The Awards are presented each year to a select group of social innovators whose work targets the root causes of societal problems that are ripe for transformational social change. Through the Awards, the Foundation aims to highlight social innovators whose work has already had significant impact on some of the world’s most pressing problems and who are poised to act as critical catalysts of transformational social change. By investing in social innovations ripe for accelerated, system-level impact, the Skoll Awards help unleash the full potential and reach of social change leaders.

An organisation must be a legally-incorporated entity. Organisations that do not have 501(c)(3) public charity status, including organisations based outside the US, will be asked to submit additional documentation at the appropriate time. The Skoll Foundation focuses on five priority systems: pandemics and health systems strengthening, effective governance, inclusive economies, racial justice, and climate action. We look for Skoll Awards candidates who are driving impact within and across those priorities.

Legal requirements: 501(c)3, Tax Concession Charity (TCC), Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR1), Registered Charity, Incorporated society/group

Individuals, either through scholarships or other forms of financial support; new or early-stage business plans or ideas; programs promoting religious or ideological doctrine, such as those principally sectarian in nature; lobbying (beyond that allowed by law for charitable organizations); film financing; endowments, cash reserves, or deficit reductions; government agencies; university-based projects; public schools and school districts; land, site acquisition, or facilities construction; institutions that discriminate on the basis of race, creed, age, gender, or sexual orientation in policy or practice; grantmaking to other organizations or individuals; event sponsorship; political campaigns; organizations whose missions and work focus on a single municipality, province or state; local offices of parent organizations or specific programs within organizations.

The sourcing process for the Awards is based on solicited referrals and nominations only. View full details at: https://skoll.org/about/skoll-awards/