Heritage Innovation Prizes
Financially supporting innovative projects, bold strategies, and highly creative policy solutions
that help to build an America where freedom, opportunity, prosperity, and civil society flourish.
About
The Heritage Foundation awards the Innovation Prizes to financially support innovative solutions to the most pressing issues facing America. The Heritage Innovation Prizes recognize and provide substantive financial awards that, in total, amount to approximately $1 million annually to results-oriented non-profits for projects involving research, litigation, education, outreach, or communications.
Why the Innovation Prizes?
The Heritage Foundation established the Innovation Prizes in 2022 to recognize and advance innovative projects, strategies, and policy solutions of organizations that are seeking to ensure the future of American self-governance. The Innovation Prizes are intended to spark creative disruption within the conservative movement, particularly in the following key areas: empowering parents to make education choices, securing America’s borders and reducing crime, ensuring free and fair elections, reducing the growth of spending and inflation, countering the threat of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), holding Big Tech accountable, protecting unborn life and family formation, promoting leadership development, and unleashing American energy.
In early 2025, The Heritage Foundation will launch a special Innovation Prize round to support innovative projects related to America’s upcoming 250th Anniversary. You can learn more about the special round here.
The following statement from Heritage Foundation President, Kevin Roberts, further articulates the vision behind the Innovation Prizes:
“America is at one of the most critical turning points in her history. The only way we will save our republic is if the American people stand up and take action to defeat radical leftists and the destruction they are unleashing on our country. The conservative movement must go on offense like never before against those trying to bring down the nation from within. The American people are looking for bold and innovative leaders who are willing to call out this radicalism for what it is, but also provide ideas and solutions to the problems millions are facing today.
That’s why Heritage created the Innovation Prize. It’s about serving the movement and uniting conservatives—particularly outside the Beltway—to defeat the destructive ideology and designs of the radical left. As we have for nearly five decades, Heritage will be focused not just on winning policy fights here in Washington, behind enemy lines, but helping the movement take the battle to the left throughout the country as we fight to save America’s future.”
Kevin Roberts, Ph.D
President
The Heritage Foundation
Read the press release here.
GUIDELINES | APPLICATION PROCESS | FAQS | 2024 PRIZE WINNERS | 2023 PRIZE WINNERS | 2022 PRIZE WINNERS
Guidelines and Process
GUIDELINES
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) organization in good standing. New or existing groups, and those operating at the state or national level, are encouraged to apply, provided that they are requesting support for an innovative project. Only applications that are project-specific, rather than general operating support, will be considered.
Priority will be given to those projects that:
- Empower parents to make their own education choices
- Secure our borders and reduce crime
- Ensure free and fair elections
- Reduce the growth of government spending and inflation
- Counter the threat of Communist China
- Hold Big Tech accountable
- Protect unborn life and family formation
- Promote leadership development
- Unleash American energy
- Or meaningfully advance the good life (a strong civil society, healthy families, and vibrant faith)
As the nation’s Semiquincentennial approaches, The Heritage Foundation is launching a special round of the Innovation Prizes in 2025 to support and encourage national, state, and local non-profits to develop projects that will educate our citizens, rekindle in them a love of country, and have a lasting cultural impact on the rising generation. You can learn more about the special round here.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applications for the Innovation Prizes are now open. To be considered for this round of prize funding, applications must be received by 11:59 pm ET on Friday, January 31, 2025.
Prior to submitting a full application, we encourage you to reach out to see if your project and organization would be a good fit for the Innovation Prizes. Feel free to email us a brief project description, and if the project falls within the guidelines and objectives of the Innovation Prizes, you will be notified and encouraged to apply for the next round.
Email inquiries can be sent to [email protected], and we will follow up with you.
Applicants will be required to provide the following:
- A description of the project, its objectives, desired outcome, and timetable
- A project budget, specific request for an award amount, and supporting documentation
- A list of the participants in the project and their qualifications
- A description of the organization, list of the board of directors, the total operating budget for the current fiscal year, and annual report
- Copy of the IRS determination letter confirming 501(c)(3) status
- A copy of your most recent IRS form 990
Additional information may be requested if needed for further evaluation.
PREVIOUS WINNERS
- American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- American Accountability Foundation
- Carolinas Academic Leadership Network
- Center for Christian Virtue
- Claremont Institute
- The College Fix
- Feds for Freedom
- Immigration Accountability Project
- Institute for Family Studies & Ethics and Public Policy Center
- Communio
- National Association of Scholars
- Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs
- Speech First
- Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
- Alliance Defending Freedom
- Americans United for Life
- Charlotte Lozier Institute
- Defense of Freedom Institute
- Forge Leadership Network
- Georgia Center for Opportunity, Pelican Institute for Public Policy, and Texas Public Policy Foundation (Alliance for Opportunity)
- Independent Women's Forum
- State Financial Officers Foundation
- Thomas Jefferson Institute (Virginia Education Opportunity Alliance)
FAQS
I’D LIKE TO APPLY FOR AN INNOVATION PRIZE. WHERE DO I START?
Prior to submitting a full application, we encourage you to reach out to see if your project would be a good fit for the Innovation Prizes. Feel free to email us a brief project description, and if the project falls within the guidelines and objectives of the Innovation Prizes, you will be notified and encouraged to submit an application. Email inquiries can be sent to [email protected], and we will follow up with you. To submit an application, please see the “Apply” section below.
MY PROJECT RELATES TO AMERICA’S 250th ANNIVERSARY. CAN I APPLY?
We encourage all non-profits with innovative projects related to America’s semiquincentennial to apply for the America’s 250th Innovation Prize. The application round will open Friday, January 31, 2025. You can learn more about the special round here.
Projects eligible for this special prize round include educational initiatives, cultural events, public forums, exhibitions, books, and films. If you are unsure whether your project qualifies for the America’s 250th Innovation Prize Round, please email [email protected], and we will be happy to provide feedback.
IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?
No, there is no fee.
CAN A NEW NON-PROFIT APPLY FOR CONSIDERATION?
Yes. There is no requirement regarding the age of the institution.
DOES THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION EXPECT TO INFLUENCE THE DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS OF MY ORGANIZATION IN RETURN FOR THE PRIZE?
No, but it is anticipated that Heritage will help to publicize the awarded project, and prize recipients may collaborate with Heritage and other groups in their efforts.
HOW WILL THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION ADMINISTER THE PRIZE PROCESS?
Applicants will be notified that their application has been received, and applicants may be asked to answer further questions or take part in a more detailed discussion of your project.
HOW WILL THE WINNERS BE ANNOUNCED?
Prize winners will be notified by The Heritage Foundation privately, followed by a public announcement.
WHAT REPORTING WILL BE REQUIRED?
A report detailing the impact of the project is expected.
CAN AN ORGANIZATION SUBMIT MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS FOR DIFFERENT INITIATIVES?
Yes.
CAN A PAST RECIPIENT APPLY FOR A NEW PRIZE?
Yes.
WHAT IF I HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS?
Questions and letters of inquiry may be sent to [email protected]
APPLY
Click here to apply!
Please note that there are two pages to the application form. The first page consists of questions and the second page contains a Dropbox link for uploading documents.
The option to print a PDF copy of your application will be available once the form is submitted.
To download a preview of the application questions before submitting the application form, please click here.
Applications will close on Friday, January 31, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET.
