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Mónica Ramírez felt tears of joy stream down her face upon learning she had been named one of this year’s 10 Elevate Prize winners. For the founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women, the recognition comes at a critical moment.
“As immigrant and migrant community members are being threatened and attacked around our country, it’s really important to have shows of support like the Elevate Prize is providing because we’ve seen a retraction — a big retraction — in support,” Ramírez said. “The award means we are able to do the work that we know is so urgently needed.”
The Fremont, Ohio-based nonprofit advocates for the rights of migrant and rural women and other marginalized communities. As part of the prize announced Tuesday, Justice for Migrant Women will receive $300,000 in unrestricted funding, while Ramírez will gain access to training on organizational growth and strategies to increase her group’s visibility.
Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, emphasized that public visibility has taken on heightened importance in the current political climate. Beyond aiding fundraising efforts and public education, she told The Associated Press that visibility “is also a form of protection.”
“It’s more important than ever to double down on leaders like Monica,” Jayaram said.
To amplify the winners’ work, the foundation is launching a new “Good Is Trending” initiative, which includes showcasing the 2026 class of prize recipients on NASDAQ’s Times Square billboards.
For Mara Fleishman, CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation and fellow Elevate Prize winner, the enhanced visibility represents an opportunity to scale her organization’s impact. The Boulder, Colorado-based nonprofit, which brings made-from-scratch meals to schools, has already worked with over 17,000 schools and reached more than five million children.
“How do we take the work we’ve done and turn it into something digestible for legislators and advocates to understand what is possible?” Fleishman asked, noting that her foundation needs the public to become a “force multiplier” for its message in school board meetings and statehouses nationwide.
The Chef Ann Foundation aims to transform school nutrition by developing menus less dependent on processed foods and more focused on fresh, local produce. The organization has already secured support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Waverley Street Foundation.
Jayaram believes that effective storytelling is key to expanding the winners’ influence. “People pay more attention to people than they do to issues,” she explained. “When you can ground an issue in the story of a person, of a community, of a neighborhood, suddenly the whole world can start to engage and relate to that.”
The Elevate Prize Foundation has long recognized the power of storytelling. Last year, it launched Elevate Studios, its own production house dedicated to telling prize winners’ stories through various media formats, from YouTube videos to feature-length theatrical documentaries.
Ramírez is eager to leverage this opportunity to amplify the voices of those she serves. “I really think that the Elevate Prize is going to help us give a microphone to the people that we serve,” she said. “That’s my hope.”
The 2026 class of Elevate Prize winners represents a diverse range of causes and regions. Besides Ramírez and Fleishman, the cohort includes Shabana Basij-Rasikh, who leads SOLA (School of Leadership, Afghanistan), an Afghan-led organization promoting social change through girls’ education; and Hillary Blout, whose organization For the People helps secure release for incarcerated individuals.
Other winners include Manu Chopra, CEO of Karya, bringing AI advancements to low-income communities; Aisha Nyandoro, CEO of Springboard to Opportunities, supporting residents in federally subsidized affordable housing; and Tom Osborn, whose organization Shamiri brings mental health care to underserved regions, beginning with Africa.
Rounding out the class are Ai-jen Poo, executive director of Caring Across Generations; Krutika Ravishankar, co-founder of Farmers for Forests, which protects and restores forests across India; and Utkarsh Saxena, executive director of Adalat AI, developing artificial intelligence tools for court systems.
As these social entrepreneurs prepare to leverage their new resources and visibility, the Elevate Prize stands as both validation and protection for work that addresses some of society’s most pressing challenges.
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9 Comments
It’s encouraging to see how this prize is empowering migrant and rural women’s advocacy groups. Increasing their visibility and capacity is crucial in the current political climate.
The $300,000 in unrestricted funding is a game-changer for these non-profits. That kind of flexible support can make a huge difference in their ability to fulfill their missions.
Telling their own stories is so important for these organizations. Gaining access to media training and publicity strategies will help them better share their impactful work with the world.
Visibility is key, especially for groups advocating for the rights of marginalized communities. This support comes at a critical time when they need to amplify their voices.
This is a great initiative to support impactful organizations and their important work. Providing both funding and visibility training is a smart approach to help these groups have an even greater reach and influence.
The Elevate Prize seems like a wonderful way to amplify the voices and stories of often marginalized communities. I’m glad to see this level of investment in grassroots organizations.
The Elevate Prize sounds like a fantastic way to boost the profile and resources of grassroots non-profits. Investing in their growth and storytelling capabilities is a smart and generous approach.
I’m curious to learn more about the specific organizations and individuals that received this year’s Elevate Prize. It’s great to see such impactful work being recognized and supported.
The combination of funding and training seems like a comprehensive way to empower these groups. I look forward to seeing how they leverage this support to expand their reach and influence.