Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship

Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship
Name	Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship
Awarded by	Skoll Foundation
Country	United States
First awarded	2004
Reward	Monetary award; affiliation with Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship
Website	Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship

Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship The Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship is an international award recognizing transformative leaders in social entrepreneurship, founded by Jeff Skoll and administered by the Skoll Foundation and affiliated with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at University of Oxford. The Prize has become associated with major philanthropic initiatives and global convenings such as the Skoll World Forum, attracting participation from figures linked to Ashoka, Oxfam, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation. Winners have included founders tied to organizations with partnerships across United Nations, World Bank, Clinton Foundation, International Red Cross, and Amnesty International.

History

The Prize was established in 2004 by Jeff Skoll amid a period of intensified philanthropic innovation alongside contemporaries such as Bill Gates and Warren Buffett. Early ceremonies connected the award to institutions like the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, and networks including Ashoka and Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Over time the Prize expanded its profile through collaborations with multilateral actors such as the United Nations Development Programme and financial partners like J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, and Skoll Global Threats Fund. Milestones included increased financial endowments, strategic partnerships with research centers including Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford Social Innovation Review, and public recognition alongside awards such as the MacArthur Fellows Program and Right Livelihood Award.

Purpose and Criteria

The Prize aims to reward individuals and organizations demonstrating scalable impact, measurable outcomes, and replicable models, aligning with principles promoted by Ashoka, Echoing Green, Mulago Foundation, Lemelson Foundation, and Omidyar Network. Eligibility criteria emphasize leadership comparable to laureates of the Nobel Prize, Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship peers, and innovators affiliated with TED, Schmidt Futures, and Gates Cambridge Scholarship networks. Assessment metrics draw on methodologies used by Impact Investing intermediaries such as Acumen, Bridges Fund Management, Arabella Advisors, and research from Brookings Institution, Center for Global Development, and World Resources Institute. The Prize complements other recognitions like the MacArthur Fellowship, Leah Rabin Award, and Right Livelihood Award by focusing on entrepreneurial models with demonstrated scaling potential.

Selection Process

Nominations are solicited from a global pool including organizations linked to Ashoka, Skoll Foundation, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, and academic partners at Harvard Business School, London School of Economics, and Stanford Graduate School of Business. A selection committee composed of leaders from Skoll Foundation, representatives from the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, and external experts drawn from Harvard Kennedy School, University of Oxford, Yale School of Management, and INSEAD applies criteria used by evaluators at Acumen and Omidyar Network. Finalists undergo due diligence similar to processes used by Goldman Sachs philanthropic advisory teams and are announced at events such as the Skoll World Forum or partnering conferences like Clinton Global Initiative. The award presentation typically involves trustees and donors associated with Skoll Foundation, board members from Skoll Centre, and partners from Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation.

Laureates and Notable Winners

Laureates have included leaders whose organizations intersect with institutions like World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gavi, Médecins Sans Frontières, and CARE International. Notable winners have been founders with organizational ties to networks such as Ashoka and Echoing Green, and whose work has been recognized alongside awards like the MacArthur Fellowship and TED Prize. Winners often collaborate with academic partners at Harvard University, University of Oxford, and Stanford University and receive coverage in outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Financial Times, and Forbes. Many laureates have engaged in policy dialogues with United Nations General Assembly delegations, World Bank programs, and bilateral agencies including USAID and DFID.

Impact and Contributions

The Prize has catalyzed scaling for organizations operating in areas coordinated with agencies like UNICEF, World Bank Group, and World Health Organization, and has enabled collaborations involving Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and Ford Foundation. Awarded organizations have increased access to capital from impact investors such as Acumen, Omidyar Network, and Toniic International, and forged research partnerships with Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford Social Innovation Review. The Prize has amplified winners’ visibility at convenings including the Skoll World Forum, Clinton Global Initiative, and TEDGlobal, influencing policy discussions at forums like the United Nations and multilateral banks such as Asian Development Bank and Inter-American Development Bank.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have focused on perceived concentration of awards among networks tied to Silicon Valley philanthropy, Gates Foundation, and elite institutions like Harvard and University of Oxford, echoing debates involving ProPublica and commentators in The New Yorker and Foreign Policy. Some analysts argue that prize models favor scaling narratives promoted by Impact Investing actors such as Acumen and Omidyar Network at the expense of grassroots movements associated with Grassroots Economic Organizing and community-based collectives. Questions have been raised about transparency and selection influence by major donors, mirroring controversies seen in coverage of Clinton Foundation funding and critiques around philanthropic power in policy spaces highlighted by The Atlantic and Guardian opinion writers.

Category:Social entrepreneurship awards