The Global Citizen Waislitz Awards are an annual recognition run by Global Citizen together with the Waislitz Foundation, founded by Australian investor Alex Waislitz. Each year the program grants three prizes of US$100,000 to individuals anywhere in the world who lead measurable work against extreme poverty. Winners may come from nonprofits, for-profits, B-corporations, or social enterprises, and the prize money is paid to the organization the winner works for. The awards recognize changemakers across fields such as health, agriculture, water access, and community empowerment.
Benefits & funding
- Three cash prizes of US$100,000 each (US$300,000 total), paid to the winner’s registered organization:
- Global Citizen Waislitz Prize — the grand prize, judged on all five criteria.
- Disruptor Award — for the entrant who most excels on the ‘Disruption’ criterion.
- Global Citizens’ Choice Award — decided by the Waislitz Foundation taking an online public vote into account alongside the five criteria.
- Global visibility through Global Citizen’s platform and media reach.
Eligibility
- Open to individuals aged 18 or older from any country.
- Applicants must represent a registered legal entity — nonprofit, for-profit, B-corp, or social enterprise; organizations themselves cannot apply, only individuals.
- At least 1–2 years of demonstrated impact toward ending extreme poverty.
- Self-application only; third-party nominations are not accepted.
- Applications must be submitted in English.
Can you apply?
Worth a closer look
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Experience required
≥ 1 yrs
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Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
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We only check the criteria we have data for. Always confirm full eligibility on the official page before applying.
Application process
- 1Complete the online application on the Global Citizen Waislitz Awards page during the annual submission window (English only).
- 2Judges assess entries against five criteria: Global Citizenship, Proof of Concept, Disruption, Scalability, and Adaptability.
- 3Semi-finalists are notified and asked for headshots, bios, and possibly supplemental financial information; an online public vote opens for the Global Citizens’ Choice Award.
- 4The Waislitz Foundation selects the three winners.
Program timeline
Applications open (10:00 AM PST)
May 19, 2026
Applications close (5:00 PM PST)
Jun 14, 2026
Semi-finalists notified
Jul 3, 2026
Winners notified
Aug 3, 2026