Heritage Foundation Opens Applications for $1 Million in Innovation Prizes

The Heritage Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2026 Innovation Prizes, which provide a total of $1 million annually to conservative organizations pitching creative policy solutions.

Each year since 2022, Heritage has recognized conservative nonprofits for projects involving education, outreach, communications, litigation, and research for ideas promoting self-governance in America.

“America is at one of the most critical turning points in her history,” Heritage President Kevin Roberts said. “That’s why Heritage created the Innovation Prize. It’s about serving the movement and uniting conservatives—particularly outside the Beltway—to provide creative solutions to the most pressing problems facing the country.”

Past recipients include the American College of Pediatricians, Alliance Defending Freedom, Forge Leadership Network, Napa Legal Institute, State Armor, and Center for Christian Virtue.

In 2024, The College Fix, a nonprofit media outlet, received a $100,000 prize. John J. Miller, founder and executive director of The College Fix, told The Daily Signal that winning the Innovation Prize was “a blessing.”

“It allowed The College Fix to create a video series that has educated the public about the role of a free press in a free society and helped us recruit new writers,” Miller said. “We had such a positive experience with making the episodes that we’ve now taken our proven model of working with young journalists in print media and expanded it into the visual media, as we work to build a talent pipeline that will get more conservatives into the professional media. We’re grateful to the Heritage Foundation for making it all possible.”

Click here to learn more about the 2026 Innovation Prizes and the process for applying.