Amazon.com is proud to announce that it is now accepting applications for the Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award, which recognizes and rewards nonprofit organizations whose innovative approaches most effectively improve their communities or the world at large. If your nonprofit is powered by breakthrough ideas, we encourage you to read more about our program and how to apply for the award.
Ten organizations selected as finalists will have a unique opportunity to raise funds and awareness for their programs on Amazon.com. All 10 finalists will be profiled on their own Amazon.com pages, where customers will be invited to vote for their favorites by making monetary donations. The organization that receives the largest amount of customer contributions by the deadline will receive the award, along with a matching grant of up to $1 million from Amazon.com.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible to enter, the organization must be recognized by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as exempt from federal income tax under IRC §501(c)(3), qualify as a charitable organization under IRC §170(b)(1)(A)(vi) and have public charity status under IRC §509. The organization also must have been in existence for a minimum of two years and may not have Amazon.com employees, officers, or directors serving as employees, officers, or directors.
The Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award is specifically not targeting:
• New or start-up business plans
• Programs promoting religious doctrine or ideologies
• Organizations that discriminate on a basis of race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation in policy or in practice
Award Criteria
The selection of semifinalists and finalists from the pool of eligible entrants will be based on criteria that include:
• Need: the urgency, relevancy and complexity of the problem the organization seeks to address.
• Gap analysis: clear evidence of a gap between the targeted problem and existing solutions.
• Innovation: the extraordinary inventiveness of the solution and how it breaks from traditional approaches.
• Results: clearly defined metrics and a measurable record of improvement for at least two years.
• Perpetuation: a well-developed plan for promoting continued innovation.
Selection Process
The process for selecting the winner of the Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award has three phases:
1.
Stanford Business School's Center for Social Innovation, in conjunction with Amazon.com, will review applications against established criteria and select a set of semifinalist organizations by May 2005.
2. A panel will join Amazon to narrow the list to the 10 most effective and compelling programs in June 2005. Panelists scheduled to participate include Muhammad Ali, sports legend and humanitarian; Dr. Henry Kissinger, former United States Secretary of State; Téa Leoni, actress and National Ambassador to U.S. Fund for UNICEF; Dr. Lawrance M. Bernabo, one of Amazon.com's leading customer reviewers; Jeff Bradach, managing partner and co-founder of leading U.S. nonprofit consulting firm The Bridgespan Group; James A. Phills, Jr., co-director of the Stanford Center for Social Innovation; and Jeff Bezos, CEO and founder of Amazon.com.
3. Amazon.com customers will vote with their pocketbooks. Beginning July 19, 2005, the 10 nonprofit finalist organizations will be profiled on the Amazon.com site, where customers and visitors will be able to find, discover, and make direct online contributions to their favorites. Donations will be accepted through September 30. The organization that receives the largest total contributions from Amazon customers will be granted the 2005 Amazon.com Nonprofit Innovation Award, along with a matching grant of up to $1 million from Amazon.com. The 2005 honoree will be announced in October 2005.
Timeline
| 4/28/05 |
Deadline for Amazon.com to receive completed applications |
| 7/19/05 |
Finalists announced; online donations begin |
| 9/30/05 |
Deadline for customer donations |
| 10/12/05 |
Winner announced |
How to Apply
It's simple. First, download the
application form. If you have any questions, please refer to the
Award FAQ, which contains additional information. Then send us your completed form, along with the additional required documents by April 28, 2005. You will receive a confirmation e-mail within three business days of our receiving your materials. Amazon.com will follow up with you if we need any additional information.
If your organization does not qualify for the program but is still interested in other opportunities available through Amazon.com, please see our
Resources for Nonprofits page.
About Stanford Business School's Center for Social Innovation
The Stanford Graduate School of Business developed the Center for Social Innovation to foster innovative solutions to social problems by enhancing the leadership, management, and organization capacity of individuals and institutions pursuing the creation of social and environmental value. The Center dissolves traditional sector boundaries by bringing together nonprofit leaders, corporate executives, government officials, and philanthropists to discuss, debate, analyze, and take action to strengthen communities. The center's core activities--research, teaching, and community engagement--focus on many thematic areas, including corporate social responsibility, social entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, philanthropy, education, and nonprofit management.
