Selection Criteria

We invite you to nominate an individual, or a small group of individuals working as a leadership team, for a James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award. We seek nominees who have not been extensively recognized for their work through other awards. We encourage you to identify a leader whose work is exceptional in these arenas:

• SIGNIFICANCE: The leader's work addresses an issue that is critical to California's future, and the issue is anticipated to affect the quality of life of a substantial number of Californians into the future.

• EFFECTIVENESS: The leader has been highly effective in achieving positive change. His or her work has a measurable record of accomplishment.

• INNOVATION: The leader is advancing an innovative strategy that directly improves people's lives. The work represents a leap in creativity or a fundamental departure from usual practice.

• INCLUSIVENESS: The leader helps build bridges among people with differing viewpoints or different backgrounds.

• TIMING OF RECOGNITION: The leader's project is at a stage at which this recognition could substantially enhance its probability to inspire replication, and/or the relevant policy environment is conducive to progress at this time.

• FIELD LEADERSHIP: The leader has demonstrated an interest in sharing his or her model within the field and informing policymaking on related issues.

Eligibility

Nominated leaders may be:

• An individual or a leadership group
• Working in any sector (nonprofit, public or private)
• Working in any field (such as education, health, housing, economic development or the environment)

Nominees must be residents of California. For group nominations, we recommend nominating three or fewer leaders.

The nominator must be someone other than the nominee or a family member. We encourage nominations from people who are well-acquainted with the leader or leadership group and can attest to their qualifications but who are not employed by the nominee.