ECO Innovation Prize
The 2024 ECOsystems Conference will convene top professionals from the Environmental Council’s membership to grow, learn and connect. Attendees will also have the chance to win $10,000 to help power their critical work. The ECO Innovation Prizes or “ECO Prizes” celebrate the collective strength and creativity of our movement and are designed to help our members transform big ideas into big action.
What is the ECO Prize?
The ECO Prize is a cash prize awarded by the Michigan Environmental Council to member organizations at our annual ECOsystems Conference. We know you have important projects that are making impact in your community and across the state–these prizes are designed to give those projects a boost. Every Environmental Council member is eligible to apply so long as they are physically present at our conference.
Prize Breakdown
Three ECO Prizes will be awarded at the 2024 ECOsystems Conference. The prizes are as follows:
Grow the Movement Prize ($10,000) – A project that expands our environmental movement to encompass more passionate advocates.
Impact Prize ($10,000) – A project that makes notable positive change for Michigan’s environment.
Innovation Prize ($10,000) – A project that goes outside-of-the-box to push the boundaries of your work and drive results.
*Please note – ECO Prizes cannot be used for electioneering work or projects.
Prize Categories
All projects must fall into one of these five categories:
- Engaging youth – Projects that directly connect youth (age 18 and under) with environmental programming, events, etc.
- Diversifying the movement – Projects that support and enhance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in your community.
- Truth to power – Projects that energize and organize local community residents to tackle an environmental challenge through advocacy or action
- Local impact – Projects that directly improve your local community and have measured positive results
- Policy/advocacy – Projects or campaigns that are driving legislative or local policy changes
*NOTE – To qualify, your project must have begun work in 2024 and be completed by October 1, 2025.
Eligibility & rules
Who’s eligible for the prize?
All 2024 Michigan Environmental Council members are eligible to apply for any of the ECO-Prizes so long as they are registered for the 2024 ECOsystems Conference, happening Sunday, October 6-Monday, October 7, 2024 at Crystal Mountain Resort in Thompsonville. All recipients must be physically present at the conference to claim their prize.
Learn more about the conference & register
Can I apply for more than one prize?
You may submit separate applications for each prize, however only one project from each organization will be selected for consideration to showcase at the ECOsystems Conference.
What does the Prize application entail?
The ECO Prize application can be completed using the form below. It will ask you to upload a 1-2 page document answering the following questions. Applications for the 2024 ECO Innovation Prizes have closed.
- Provide a high-level overview of your project.
- What is the environmental problem or problems your project addresses?
- Who are you impacting through this project? Your local community? A statewide audience?
- What are the measurable outcomes of your project? How do you know if your project is/was successful?
- What is your project timeline?
- How will you use the ECO Prize to make an impact on this project? What resources will the ECO Prize provide for the project or expenses will it cover for past projects?
- NOTE – All selected prize contestants must prepare a posterboard that will include highlights from your application along any additional photos/graphics that you feel help demonstrate the impact of your project. The posterboard will be displayed at the conference and will be available for attendees to browse as they prepare to vote.
How are winners selected?
All three ECO Prizes are “people’s choice” awards, meaning that your fellow Environmental Council members will vote to select prize winners in-person during our conference. As mentioned above, your project posters will be available for conference attendees to review as they vote. All voting will be anonymous and equitably weighted. Prizes will be judged using these simple criteria:
- Innovation – Which projects demonstrate unique creativity and thoughtfulness in addressing a problem? Which projects think outside-the-box?
- Impact – Which projects can show the strongest impact on an issue? Which projects employ data and measured results to showcase that impact?
- Resourcefulness – Which projects maximize impact in relation to inputs?
When will winners be selected?
Winners will be selected at the closing plenary session on Monday, October 7. Prizes will be awarded to winning organizations at this time.
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