Any public or social sector organization is invited to apply. This includes government agencies, nonprofits, foundations, nonprofit collaboratives, and networks. This contest is international — any eligible organization from anywhere in the world is invited to apply. Organizations featured in Social Sector Hero are not eligible to apply at this time.

Yes. Any public or social sector organization is invited to apply, whether or not it is a current, past, or future customer of Clear Impact. We are focused on fairness and recognizing the most compelling applicants. Being a customer of Clear Impact does not increase the odds of winning the Social Sector Hero of the Year award.

One winner will receive all of the following, with the total prize value exceeding $20,000 USD:

• $5,000 USD
• One year of Clear Impact Suite ($9,000 value)**
• Three Results-Based Accountability Professional Certification courses ($6,750 value)
• Invitation to speak on the Turning Curves Podcast
• Recognition on the Clear Impact website and social media

**The winner will receive the base subscription of Clear Impact Suite. They will have the ability to add additional measures or participants or upgrade to an unlimited subscription at an additional cost. Please visit our pricing page for details about what is included in a base Suite subscription.

Yes, you may choose to keep each prize for yourself or donate all (or a portion) to another organization. If you are the winner and wish to donate any portion of your prize to another organization, please indicate this in your award application.

One of the prizes is a free Clear Impact Suite subscription ($9,000 USD value). If the winner already has a Clear Impact software subscription, they can apply the prize value to a future billing cycle (or cycles).

The eight core Social Sector Hero strategies include:

1. Align with a Common Purpose
2. Sustain Alignment Throughout the Journey
3. Practice “Less is More”
4. Disaggregate Data
5. Practice Consistency AND Flexibility
6. Never Report Data Without the Story
7. Support Effective Dialogue
8. Report Data Publicly

Learn more about each strategy in a free download of Social Sector Hero here.

Award Timeline (exact dates are subject to change):

• October 17th, 2024 — Submissions Open
• January 8th, 2025 — Submissions Close
• January 9th – January 25th, 2025 —  Submission Review and Winner Selection
• Last Week of January 2025 — Winner Notified and Public Announcement Made

There are two different forms depending on your goal. If you want to apply for your own organization, please fill out this form. If you want to nominate another organization to apply, please fill out this form. For the latter option, we will send your nominee an invitation to apply via email.

No, you don’t have to read Social Sector Hero to apply or be eligible to win this award. However, your application will be more compelling if you have a deeper understanding of the eight core strategies. At the very least, we strongly suggest reading the chapter corresponding to the core strategy you’re seeking recognition for (and skimming the rest). You can download the book for free and watch the quick chapter summary videos below. If you do choose to read the full book, we promise it is a fast and entertaining read! We know you’ll love the personal anecdotes and Social Sector Hero Spotlight stories!

Please contact kara@clearimpact.com with any questions about this award.