The nomination period for the 2006 Hilton Humanitarian Prize is now open.

The Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize—now at $1.5 million (U.S.)— is awarded annually to an organization making extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering anywhere in the world. 

Nominations are sought from throughout the international community and will close November 7, 2005.  An independent international panel of jurors will make the final selection; the award recipient will be announced in the fall of 2006.

Nominee Eligibility

• Nominees must be organizations, not individuals.
• Nominees must be established, non-governmental, publicly supported charitable organizations. U.S. Internal Revenue Service tax-exempt status—or the equivalent for international organizations—will determine eligibility.  (International nominees will be contacted by the Foundation for appropriate documentation.)
• Nominees must be legally established for at least five years (established prior to 2001) in order to be considered.
• An organization that has received major funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation is ineligible for nomination.

   Nominator Qualifications

• The Nominator should have direct knowledge of the nominated organization’s work.
• The Nominator may not be an officer or employee—or any other individual receiving remuneration for their services from the nominated organization. Board members may nominate providing they receive no payment for their service.  
• The Nominator may not be a family member of an officer or employee of the nominated organization.

Evaluation Criteria

Since the Prize is not a grant, nomination material should emphasize the organization's accomplishments rather than future goals. Both historic and recent performance should be addressed. Following are suggested criteria to consider in describing your Nominee's work:

• Extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering
• Established record of achievement
• Innovation in program design
• Organizational capacity and administrative efficiency
• Demonstration of long-term impact

Nomination Process

1. The Identification Sheet (download in PDF format  or Microsoft Word format) must be completed, signed by the nominator and returned.  If the identification sheet is submitted via e-mail, a copy must also be sent via facsimile or mail as the signature of the nominator must be on file.
2. A personal Nominating Letter in English, not to exceed five typed pages, should cite the reasons the Nominee deserves to be awarded the Hilton Humanitarian Prize. Please include or ask your nominating organization to send an annual report or brochure and the latest financial statement (in U.S. dollars). Please do not submit any additional materials such as videos, original photographs, or books, as they cannot be returned.  All materials submitted must be in English.
3. Multiple nominations are not encouraged, although more than one person can sign a nomination letter. If more than one nomination is received for an organization, the first one received will be the nomination of record.  All other nominations will be registered as letters of support; however, no more than three letters of support will be recorded. 
4. Once the nomination has been received, the Hilton Foundation may require additional support material from the Nominee.  The Foundation will contact the Nominee directly for this information.
5. Please note that any attempted contact with the Hilton Prize jurors about the nomination may disqualify a Nominee.
6. For a list of frequently asked questions about the nomination process, please  click here.  

All nominations must be received by the Prize office or postmarked by November 7, 2005.

Nominations can be submitted via facsimile or postal service. 

Please fax nominations to (310) 556-8130 or mail nominations to:

Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
10100 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1000
LosAngeles, CA 90067-4011

Humanitarian Links

Humanitarian Resource Institute

International Humanitarian Law

European Commission Humanitarian Aid (ECHO)

ReliefWeb

MORE LINKS