At $2.5 million, the annual Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize is the world’s largest humanitarian prize presented to a nonprofit organisation. Nominations for the 2025 prize close this month.

Since 1996 the prize has been presented to a nonprofit organisation, not to an individual. The winner is judged to have made “extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering”.

It honours the efforts of those who help others for the benefit and progress of humanity, and aims to “to shine a light on those organizations providing solutions for impacted communities across the globe”.

Nominations are open to eligible nonprofits worldwide.

Past winners or ‘laureates’ have included:

• Casa Alianza
• ECPAT International
• METAdrasi
• Tostan
• Homeboy Industries

The latest laureate organisation is 2023’s winner, One Acre Fund, which supports Africa’s smallholder farmers to build prosperous, resilient communities.

The entry process

Each year the Foundation receives around 300 nominations. These organisations are then evaluated by Hilton Humanitarian staff, and a shortlist of finalists is submitted to “an independent, international jury”.

The jury consists of six people “prominent in the humanitarian field” and two others – a Hilton family member and a Hilton Foundation Board member. The eight jurors select the winner.

Nominations are open year round. The date of receipt of an application will determine which year that it will be considered for.

The current deadlines for submissions to the Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Prize are:

2025 Prize: January 2024 – 30 April 2024
2026 Prize: 1 May 2024 – 30 April 2025
2027 Prize: 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026