Elevate Prize 2027 Nominations Open: $300,000 Funding and Global Support for Social Impact Leaders

The Elevate Prize 2027 is now open for nominations, offering a global opportunity for social impact leaders who are driving transformative change within their communities and scaling solutions to address pressing global challenges. The prize provides both significant funding and long-term strategic support to help organizations expand their visibility, strengthen operations, and deepen impact.

This opportunity is designed for visionary leaders and organizations committed to systemic and cultural change. It goes beyond a traditional award by combining unrestricted funding with a two-year tailored development program and access to a global network of changemakers.

About the Program

The Elevate Prize Foundation awards the Elevate Prize annually to exceptional social impact leaders whose work demonstrates bold vision, measurable impact, and the potential to scale globally. Nominations are open to individuals leading nonprofit organizations that are actively addressing social, environmental, or systemic challenges.

The program selects leaders who are not only solving critical problems but also reshaping narratives and influencing broader systems of change. Winners are selected through a multi-stage evaluation process that includes nomination review, eligibility screening, application review, finalist interviews, and final selection.

The program is structured around a two-year engagement period where winners receive tailored support across organizational development, visibility strategy, and leadership development. Even after the program concludes, winners remain part of a global alumni network that continues to provide opportunities for collaboration, learning, and engagement.

Why This Opportunity Matters

Social impact leaders often face significant challenges in scaling their work, including limited funding flexibility, lack of visibility, and constrained organizational capacity. The Elevate Prize addresses these barriers by providing unrestricted funding and long-term strategic support that enables leaders to focus on what matters most: impact.

The program recognizes that transformative change requires both financial resources and sustained investment in leadership capacity. By combining funding with mentorship, visibility support, and community-building, the Elevate Prize helps organizations move from local impact to global influence.

This opportunity is particularly valuable for leaders working on systemic issues such as education, health, climate, equity, and human rights, where long-term support and strategic partnerships are essential for meaningful change.

What Participants Will Gain

Selected Elevate Prize winners receive a comprehensive support package designed to accelerate both personal leadership and organizational growth. This includes $300,000 in unrestricted funding, with $250,000 allocated to the organization and $50,000 provided directly to the leader.

Beyond funding, winners benefit from a tailored two-year support program focused on visibility, organizational development, and whole-leader well-being. This includes strategic guidance in areas such as branding, communications, digital presence, storytelling, partnerships, and public engagement.

Participants also gain access to a global community of impact leaders, investors, and partners, along with exclusive convenings and an annual winners’ retreat. This network provides ongoing opportunities for collaboration, learning, and scaling impact beyond the program period.

Who Can Apply

The Elevate Prize is open to individuals who are at least 18 years old and serve in leadership roles such as Founder, CEO, Executive Director, or equivalent positions.

Eligible applicants must represent a legally registered nonprofit organization in their country (or international equivalent of a U.S. 501(c)(3)). Organizations should have the capacity to receive philanthropic funding and actively implement programs with measurable impact.

The program typically considers organizations with annual budgets between $2 million and $10 million, although organizations outside this range may still be considered based on readiness and impact potential.

Applicants should demonstrate strong leadership, organizational momentum, and a clear vision for scaling their work.

Eligible Areas

This opportunity is open globally to nonprofit organizations working across sectors including but not limited to education, health, climate action, human rights, social justice, economic empowerment, and community development.

Application Process and Deadline

Nominations for the Elevate Prize are open to the public, and anyone can nominate a leader during the application window. Once nominated, selected candidates are invited to submit a full application.

The selection process includes multiple stages:
nominations, eligibility review, application submission, multi-round evaluation, finalist interviews, and final selection.

Nominations are open until 8 May 2026.

Learn more and nominate someone you know on the official Elevate Prize website.

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Want to discover more fellowships, scholarships, internships, and global programs like this one? Visit Opportunities for Youth to explore more opportunities.