This Brooklyn-Based Foundation Will Give You $200K to Spend on Whatever You Want

By The David Prize

Brooklyn—the heart of creativity and innovation—is also home to The David Prize, a philanthropic initiative with a straightforward yet powerful mission: to empower New Yorkers to shape a brighter future for their city by awarding $200K to 5 New Yorkers each. For the past four years, this initiative has poured $4,000,000 into the hands of 20 remarkable individuals, trusting that those who know New York’s challenges best are the ones best suited to overcome them.

The David Prize is all about investing in individuals with a vision for New York City and ideas to make that vision a reality. What makes The David Prize different is that it is first and foremost about the individual (because the city’s best and biggest resource is its people), which lets folks who win the Prize free up space—financially, mentally, and emotionally—to pursue their vision. It doesn’t dictate how winners should use the money. In fact, it doesn’t ask questions at all.  

Now, The David Prize is looking for its next cohort of visionaries. The Open Call is officially live, and there’s room for five more individuals to join this incredible journey. The Prize doesn’t restrict New Yorkers submitting for the Prize to specific sectors or fields (but it’s open to New Yorkers-only); the only prerequisites are a profound love for the city and a vision for a better, brighter New York.

Former winners of the Prize include folks like Karen Blondel, a life-long Brooklynite, public housing tenants association president, and advocate for the 1 in 15 New Yorkers living in NYCHA and Erika Sasson, a restorative justice practitioner focused on repairing harm in cases of homicide, domestic violence and sexual violence.

In a city as diverse as New York, solutions to its challenges are as varied as its neighborhoods. The David Prize recognizes this diversity of thought, action, and impact, making it as authentic and real as it gets.

If you’re a New Yorker with a passion for your city and a vision for its future, The David Prize might just be your $200,000 ticket to turning dreams into reality. 

So, what would you do with $200,000 to create a brighter future for NYC? The possibilities are endless, and The David Prize is waiting to help make your vision a reality.

Curious? Submit for The David Prize today or nominate someone.