Formation 1998 (1998) Headquarters Dublin, CA, USA | Type Nonprofit organization | |
Founder Harry Leibowitz and Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz Legal status Registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization Key people Stephanie March (Celebrity Ambassador) | ||
World of Children Award is a global recognition and funding program for people specifically and exclusively serving the needs of children. Sometimes referred to as the "Nobel Prize for Child Advocacy," the San Francisco Bay Area based nonprofit was first conceived of in 1996 and founded in 1998 and is led by Co-Founder's Harry Leibowitz and his wife, Kay Isaacson-Leibowitz. World of Children Award recognizes changemakers nominated for the Education, Health, Humanitarian and Youth Awards and provides cash grants to support development of their programs serving children.
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Nominations
Individuals from all over the world may be nominated for a World of Children Health, Humanitarian, Education or Youth Award. Nominations are entered online through the World of Children Award website. Since 1998, World of Children Award has received over 2000 Nominations from more than 80 countries. With the announcement of the 2013 Honorees, World of Children Award reached an exciting milestone: 100 Honorees, or Award Winners, have now been honored overseeing work in 50 countries. Nominations for World of Children Award open each year in January and close for review in April.
Education Award
The Education Award was announced at the 2014 Annual Awards Ceremony in New York City. Beginning in January 2015, the organization formally began accepting nominations for this new award category. The Award recognizes individuals making extraordinary contributions to the education of children thus providing them the platform from which to become fully productive members of society. The first Education Award was given to Miriam Mason-Sesay for her work with EducAid Sierra Leone
Humanitarian Award
The Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to children in the areas of social services, education or humanitarian services. The Nominee must have created or managed a sustainable program which has significantly contributed to children's opportunities to be safe, to learn and to grow. They must do this work over and above their normal employment, or work for little or no pay. The Nominee must have been doing this for a minimum of 10 years. They must have an existing non-profit organization in good standing, which can receive grant funds if awarded.
Health Award
The Health Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to children in the fields of health, medicine or the sciences. The Nominee must have created or managed a sustainable program which has significantly contributed to the improved health of children. They must do this work over and above their normal employment, or work for little or no pay. They must have been doing this for a minimum of 10 years and must have an existing non-profit organization in good standing, which can receive grant funds if awarded.
Youth Award
The Youth Award recognizes youth that are making extraordinary contributions to the lives of other children. The Nominee must be under the age of 21 and must have been engaged in this work for a minimum of three years.
Other Awards
In addition to the standard Awards given each year, the organization has awarded individuals with non-monetary awards, including the Advocacy Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to 2006, the World of Children Health Award was referred to as the Kellogg's Child Development Award and the World of Children Humanitarian Award was referred to as the Cardinal Health Children's Care Award. Prior to 2008, the World of Children Youth Award was referred to as the Founder's Youth Award.
Selection process
To ensure credibility of the child advocates that are honored, World of Children Award uses a multi-tiered, independent vetting process. After the Nominations deadline has closed each year, the organization conducts an internal review of all Nominations submitted to be sure they meet eligibility requirements. The nominations are passed through a series of independent review teams all following a set of standardized scoring criteria to determine category finalists. A formal international investigative agency then conducts an independent audit of each final applicant, visiting each program site and examining the organization serving children.
In the final selection stage, the World of Children Board of Governors reviews the independent audit reports, and votes to approve the final slate of Honorees. Each year, the Board of Governors then determines the final annual grant allocations to be shared with the children’s programs led by each Honoree. World of Children Award notifies the Finalists of their Award status before the annual World of Children Award Events are held in New York City in November.
Awards ceremony
The World of Children Award ceremony is held in New York City and is attended by press, ambassadors and dignitaries. The events are usually held in early November.
Honorees
The term "Honoree" designates those individuals chosen to receive a World of Children Award. After the Nominations process has concluded each year, World of Children Award Honorees are announced prior to the annual Awards Ceremony currently held in New York City. Below is a list of all prior Honorees:
Celebrity ambassador
In January, 2010, American actress, Stephanie March joined World of Children Award as the organization’s Celebrity Ambassador. March is still actively involved in the organization. From 2000-2010, American boxer and three-time World Heavyweight Champion, Muhammad Ali served as the Honorary Chair for World of Children Award.
Partnerships
In August 2014, World of Children Award began a partnership with sports equipment manufacturer Molten USA. Specifically, the two parties joined together to support youth and the Molten Pass It Forward program.
Give Up Your Birthday Campaign
World of Children Award launched a Give Up Your Birthday campaign in 2012 an effort to raise funds for the Awards program and the work that it supports through individual birthday donations. The campaign centered on a website where individuals can create a Birthday Page and ask friends and family to make a donation to the World of Children Award in their name in lieu of gifts. Celebrity Ambassador, Stephanie March, announced that she would be Giving Up Her Birthday in 2010.