The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Bengaluru): The Skoll Foundation has revealed the winners of the 2024 Skoll Award for Social Innovation, which annually honors leaders and organizations fostering significant social change globally. This year’s awards spotlight innovators from India, Kenya, and the United States, reflecting the Foundation’s commitment to supporting diverse movement builders and system orchestrators who drive substantial societal shifts.
Each recipient organization will receive $2 million in unrestricted funding to expand their transformative work. This financial support includes provisions for subgrants to strategic partners and resources to enhance capabilities in monitoring, evaluation, and communications.
The awards ceremony will be part of the 21st Skoll World Forum, scheduled for April 11, 2024, from 4:30 to 6:00 PM BST at the New Theatre in Oxford, England, and will also be available via live stream.
Don Gips, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, highlighted the urgency of the global challenges addressed by this year’s awardees, including democracy protection, narrative change, equity advancement, and public health improvement. Marla Blow, President and COO of the Skoll Foundation, emphasized the potential of innovation and creativity in scaling impactful solutions globally.
The 2024 awardees include:
IllumiNative (U.S.): This organization enhances Native American visibility and influence through media representation and advocacy, influencing public perception and policy through strategic partnerships with major media platforms and campaigns against racially insensitive sports team names. Their research into the Native American vote is poised to boost civic engagement in crucial electoral states.
Food for Education (Kenya): Operating a scalable meal delivery system for Kenyan schools, this initiative supports local agriculture and improves school attendance and student performance, with plans to expand across Africa. Their work addresses the critical issue of child hunger, aiming to break the poverty cycle exacerbated by malnutrition.
Meedan (U.S.): Meedan develops technology that aids newsrooms and fact-checking organizations in combating misinformation. Their tools are essential in stabilizing elections and enhancing public health globally, with partnerships spanning multiple countries and critical events including the 2024 elections.
SaveLIFE Foundation (India): Focused on reducing traffic-related fatalities in India, SaveLIFE combines road safety improvements and emergency care enhancements. Their advocacy for the right to emergency care is integral to national policy shifts as India upgrades its highway infrastructure.
