The SPNovation Awards celebrate and showcase state think-tank innovations.

Know a state think tank that has been particularly innovative and should be recognized?

Nominate it for an SPNovation Award!

Awards will be given for innovative publications, websites, marketing campaigns, fundraising or outreach efforts, programs, events, or any other innovative undertaking.

Prizes. The award includes $2,500 for the winning organization and covers travel expenses for a staff member to present the winning idea on an innovation panel at the SPN Annual Meeting

Eligibility. Only SPN members are eligible to win.

Time frame. Awards will be presented quarterly. Deadlines to apply are Feb. 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15

Nominations. Anyone may make a nomination; groups may nominate themselves.

See below to fill out the SPNovation Award Nomination Form.

 

SPNovation Award Nomination Form
1.	Organization Name *
2.	Name of Innovation *
3.	Month/Year Innovation Debuted  *
4.	Name of Nominator *
5.	Email Address of Nominator *
6.	Website (if applicable)
7.	Brief Description and Explanation of Impact (250 word limit) *
	* Required
You will receive a confirmation e-mail shortly after your nomination is submitted.

• Whitney Ball, President & CEO, Donors Trust
• John Kramer, Vice President for Communications, Institute for Justice
• Jo Kwong, Director of Philanthropic Services, Philanthropy Roundtable
• Tracie Sharp, President, State Policy Network
• Bridgett Wagner, Director of Coalition Relations, Heritage Foundation
• Lindsay Young Craig, Vice President, Communications & Marketing, Manhattan Institute

Questions? Email SPNovation@spn.org.

Other details.

• An innovation may be nominated for up to 12 months after it was released, published, put into practice, et cetera. An innovation is not eligible until it has debuted (i.e. don't nominate the fantastic project you're launching next month; wait until the next round of nominations).
• If an innovation does not win the award given immediately after the nomination, it will continue to be eligible to win for up to a year after the innovation was originally released, published, put into practice, et cetera.
• An organization can win more than one award in a year.

Congratulations to
The Yankee Institute
for winning the SPNovation Award for their program
Care and Feeding of Connecticut's Congressmen

The Yankee Institute's program "The Care and Feeding of Connecticut's Congressmen" has taxpayers grumbling all across Connecticut as they learn about how their Members of Congress spend their hard-earned tax dollars. The project posted every line item of spending in the Connecticut delegation's personal congressional offices and has been a popular request from rank-and-file conservatives since Yankee unveiled it last summer. The project has incurred attacks from two of Connecticut's five members, which only served to bring additional attention to the project. It is a staple in Yankee's speeches to local taxpayer organizations and other supportive activists, and even highlights fun information like which Member spent the most on bottled water.

John Kramer, SPNovation judge, and Vice President for Communications at the Institute for Justice had the following to say about the program: "An innovative program doesn't need to be an expensive one. Thanks to the Yankee Institute's research and promotion, Connecticut lawmakers and their largess are being properly taken to account. In the end, these government fat cats are spending our money. The Yankee Institute's work reminds them that we're watching and that our tax dollars must be spent with care."

Visit SPNovation Archives to view past awards.