Established in 2020, the Law & Social Policy Legacy Award recognizes organizations defending and advocating for low-wage workers’ rights and increases knowledge of this work in the philanthropic community. The Public Welfare Foundation spent more than a decade supporting public policy and system reforms to improve the lives of low-wage working people in the United States. This prize will commemorate and build on Public Welfare Foundation’s support to the field and honor the critical role law and social policy organizations play in building an economy that works for all, while increasing knowledge of this work in the philanthropic community.

Economic Opportunity Funders (EOF) is a network of national, regional and local funders working to advance economic equity and opportunity in the United States. A $10,000 award will be given by EOF with support from Public Welfare Foundation annually until 2030 as a part of their legacy investment into the Workers’ Rights field. Awardees will be recognized at EOF’s Annual Budget and Tax Briefing in April.

• All nominations must be submitted via our online application form. View a pdf of the form here.
• Anyone can make a nomination.
• Nominators may make one nomination per year.
• Self-nominations are allowed (limited to one self-nomination per organization).
• There is no nomination fee.

DISCLAIMER: Award recipients are not selected based on the volume of nominations received. A single nomination will place the organization in consideration for the award.

• Any 501c3 organization (or fiscally sponsored project) working in the field of law and social policy to advance low-wage workers’ rights in the United States. For the purposes of this award, social policy is defined as public sector (and not private sector) policy.
• Organizations must be based in the United States.
• Size and budget do not matter—we are looking for organizations whose work is impactful, regardless of the resources available to them.
• This is not a lifetime achievement award. There is no specific time span required, the work may be just starting or have occurred over years.
• Individuals are NOT eligible.
• Previous Law & Social Policy Legacy Award nominees ARE eligible to be nominated in subsequent years. Previous awardees are NOT eligible.

No, references are not required.

A selection committee will evaluate nominations and select the final winner. Preference will be given to nominees whose work will most benefit from the recognition received from this award and whose work is:

• Significant: The nominee’s work is critical to improving low-wage workers’ lives and advances best practice in the field. This may be through innovation (testing new tactics or engaging new allies) or a deep commitment to sustained progress over time.
• Collaborative: The nominee’s work is collaborative, engaged in concert with partners and impacted communities.
• Systemic: The nominee’s work will have lasting impact, advancing structural and systems change.

The 2023 Law & Social Policy Award selection committee members include:

1. Stephanie Davison, Program Officer, Human Services, Kresge Foundation and EOF Steering Committee member
2. Corinna Spencer-Scheurich, Director, Northwest Workers’ Justice Project and 2022 Award Winner
   Project
3. Jacob Lipton, Co-Executive Director, Justice Catalyst
4. Bonnie Kwon, Policy Officer, Engagement Strategy, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
5. EOF Co-Directors Ami Nagle and Cema Siegel

EOF will notify the winner via phone and email in December 2022.

The winner will receive $10,000 and be recognized at the EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing in April 2023.

• Nominations open: September 15, 2022
• Nomination submission deadline: 11:59 PM ET on November 7, 2022
• Award winner notified: December 2022
• Award winner recognized: April 2023 at the EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing