PURPOSE PRIZE

The following questions and answers pertain to the 2012 Purpose Prize.

• Who is eligible to be nominated for The Purpose Prize?
• What are the characteristics of a potential Purpose Prize winner?
• Can the candidate be either paid or a volunteer?
• Does the candidate have to have started a new organization?
  
• Does the candidate have to be working for a nonprofit?
• Can the candidate be an organization?
  
• Can more than one person be nominated for a single award if all are responsible for the accomplishments?
  
• Can the candidate be working on issues outside the U.S.?
  
• Are there types of innovation that cannot be considered for The Prize?
  
• Can the candidate have received recognition or honors in his or her local community or field?
• Can more than one nomination be submitted for a single individual?
• What if the person to be nominated is involved in more than one organization or cause?
• How recent does the work need to be?
• I nominated someone or applied myself for The Purpose Prize last year and was not selected for recognition. Can you tell me how to improve my chances for The Purpose Prize?
• Can winners and Fellows from a prior year apply again for the Prize?
  
• What factors would make someone INELIGIBLE for The Purpose Prize?

• Must the nomination be in English?
  
• How can I submit a nomination?
  
• What do I need to start and complete a nomination?
  
• Do all questions have to be answered?
  
• Who can submit nominations?
  
• Are there eligibility requirements for nominators?
  
• Can I nominate more than one person?
  
• I tried to nominate someone and learned that an application had already been submitted for this person. I would like to contribute my support of this candidate. How can I do so?
  
• Do nominators have to inform their candidate that he or she is being nominated?
  
• Will the nominee know who nominated him or her?
  
• Who makes the final selection of Prize winners?
  
• What is the timetable for nominations and selection of Prize winners?
  
• What additional material and/or steps will be required if a nominee is selected as a semi-finalist?
  
• How will I know that my nomination has been received?
  
• Can I check on the status of my application?
  
• Can I set up an appointment to discuss my application?
• Whom should I contact if I have questions?

• How is The Purpose Prize given?
  
• What is the monetary award and how can it be used?
  
• Is the monetary award taxable income for the Prize winners?
  
• What else do Prize winners receive?
  
• What does it mean to be recognized as a Purpose Prize Fellow?

• What kind of software/hardware do I need to access the online application?
  
• How do I save a started application and return to work on it later?
  
• If I start an application and save it to finish later, does Civic Ventures have access to my work-in-progress application?
  
• I would like a paper copy of my completed application. How can I print my completed application?

Eligibility and Criteria for Selection

Q: Who is eligible to be nominated for The Purpose Prize?
A: An eligible candidate is:

• At least 60 years old by the application deadline.
  
• Currently addressing a major social problem in the second half of life (in what is often called an encore career).
  
• A legal U.S. resident or a U.S. citizen living abroad (residents of U.S. territories are also eligible).
  
• Not an elected official.
  
• Not involved in a project that is exclusively religious or sectarian. People working in faith-based settings that have a broader social mission are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Q: What are the characteristics of a potential Purpose Prize winner?
A: Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Will the person be a compelling role model whose own story will inspire others, not only to think differently about the second half of life, but also to take steps to finding their own encore career?
  
• Has the person initiated recent important innovations (in a new or existing organization) within the past 15 years?
  
• How important is the issue the person is addressing? How much of an impact has the person's work had on that issue? Is his or her work already effecting, or does it have the future potential to effect, systemic change?
  
• Does the person plan to continue to innovate and lead in the years to come?
  
• Is the person a highly ethical individual?

Q: Can the candidate be either paid or a volunteer?
A: Absolutely, the candidate can be operating in a paid or unpaid capacity – working as a volunteer, receiving a stipend, or paid a salary.

Q: Does the candidate have to have started a new organization?
A: No. We strongly encourage nominations for people who are using innovative approaches and systems to substantially transform an existing program or organization. However, simply applying strong management skills to improve the performance of an organization is not sufficient to be selected for the Prize.

