How to Apply

Please read the application instructions carefully.

Email two letters of reference and the completed application form, including the five selection criteria statements and your essay, to [email protected] by midnight, March 5, 2021, EDT.

Tips

• Observe the word count limit. You can optimize your word limit by referring to your initiative’s website (note the details that the website provides, such as staffing, budget and resources).
• Read the Frequently Asked Questions.
• In your narrative stay focused on providing the most relevant information and specific information or examples to support your case.
• Usually, it is more effective for the overarching organization to submit a proposal rather than one subset of the organization (for example, a national literacy center rather than one town’s center, which is part of the national group).
• Focus on the impact—improving people’s lives. You might distribute a million books, but if people don’t read those books then the initiative may or may not be making the difference.
• If applying for the David M. Rubenstein Prize, demonstrate:
• Broad and deep impact over time.
• Growth and improvement over time.
• How the initiative sustains itself through stable funding, staffing and other support.