Nicholas Kristof’s 2023
Holiday Impact Prize
Supporting little-known organizations
working to make the world a better place.
Since 2009, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof has written an annual “holiday gift guide” column to bridge a philanthropic gap: readers who wanted to help but didn’t know how, and heroic individuals and organizations who desperately needed resources but were off donors’ radar. The column has helped raise the profiles of organizations that work on the very issues he covers in his journalism—health, education, human rights and women’s rights, both domestically and abroad.
For the fifth year in a row, Kristof will award a $150,000 Holiday Impact Prize to the nonprofits he showcases. This year’s winners are his greatest hits—previously featured organizations that raised the most in reader donations. In an exciting twist, these nonprofits will also become beneficiaries of The New York Times Communities Fund (formerly The Neediest Cases Fund). Kristof’s 2023 column highlights three winners each receiving $50,000, in addition to a volunteer opportunity that is strengthening communities through service.
The 2023 Holiday Impact Prize is a call to action for others to join in supporting Kristof’s appeal. All funds raised by January 31, 2024 will help these remarkable organizations accomplish the impacts outlined below. And individuals expressing interest in volunteering will be linked to program representatives in their communities for follow-up.
For more information, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.
Donation Opportunities
There are three opportunities to become a 2023 Holiday Impact Prize donor.
CAMFED
Supporting girls to learn and lead
Across rural Africa – where 95% of girls from the lowest-income communities never complete high school – CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education) addresses the complex barriers to their success.
CAMFED provides school fees, supplies, menstrual products, bicycles or boarding, and builds a community support network around each girl: trained teachers, CAMFED graduates, and parent groups look after her psychosocial and learning needs. Girls supported by CAMFED achieve up to five times the learning gains and are three times more likely to stay in school than their peers. Graduates join the CAMFED Association, a sisterhood of leaders already 250,000 strong. As teachers, health workers, and climate-smart entrepreneurs, each member financially supports (on average) three more girls in school. This Multiplier Effect drives scale and sustainability.
It takes just $150 to fund a girl’s education for a year. In turn, she’ll triple your investment, helping to build an equitable future for all.
OneGoal
Making postsecondary graduation a reality
Throughout the country, only 22% of students from low-income communities earn a postsecondary degree compared to 67% of their peers from high-income areas. OneGoal’s three-year program helps students from low-income backgrounds identify paths to success, navigate the system, and enroll in their choice of postsecondary institution.
The model leverages the talents of existing high school teachers to deliver OneGoal as a daily, credit-bearing class in 11th and 12th grade and continues with remote support through the critical first year of a student’s postsecondary education. 81% of OneGoal high school graduates enroll in a postsecondary institution, and 73% persist one year later–rates that even outpace students from high-income communities. An independent study by the University of Chicago found that OneGoal students are 40% more likely to earn their postsecondary degrees than students from similar backgrounds.
Your investment can help OneGoal close the opportunity gap for thousands more young people annually. $1,500 provides a student with a full year of OneGoal instruction, advising, and support.
Per Scholas
Changing the face of tech
In 30 of the largest metropolitan regions in the U.S. today, 10 million people have at least a high school diploma but earn less than $25,000 a year. The same regions are home to 1.4 million well-paying tech jobs that don’t require a college degree.
Per Scholas is a national organization that prepares individuals traditionally underrepresented in technology for high-growth careers in the industry. In 15 weeks or less, Per Scholas learners (85% people of color, 40% women) gain knowledge and skills, earn industry recognized credentials, and graduate as highly attractive candidates for technology roles at companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. 85% of learners graduate and 80% of graduates are hired within one year at an average of three times their pre-training wage.
Every $700 donated covers the cost of supplies and resources for a learner to participate in Per Scholas’s tuition-free training and join the diverse talent pipeline that is changing the face of tech.
Volunteer Opportunities
You can also support the 2023 Holiday Impact Prize by becoming a volunteer in your community.
Welcome.US
Offering refugees a new start
Welcome.US partners with the U.S. government to allow everyday Americans to sponsor and provide critical support for a refugee family or individual in their community. Support can take many forms: helping with furnishing a home, job applications, enrolling children in school, grocery shopping, doctor visits, the process for getting a driver’s license—daily routines in the U.S. that can be daunting to a newcomer.
In fiscal year 2021, the U.S. government resettled 11,400 refugees through its traditional resettlement system and its 10 resettlement agency partners. Two years later, Welcome.US’ efforts to engage Americans, civic institutions, and the private sector have enabled the country to welcome over 400,000 people in need of refuge. Following the success of private sponsorship for Afghans, Ukrainians and Latin Americans, American citizens and permanent residents can now sponsor refugees from around the world through the Welcome Corps program.
Sign up on Welcome.US to join the thousands of Americans who have already served as a bridge to safety for people seeking refuge. Becoming a sponsor uplifts entire communities and is an opportunity to change lives—including your own.
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on any of the Holiday Impact Prize FAQs in the list below to view the answer.
Focusing Philanthropy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that believes donations should be made with the same level of strategic intent, information, and confidence as other investments. The organization targets serious human challenges that individual donors can successfully address, chooses tactics that are demonstrably effective, identifies confidence-inspiring implementing partners, conducts ongoing monitoring, and assures substantive reporting. These services are provided free to both donors and partners in an effort to scale interventions that work. Donations are fully tax deductible, and Focusing Philanthropy covers all administrative costs and replenishes credit card transaction fees so that 100% of funds contributed go to implementing partners.