Westly Prize

The Westly Prize is a competitive funding opportunity aimed at recognizing and supporting early-stage social innovators under the age of 28 who are connected to California either by residence or educational enrollment. Managed by the Westly Foundation, the Prize is designed to honor innovative individuals and teams that have developed impactful, scalable solutions to social challenges in any global context. The Westly Prize offers unrestricted cash awards to finalists and winners who exhibit strong leadership, originality, and a demonstrated ability to implement their ideas. The competition emphasizes practical, working innovations that have already undergone some degree of testing or piloting. Judges evaluate submissions based on four primary criteria: the quality of the innovation, the scale and significance of the social impact, the applicant's capacity for sustainability, and the leadership qualities of the innovator or team. Applicants must be able to articulate how their solution addresses a meaningful community issue and show that they have a realistic plan for scaling and sustaining their work. Applicants may apply individually or as part of a co-founder team of up to four individuals. To qualify, either the individual or at least half of the founding team must be California residents or enrolled in a California-based school. California residents attending schools in other states also qualify. All applicants or qualifying team members must be under 28 years old during the calendar year in which they apply. Innovations must be original to the applicants and cannot be submitted by individuals who did not directly generate the idea. The application window for the 2026 Westly Prize runs from Tuesday, September 2 to Friday, October 17, 2025, with a strict 11:59 PM PST deadline. Applications must include a YouTube video in which the applicant(s) personally describe their innovation and its real-world impact. This video need not be professional—authentic storytelling is prioritized over production quality. Finalists are expected to be available to present their innovations in person to a panel of judges on Saturday, January 24, 2026, ideally in the Bay Area. Prize awards total up to $145,000, with three top winners each receiving $40,000 in unrestricted funding. Funds are distributed either directly to individuals or as charitable donations at the discretion of the winners. The Westly Prize seeks to elevate early-stage changemakers and does not target well-established ventures unless the award would significantly impact their progress. Finalists also consent to media promotion of their projects across social and traditional platforms. The Westly Prize is a recurring opportunity, awarded annually since its inception in 2012. References of potential finalists are contacted in late November or early December each year. Applicants are advised to thoroughly review eligibility criteria and ensure full compliance with age, residency, and originality requirements before applying.

Use authentic, informal video storytelling. Do not over-produce. Stronger applications have working prototypes and clear implementation plans.