Welcome to The David Prize

The David Prize is a celebration of individuals and ideas to create a better, brighter New York City. Open to any individual working in the five boroughs, the Prize welcomes those with the conviction and vision to change our communities, our culture, and our future for good. As long as you have an audacious vision of how your work improves our city and what you need to get it done, we’ll consider it. Individuals that win The David Prize can be affiliated with organizations or companies, but the focus is on great people doing great things outside of established pathways and projects.  

*The David Prize - 2025 / 2026*
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SUBMIT YOUR IDEA to *The David Prize - 2025 / 2026*

BEFORE YOU GET STARTED
We want to make sure The David Prize and our process will be a good match for you and your ideas -- we don’t want to waste anyone’s time! Please read and re-read the information on our website to review the Prize parameters, our FAQ, and our previous finalists and winners before proceeding. Once you’re sure you’re a match, the Step 1 Submission should take no more than 30 minutes to complete. The Step 2 Submission is by invite only.
 

OPEN CALL PROCESS
The David Prize Open Call is comprised of a few stages over multiple months. While the process can last for an extended period of time, it requires little work from candidates submitting their visions. The David Prize is all about people, so the process is geared towards learning about individuals and their potential. For more information on The David Prize process and criteria, check out this page for more detail.
 

THE FINE TEXT

  • Want to preview questions for you get started? View Step 1 questions HERE and Step 2 questions HERE.
  • No late submissions will be accepted, technology failure or not. Please submit sooner rather than later to avoid any last minute glitches.
  • Due to volume, The David Prize does not provide feedback on individual submissions. 
  • We accept submissions in English only but encourage any New Yorker, regardless of language, to submit their visions for the Prize. You can translate submissions questions and your responses into any language HERE. 
  • We’re not looking for complete grant proposals or novels; we’re looking for extraordinary individuals with big visions for a better, brighter New York City. If you'd rather respond briefly or in bullets, no problem. 
  • Want to check your character count before pasting into this form? Click HERE.
The David Prize