Kraft Center Launches 2nd Annual Community Health Innovation Prize

The $100,000 Kraft Prize recognizes organizations driving measurable improvements in community health with scalable, real-world models.

Jan. 27, 2026 at 11:39pm

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The Kraft Center for Community Health at Mass General Brigham has announced the launch of the second annual Kraft Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Community Health, a national award recognizing organizations and innovators addressing critical health challenges in areas like cancer, cardiometabolic disease, substance use disorder, maternal health, and social determinants of health.

Why it matters

The Kraft Prize aims to elevate bold, technology-enabled solutions that are improving community health outcomes nationwide, reflecting the Kraft Center's mission to expand access to high-quality, cost-effective care for medically underserved patients, families and communities.

The details

The $100,000 Kraft Prize will be awarded to one recipient, with two finalists each receiving $10,000. The winner will also receive entry and travel accommodations to present at the Mass General Brigham World Medical Innovation Forum, as well as tailored support to help accelerate their impact. Applications are open to U.S.-based community health practitioners, healthcare professionals, non-profits, private-sector leaders, and innovators who can demonstrate a clear and measurable impact on community health.

  • Applications open on January 28, 2026.
  • Applications are due by April 30, 2026.
  • The application review period will take place from May to June 2026.
  • The prize recipient and finalists will be notified in July 2026.
  • The World Medical Innovation Forum where the winner will present is scheduled for September 22-23, 2026.

The players

Kraft Center for Community Health

A division of Mass General Brigham focused on expanding access to high-quality, cost-effective care for medically underserved patients, families and communities.

Robert Kraft

Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, which is supporting the Kraft Prize to recognize innovative work and support efforts to build transformative organizations driving change in community health.

Elsie Taveras

Chief Community Health and Health Equity Officer at Mass General Brigham and Executive Director of the Kraft Center for Community Health.

ThriveLink

The inaugural Kraft Prize winner in 2025, a telephonic AI enrollment solution that enables families to complete applications for safety-net programs.

Kwamane Liddel

Founder and CEO of ThriveLink.

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What they’re saying

“The Kraft Center for Community Health's mission is rooted in expanding access to high-quality, cost-effective care for medically underserved patients, families and communities. Through this prize, we are proud to recognize the innovative work of others and support efforts to build transformative organizations that are driving meaningful, lasting change in community health.”

— Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO, Kraft Group (massgeneralbrigham.org)

“We are excited to launch the second year of the Kraft Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Community Health, which elevates bold, technology-enabled solutions that are improving community health outcomes nationwide. At the Kraft Center, our work is rooted in expanding access to care for cardiovascular disease, addiction, maternal health, and cancer for communities with unmet needs. This prize reflects our deep pride in innovative programming and our commitment to amplifying exceptional work that is transforming community health.”

— Elsie Taveras, Chief Community Health and Health Equity Officer, Mass General Brigham; Executive Director, Kraft Center for Community Health (massgeneralbrigham.org)

“The Kraft Prize changes everything for us. It's not just the dollars but all we can learn and the connections we can make. A third of the battle is people knowing about our work and everything that we do”

— Kwamane Liddel, Founder and CEO, ThriveLink (massgeneralbrigham.org)

What’s next

The Kraft Center will select the prize recipient and finalists in July 2026, and the winner will present at the World Medical Innovation Forum in Boston on September 22-23, 2026.

The takeaway

The Kraft Prize for Excellence and Innovation in Community Health reflects a growing emphasis on leveraging technology and community partnerships to address critical health challenges and social determinants of health in underserved populations across the United States.