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 March.

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 is eligible. 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.

All nominations must be submitted via our online application form. View a pdf of the 2024 nomination 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.

No, references are not required.

A selection committee will evaluate nominations and select the final winner. The 2024 Selection Committee includes:

• Ami Nagle, Co-Director, Economic Opportunity Funders
• Bonnie Kwon, Policy Officer, Engagement Strategy, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Cema Siegel, Co-Director, Economic Opportunity Funders
• Jacob Liption, Co-Executive Director of Justice Catalyst and the Executive Director of Justice Catalyst Access Fund
• Stephanie Davison, Senior Program Officer, Human Services, The Kresge Foundation and EOF Steering Committee Member
• 2023 Award Winner: Sireesha Manne, Executive Director, New Mexico Center on Law and Poverty

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.

EOF will notify the winner via phone and email on December 1, 2023.

The winner will receive $10,000 and be recognized at the EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing on March 19, 2024 in Arlington, VA. EOF will cover all related travel expenses for one staff person to participate in the recognition event at the Briefing. EOF will also create a short video about the winner’s work to share during the recognition ceremony and with our network and partners.

• Nominations open: September 13, 2023
• Nomination submission deadline: 11:59 PM ET on October 30, 2023
• Award winner notified: December 1, 2023
• Award winner recognized: EOF Annual Budget and Tax Briefing on March 19, 2024 in Arlington, VA.