May 16, 2010 | Read Time: 3 minutes
Foundations, corporations, and governments now offer a variety of prizes and challenges designed to encourage excellence or spur innovation in the nonprofit world. Here is a sampling of prizes and contests that illustrate the diverse uses of the strategy.
Broad Prize for Urban Education
Offered by: Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation
Amount: $2-million, awarded annually
How to win: Goes to the urban school district that demonstrates the greatest overall performance and improvement in student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among low-income and minority students. The winner is selected by a panel of nationally prominent business, government, and public-service leaders.
Deadline for applying: No applications are accepted; school districts are eligible based on factors such as size, poverty rates, and minority enrollment. The 2010 prize will be awarded in October.
Google Lunar X Prize
Offered by: X Prize Foundation
http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/
Amount: $20-million for the winner, $10-million in other prizes
How to win: Safely land a robot on the moon and have the robot travel 500 meters on the lunar surface and send images back to Earth by December 31, 2012. The winning prize drops to $15-million after that date, and the final deadline for winning is December 31, 2014.
Deadline for applying: Teams must be at least 90 percent financed with private donations and must be registered to compete by December 31, 2010.
Ibrahim Prize
http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/en/section/the-ibrahim-prize
Offered by: Mo Ibrahim Foundation
Amount: $5-million over 10 years and $200,000 annually for life thereafter
How to win: An independent committee awards the prize annually to a democratically elected former head of state or government in any sub-Saharan African country who demonstrates excellent leadership. Eligible candidates must have served their term in office within the limits set by the country’s constitution and have left office within the past three years. The prize allows the winners to build on their achievements and play an active role in civil society upon leaving office. No winner was chosen in 2009.
Deadline for applying: Applications are not accepted. Winners are announced in October.
Knight News Challenge
http://www.newschallenge.org/index.htm
Offered by: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Amount: Up to a total of $5-million per year for all winners. In 2009 nine winners were awarded almost $2-million.
How to Win: A panel of experts awards cash to individuals or groups that submit innovative ideas for using digital experiments to transform community news.
Deadline for applying: Applications for the 2010 contest are no longer being accepted; winners will be announced in June. The 2011 application period will begin in fall 2010.
Pepsi Refresh Project
http://www.refresheverything.com/index
Offered by: PepsiCo
Amount: Up to a total of $1.3-million per month for all winners. Simple projects compete for $5,000 cash awards. More elaborate projects can win up to $250,000.
How to win: Submit an idea to improve society through the contest’s Web site. Winners are selected each month based on which projects receive the most votes.
Deadline for applying: The contest will run through the end of 2010. For the June monthly contest, entries were required by May 15 and voting will take place throughout the month of June.
Secretary’s Innovation Award for the Empowerment of Women and Girls
http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/innovation/rfp/index.htm
Offered by: Rockefeller Foundation
Amount: Up to $500,000 each for two award winners
How to win: A panel of jurors awards prizes to two individuals with the most pioneering approaches to giving women and girls around the globe more political, economic, and social power. The award is paid for by Rockefeller and administered by the State Department’s Office of Global Women’s Issues.
Deadline for applying: Submit a concept paper by June 21 to SGWIRFPInnovation@state.gov. Award winners will be announced by the end of 2010.
Yoshiyama Young Entrepreneurs Program
http://www.hitachifoundation.org/yoshiyama/index.html
Offered by: Hitachi Foundation
Amount: Up to $50,000 per entrepreneur over two years
How to win: An independent panel will select up to six entrepreneurs ages 18 to 29 who have formed businesses that help to give needy individuals the opportunity to achieve greater economic security.
Deadline for applying: 2010 applications were due by March; prize winners will be announced in September.