Q: Does the candidate have to be working for a nonprofit?
A: No. Candidates can be working for different kinds of organizations – nonprofits, government agencies, social purpose ventures, hybrid organizations that mix elements of nonprofit and for-profit, and profit-making ventures – so long as the work is leading to positive social change and has already had a major impact at the local, regional, or national level.

Q: Can the candidate be an organization?
A: No, the Prize recognizes individuals.

Q: Can more than one person be nominated for a single award if all are responsible for the accomplishments?
A: Yes, but each individual in the partnership must meet all the criteria and must share substantively in the transformation or creation of the program or organization. The application form includes the ability to add “team members” who meet all these qualifications.

Q: Can the candidate be working on issues outside the U.S.?
A: Yes. You must check the button on the application form indicating that the candidate’s work primarily benefits people living outside the U.S.

Q: Are there types of innovation that cannot be considered for The Prize?
A: In general, creative endeavors that do not include work to spread their impact throughout society will not be considered. Here are some examples of what we mean:

• Due to our limitations, we are unable to evaluate scientific or technological inventions on their own merit, although we recognize that these can be important social innovations. Therefore, an inventor would need to describe how he or she has spread the use of an invention, resulting in a measurable social impact.
• Similarly, an academic researcher or artist would need to demonstrate that she or he has also been involved in taking research or art and using it to address a significant social problem with demonstrated effects.

Q: Can the candidate have received recognition or honors in his or her local community or field?
A: Yes, but in general we are looking for individuals who are not already widely recognized outside of their geographic region or field.

Q: Can more than one nomination be submitted for a single individual?
A. No. Each person can only be nominated or apply once each year. If you know that someone else is nominating the same person that you wish to nominate, the best approach is simply to work on a nomination form together with the other nominator(s) and submit one consolidated nomination form.

Q: What if the person to be nominated is involved in more than one organization or cause?
A: Although the form only allows one primary organization to be entered for each nominee, you can use the space provided in the essay questions to elaborate on all the affiliations and accomplishments of the nominee.

Q: How recent does the work need to be?
A: The Purpose Prize is not a lifetime achievement award. The work for which the person is being nominated must have been started in an encore career within the past 15 years and demonstrate recent bursts of creativity and effectiveness. The intent of the program is to provide role models that show that new kinds of socially significant work, built on years of experience, are possible at this stage of life.

Q: I nominated someone or applied myself for The Purpose Prize last year and was not selected for recognition. Can you tell me how to improve my chances for The Purpose Prize?
A: Civic Ventures does not have the staff capacity to offer individual counseling on nominations or applications.

Q: Can winners and Fellows from a prior year apply again for the Prize?
A: Past winners of The Purpose Prize are no longer eligible for a future prize. Past Fellows may reapply.

Q: What factors would make someone INELIGIBLE for The Purpose Prize?
A: The following categories of people are not eligible:

• Employees of Civic Ventures, its programs and affiliates;
  
• Members of the Civic Ventures Board of Directors;
  
• Individuals who work at organizations that share a board member with Civic Ventures;
  
• Civic Ventures Senior Fellows and key advisors;
  
• Civic Ventures consultants and vendors who have received remuneration during a 12-month period preceding the application deadline;
  
• Civic Ventures volunteers or advisors if those individuals have been granted significant, independent decision-making authority with respect to financial or other resources of the organization or any of its programs;
  
• Civic Ventures program grantees who have received grants of cash, equipment or other assistance from Civic Ventures during a 12-month period preceding the application deadline;
  
• Members of the Prize review panel or judging panel;
  
• Staff, Board members or key volunteers of Purpose Prize program funders, including AARP, the John Templeton Foundation and The Atlantic Philanthropies;
  
• Family members (including domestic partners) and business associates of any of the individuals in the categories listed above.

Individuals in any of these categories must terminate their relationship with the organizations and programs listed above 12 months prior to the annual application deadline in order to be eligible for a future Purpose Prize.

