Prizes for Democratic Innovation

Innovating for U.S. plans to award competitive prizes not only to boost innovation but also to expand the pool of people who participate in the development of pro-democracy efforts that address foundational challenges. These prizes are designed to find and elevate new ideas and create excitement around supporting democratic innovations across a wide range of stakeholders — including researchers, scholars, core allies, philanthropists and the media

Prizes will be provided to individual teams and/or a combination of organizations, both legacy and new, that bring different perspectives to the work. These grants will last between three years and five years to allow time for basic research and pilot programs that iterate over time. The best use cases at scale will be determined, if scale is possible at all. These programs could touch the cultural, religious, sports or entertainment worlds. They could be designed to address such basic issues of public trust and the ability for the public sector to serve those who need it.

Recruitment will involve advertising the prizes across a wide range of audiences and networks. Each proposal must include:

• A clear list of participants and their roles;
• A proposed timeline;
• A detailed budget;
• Specific goals; and
• A description of how those goals align with a theory of long-term change.

To secure top talent and senior professionals, the grant awards will range between $1.5MM and $3MM. These dollar amounts also allow for experimentation and iteration. On a per annum basis, this is quite reasonable and gives the team the time and resources to develop ideas that are truly innovative and will have a lasting impact.

There is a committee-based vetting process for awarding grants comprised of individuals who come from the private sector, academia, the think tank community, cultural influencers, and funders. The ultimate makeup of the committees will depend on the topic and include a variety of professionals and subject-matter experts.

Final decisions will be made by the committee in conjunction with the governing body of Innovating for U.S. Board.