks of civilization.
Estimated Number of Eligible Grantees:
We intend to cap the round at 30 projects.
This is motivated by the following:
- More projects mean a lower average payout, leading to questionable ROI for actively participating in the round.
- Fewer projects (up to 30) mean a higher average payout, providing a higher ROI for actively participating (promoting, engaging) in the round.
Impact Assessment Plan:
Screenshot from Grant Program Canvas:
We strongly encourage applicants to use industry standard tools such as Karma GAP and Hypercerts. This is particularly important for already established projects.
Assuming that the Planetary Council will be approved for GG22, our intention is to continue our relationship with Gitcoin for the long haul. We will expect grantees to post the updates to Karma GAP and mint Hypercerts for the donors.
On top of great resources in Grant Operations Guide and Grant Program Canvas we intend to review other GG22 proposals on the forum and “borrow” (get inspired) from the best ideas. That said, Hypercerts and Karma GAP appear to be the default industry-standard tools, and as we reviewed GG21 proposals, we found that the impact assessment plans of various rounds were generally similar.
We commit to publishing a retrospective of our round and sharing the learnings with the community.
Additional Considerations / Experiments
Treat these as optional suggestions / proposals / experiments. Nice to have. Safe enough to try…
Equal kickback
Something mentioned in the marketing plan - if possible and permitted by the rules - all donors above $10 to receive a genesis.re passport on Arbitrum - all donors above $100 to receive a genesis.re passport on ETH Mainnet.
We believe this is in the spirit of the rules. Normally: no kickbacks, no additional incentives to preserve QF mechanism and wisdom of the crowds. However, because these incentives are applied equally across all projects, they should not interfere with the QF results.
Top 20% projects to redistribute 20% of their matching
Logic and reasoning: The winners of the QF are reliable and trustworthy, with established trust and reputation. Because of that trustworthiness, I’m suggesting a new model of fund distribution: the top 20% of projects will redistribute 20% of their matching funds as follows:
- 10% to projects that are good
- 10% to projects that are good AND received below the average.
There is a requirement though: “All payouts must be conducted via Allo, not manually.” We will need to check if Allo allows manual adjustments. If not, it is still possible to implement this method (top 20% to redistribute 20%) manually.
Potential Conflicts of Interest:
Mars Robertson, as the founder of Planetary Council, is actively involved in several projects that are eligible to apply for funding. To avoid conflicts of interest, the simplest and most common-sense solution is to ensure that people involved in the projects do not evaluate their own proposals. This helps maintain fairness and transparency in the process.
More Information:
If you do not receive matching funds from Gitcoin, will you still participate in the round?
Most likely YES, provided that marketing support is available. The marketing aspect is crucial, as without it, the journey could feel isolated, competing for attention among many other well-positioned rounds. Without that visibility, participation may be significantly less effective.
Thank you for reading that far…
Proof of humanity
COP26 Glasgow
Davos 2024
Some ideas may initially seem pretentious, big, or even radical, until they are brought to life. Planetary Council certainly embodies an ambitious vision, but it remains grounded in reality, responding to the current needs of society. As we observe, the world is increasingly ready for this kind of upgrade—we are simply aligning our efforts with this momentum.
Advisor / judge / juror update