Note: Applicants selected for consideration as finalists must disclose any current or prior financial relationship or other support they have received from Civic Ventures, The Purpose Prize funders and members of the panel of judges. Other support includes, but is not limited to, technical assistance, promotion, and advocacy. A current or prior relationship, financial or other, does not immediately disqualify an applicant, but such factors will be considered in finalizing a diverse pool of winners. Similarly, Purpose Prize reviewers, judges, staff of Civic Ventures and members of the Civic Ventures Board of Directors are required to disclose any current or prior relationship to any Purpose Prize candidates.

Civic Ventures reserves the right to disqualify any applicant at any time and for any reason should the organization determine that the application does not properly represent the organization’s and program’s mission, goals, and policies.

Nomination and Selection Process

Q: Must the nomination be in English?
A: Yes.

Q: How can I submit a nomination?
A: Submit a nomination online at http://www.encore.org/prize/nominate.

Q: What do I need to start and complete a nomination?
A: Nominators need a valid email address. Nominators also need their nominee’s full name, address, birth date, email address and description of their nominee’s big idea, work accomplished and future plans. Lastly, you’ll need to know what the nominee was doing immediately before starting on the project for which he or she is being nominated. Please note that you don't have to finish the application in one sitting--you can save an incomplete application and come back to it at a later time. To do so, click the “Save Application” button before closing your web browser

Q: Do all questions have to be answered?
A: Yes. Incomplete nominations will not be reviewed.

Q: Who can submit nominations?
A: Nominations are welcome from any individual with knowledge of a potential candidate. You can nominate someone from your own organization or you can nominate yourself.

Note: Tax law requires individuals who self-nominate or are substantively involved in their nominations to report Prize grants on their personal income tax return. (Winners not substantively involved in their nominations may designate the award be given to a 501(c)(3) organization, in which case their individual tax status will not be affected.).

Q: Are there eligibility requirements for nominators?
A: All nominators must be well acquainted with their candidate's qualifications, and they should be available for possible follow-up questions throughout the selection process.

Q: Can I nominate more than one person?
A: We encourage you to nominate as many individuals as you feel would be strong candidates for The Purpose Prize. The fact that one person nominates more than one candidate will have no bearing on our evaluation of the candidates, whose work will speak for itself.

Q: I tried to nominate someone and learned that an application had already been submitted for this person. I would like to contribute my support of this candidate. How can I do so?
A: Once a nomination has been submitted, the application is no longer open for editing. If you attempt to create a nomination for someone, you will be redirected to a page that states your nominee had already been nominated. You may contact the nominator by clicking on the “offer your support” button and completing the email form. Civic Ventures is not responsible for facilitating collaboration between nominators.

Q: Do nominators have to inform their candidate that he or she is being nominated?
A: No, this is not required. However, it is important for nominators to be very familiar with their nominees work to put forth a strong, well-informed nomination. Tax law requires individuals who self-nominate or play a significant role in preparing their nominations to report the Prize on their individual income tax return. If you think the person you are nominating may wish to have the option of designating the prize to a nonprofit organization, and avoid any tax liability, then the person should not be directly involved in preparing the nomination.

Q: Will the nominee know who nominated him or her?
A: The nomination form requires you to let us know if the nominee is aware of the nomination. If not, the nominee will only be informed of his or her nomination for The Purpose Prize and the name of the nominator if he or she is chosen as a semi-finalist. At that time, the nominee will be told of the nomination and asked for further information about his or her work history and program achievements.

Q: Who makes the final selection of Prize winners?
A: An independent panel of judges recommends a final slate of winners. Judges are distinguished national leaders selected for their experience and judgment. The judges’ slate is subject to the review and final approval of Civic Ventures Board of Directors.

Q: What is the timetable for nominations and selection of Prize winners?
A: Nominations must be received by 11:59 pm, Eastern Standard Time, on the application deadline. Late nominations will not be reviewed. Semi-finalists will be contacted in May and asked to answer additional material and have individual interviews. Winners will be notified in the Fall and receive their prizes at a major event before the end of the year.

