Upswell is all about building a community of changemakers to make real change happen in communities. So what better place to honor an emerging changemaker from our community who has demonstrated transformative social impact through collaborative leadership?

The nomination period for the 2018 NGen Leadership Award is open through Friday, May 25. For the last eight years, we’ve presented this award – among the most important awards bestowed by our sector – to a highly accomplished next-generation leader who has demonstrated a significant impact. We’ll honor the 2018 winner at Upswell, and we’ve made big changes that improve the nomination and selection process – including letting the public select the winner.

What’s different?

1. More interactive: For the first time, rather than selecting the winner through an opaque committee process, six finalists will share their mission and vision online through a multimedia storytelling platform. Then we’ll open it up to the public via digital voting, and allow the public to get to know the finalists a little better during a Twitter Town Hall in early September.

2. Focus on collaboration and community: We’ll announce the winner of the 2018 NGen Leadership Award during Upswell, set for November 14-16 in Los Angeles. And because Upswell will focus on building a community of changemakers to make real change happen, we’ll consider how our nominees have helped advanced that goal as we consider their applications.

3. Greater recognition of all finalists: This year, it’s not just about the winner. All six finalists will come to Upswell as our guests – an unbeatable opportunity to grow their networks and tell their stories more broadly. We’ll also recognize the organizations that nominated the finalists.

4. More inclusive: In the past, the NGen Leadership Award has been restricted to someone from the charitable community. This year, anyone working for the common good who meets the criteria is eligible to be considered – organizational affiliation no longer matters.

Do you know an outstanding young changemaker? You have until 11:59 am ET on Friday, May 25 to submit a nomination. It takes 90 seconds or less, so submit today – and watch for more details on how you can help select the next NGen Leadership award winner!