Elevate Prize winners gain more than $300K in funding

They learn to better tell their own stories

Published on Feb. 18, 2026

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The Elevate Prize Foundation named its 10 winners for 2026 on Tuesday, including Monica Ramirez of Justice for Migrant Women and Mara Fleishman of the Chef Ann Foundation. The winners will receive $300,000 in unrestricted funding and support to increase their visibility and organizational growth.

Why it matters

The Elevate Prize aims to amplify the work of leaders and organizations addressing critical social issues. In a time of political polarization and threats to marginalized communities, the prize provides important recognition and resources to groups like Justice for Migrant Women that advocate for the rights of vulnerable populations.

The details

Each Elevate Prize winner will receive $300,000 in unrestricted funding as well as support and training to grow their organizations and increase their public profiles. The foundation is launching an initiative called "Good Is Trending" to help spotlight the winners, including taking over NASDAQ's Times Square billboards. The winners were selected in part based on their potential to effectively tell the stories of the communities they serve.

  • The Elevate Prize winners were announced on Tuesday, February 17, 2026.

The players

Mónica Ramírez

Founder and president of Justice for Migrant Women, a nonprofit that advocates for the rights and needs of migrant women and other marginalized communities.

Mara Fleishman

CEO of the Chef Ann Foundation, which brings made-from-scratch meals to schools and supports the development of less processed, more locally-sourced school food programs.

Carolina Garcia Jayaram

CEO of the Elevate Prize Foundation, which awards the annual Elevate Prize to leaders and organizations addressing critical social issues.

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What they’re saying

“As immigrant and migrant community members are being threatened and attacked around our country, it's really important to have shows of support like the Elevate Prize is providing because we've seen a retraction — a big retraction — in support.”

— Mónica Ramírez, Founder and president, Justice for Migrant Women (San Francisco Chronicle)

“It's more important than ever to double down on leaders like Monica.”

— Carolina Garcia Jayaram, CEO, Elevate Prize Foundation (The Associated Press)

“We've worked with over 17,000 schools and reached more than five million kids. But how do we take the work we've done and turn it into something digestible for legislators and advocates to understand what is possible?”

— Mara Fleishman, CEO, Chef Ann Foundation (The Associated Press)

What’s next

The Elevate Prize Foundation is launching its 'Good Is Trending' initiative to help increase visibility for the 2026 prize winners, including taking over the NASDAQ's Times Square billboards on Tuesday to spotlight their work.

The takeaway

The Elevate Prize provides critical funding and support to leaders of organizations addressing urgent social issues, helping to amplify their work and the stories of the communities they serve during a time of political polarization and threats to marginalized groups.