Wisdom Award Criteria

Your submission idea should:

• Help people learn, practice, improve, and share one or more of the following qualities: wisdom, awareness, and compassion
• Apply to one or more of the following areas: education, wellness, or the workplace
• Use technology (broadly defined as tools, apps, social media, etc.) to effectively reach a wide audience and increase the scalability of your idea
• Be easy to use, so that non tech-experts can easily access and use it.

Who is Eligible?

Individuals 18 years or older; teams of individuals 18 years or older; and U.S. public charities are eligible to apply. Applicants may submit more than one application, as long as the ideas are distinctly different. Applicants must be based in North America.

To enter the Wisdom Award Challenge, please visit and “Like” the Wisdom 2.0 page on Facebook. Once connected to our page, you will be led through an on-line application process.

All submissions must be in English. Submissions that do not include all elements of the application or that do not comply with size, length, and format requirements will not be considered. 

Early Entry Details:
Applicants who submit by the Early Entry Deadline of June 1st will have one additional opportunity to refine and re-submit their applications before the final deadline, even if they are not chosen to receive the Early Entry prize.
You will have to submit an entirely new application if you choose to update your submission, so we recommend that you keep a copy of your original application.
All refinements must be re-submitted by midnight on June 15th, along with an e-mail to info@wisdom2conference.com requesting that your new application replace your old one. Any entrants applying after June 1st will not have an opportunity to re-submit their application. Wisdom 2.0 will not make any refinements to your application.

Join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter:

Participation in the discussion provides the Wisdom Awards Challenge community an opportunity to understand the entrant’s project more completely and allows entrants the opportunity to connect with one another.

April 15
Contest Launch

April 22
Informational conference call with the Wisdom 2.0 Team and Guests

June 1
Early Entry Prize Deadline -- If you submit your application by June 1, you will be considered for the Early Entry Prize: a phone call or in-person meeting with members of the Wisdom 2.0 Team for recommendations on refining your proposal for final submission. Recommendations will also be listed publicly on the Award website.

July 1
Final Submission Deadline

July 31
5 Finalists Chosen

Sep 13
Winner will be announced at Wisdom 2.0 Business NYC

What will finalists receive?

There will be 5 finalists. The four runners-up will all receive complimentary tickets to the Wisdom 2.0 2014 Conference, where they’ll have the opportunity to network with like-minded individuals to further their projects. They will also be given public honorable mention and recognized on the Wisdom 2.0 website, Facebook page, and Twitter account as well as the 1440 Foundation website.

What will the winner receive?

• A lump-sum cash prize of $25,000
• A combination of the Wisdom 2.0 team, judges, and other professional advisors may continue to work collaboratively with and mentor the winner for further refinement, financing, and promotion of their project. This support team will be decided based on the needs of the winner
• The winner will be recognized on the Wisdom 2.0 website, Facebook page, and Twitter Account, as well as on the 1440 Foundation website
• The winner will receive a complimentary ticket to the Wisdom 2.0 2014 Conference and may be eligible to present their idea and chronicle their progress on stage

My idea is focused solely on compassion. Will that be enough to win, or must I include other qualities?

You are eligible to win by focusing on any single quality. More comprehensive approaches, however, may be more powerful and compelling.

My idea involves boosting athletic team performance. Would this fall within your Wellness area?

Yes. We are choosing to define our three settings of education, wellness, and work very broadly. If your idea deals with wisdom, awareness, or compassion, it is very likely to fit into one of our areas of interest.

Do I need to submit a business plan? Does my idea need a path to profitability?

Profit potential is not required. That said, we are looking for ideas that provide value to many people, are sustainable and scalable, and would be good candidates for garnering support from sources beyond this award. A full business plan is not required, but we do require a basic strategy and budget for bringing your idea to fruition.

Do submissions need to include a Social Media component?

No. However, technology can be a powerful tool for teaching and spreading these qualities to many people, and it seems likely that the most cost-effective ideas for reaching large numbers of people will utilize social media in some way.

I’m a provider of mindfulness content, but I know nothing about technology. Can I apply?

Yes. If you have suggestions or ideas for matching your curriculum or content with technology, please include that with your submission. The more developed or researched the ideas, the better!

Do I need to belong to Facebook to apply?

Yes. Submissions require that applicants have a Facebook account. You may not use another person’s account to enter your submission.

Can I submit my idea privately?

No. To be eligible for the Wisdom Awards Challenge, all ideas must be submitted through the process outlined on our Facebook page that necessarily includes your idea being reviewed by other Entrants.

Will the award deadline of 12:59 pm PST on July 1, 2013 be extended for any extenuating circumstances?

No.

My business has just received B-corp certification status. Can we apply?

Unfortunately, no.Tax requirements limit us to giving only to individuals or non-profit groups within the U.S. who have been awarded IRC section 501(c)3 non-profit status from the IRS, and who are public charities within the meaning of IRC section 509. However, anyone within your B-corp could apply for the award as an individual. Award monies could be invested in the B-corp or in any way that the individual chooses.

Can a project be an idea, or does have it to be further in development?

Your project can be in any stage of development, even if it's currently just an idea.