Q: What additional material and/or steps will be required if a nominee is selected as a semi-finalist?
A: If a nominee is selected as a semifinalist, he or she will be required to:

• Submit a resume and written narrative expanding on the information submitted in the original nomination form
• Provide references to support the nomination
• Participate in a phone interview with Purpose Prize staff
• Consent to a background check
• Keep their status in the selection process confidential

Note: Civic Ventures will conduct criminal and background checks in addition to contacting references and leaders in the communities of applicants selected for consideration as Prize finalists. Misrepresentation of qualifications by any candidate will disqualify him or her for further consideration.

Q: How will I know that my nomination has been received?
A: You will receive an email acknowledgment upon your nomination submission online. You can no longer edit your nomination once submitted.

Q: Can I check on the status of my application?
A: We regret that Civic Ventures' small staff cannot respond to individual inquiries regarding the status of applications.

Q: Can I set up an appointment to discuss my application?
A: We regret that our small staff cannot meet individually on the phone or in-person with all nominees or nominators. However, semifinalists will be contacted for a phone interview in May.

Q: Whom should I contact if I have questions?
A: Please submit your questions to info@purposeprize.org. Our small staff cannot handle individual phone calls. If you do not receive an individual reply to your question, check the FAQ section of the guidelines on the web site. We will update them to reflect the questions we receive.

Prize Information

Q: How often is The Purpose Prize given?
A: Five $100,000 prize winners or winning teams are announced each fall.

Q: What is the monetary award and how can it be used?
A: Monetary awards are $100,000. There are no restrictions on how the prize money may be used. But our expectation is that the funds are a down payment on future contributions to the greater social good. For example, it may be used to cover living expenses to enable the winner to continue innovating. Or it may be used to further the work of the individual's organization.

Q: Is the monetary award taxable income for the Prize winners?
A: If the winner keeps the monetary award, it will be taxable income. If the winner was nominated by a third party and did not participate in the initial nomination, they may designate the award be given directly to a 501(c)(3) organization, in which case their individual tax status will not be affected.

Q: What else do Prize winners receive?
A: Winners receive:

• Public relations and communications assistance.
  
• Access to a network of social innovators and organizations, institutions and funders committed to this kind of work.

Q. What does it mean to be recognized as a Purpose Prize fellow?
A: In addition to people selected for cash prizes as Purpose Prize Winners, each year Civic Ventures will identify 30-40 others as Purpose Prize Fellows. Although Fellows do not receive a cash prize from Civic Ventures, they are offered other benefits of association with The Purpose Prize. These include:

• An invitation to attend the Purpose Prize Awards Ceremony.
• The right to use the designation as a Purpose Prize fellow in releases to the press, funders and on one's website.
• The opportunity to participate in a learning community with other Fellows to exchange ideas, resources and support.
• Other benefits that Civic Ventures may be able to secure through third party supporters of The Purpose Prize fellows, such as access to training, subscriptions and technology.
• Purpose Prize Fellows who are not cash prize winners may reapply each year for The Purpose Prize.

Application FAQs

Q: What kind of software/hardware do I need to access the online application?
A: Please make sure you have one of the following browsers, with cookies and JavaScript enabled:

• Internet Explorer 5.0, or higher
  
• Firefox 1.1, or higher
  
• Other browsers, such as Mozilla Netscape, Safari, Chrome and Opera are not supported but will likely work fine.

Q: How do I save a started application and return to work on it later?
A: Click the “Save Application” button before closing your web browser. You will receive an email with instructions on how to resume your nomination or you can sign in at http://www.encore.org/prize/nominate using the email you used to start your nomination. We recommend that you write your nomination in a word processing program, save it and then paste individual responses into our online submission form when completed.

Q: If I start an application and save it to finish later, does Civic Ventures have access to my work-in-progress application?
A: Civic Ventures can access incomplete applications in order to help users who may be having trouble locating their application. Civic Ventures only reviews applications once they are completed and submitted.

Q: I would like a paper copy of my completed application. How can I print my completed application?
A: Please print the confirmation email sent to you upon submission—it will include the full text of your nomination.