The Beacon Prize for Leadership

This prize will honour an individual whose advocacy for a specific social cause or charitable need has built, mobilised and unified people, institutions or causes. He or she will have galvanized them into action to reach higher, aim farther, be more effective or be more efficient.

The Beacon Prize for Community Builder

This prize will honour an individual who has made an exceptional contribution to address or solve a specific community need or problem, either geographically or by field of interest. Their effort and contribution will have demonstrated personal commitment, involvement and achievement to create a sustainable solution for a community which is worth replicating elsewhere.

The Beacon Prize for New Initiatives

This prize will honour an individual who has used his or her own resources to launch a new initiative to meet a specific social or charitable need and which has a sustainable future, independent of the founder's continued involvement. In order to be considered, the initiative must have been launched at least three, but no more than ten years ago, and still be operating today.

The Beacon Prize for Creative Giving

This prize will honour an individual who has supported a charitable or social cause in a truly creative and innovative way. For example, they may have developed an entirely new type of fundraising or other enterprising form of income generation, or developed a new and more effective response to beneficiaries' needs, or a better and more effective way of running the charity's services, fundraising or administration.

The Beacon Prize for Risk Taking

This prize will honour an individual who has taken considerable risk in philanthropy, whether of a personal business or financial nature. They will have overcome significant uncertainty in taking forward an initiative.

The Beacon Prize for Young Philanthropist

This prize will honour an individual aged less than 35 years of age who has made an exceptional contribution to charity. Their effort and contribution will have established them as a role model and a catalyst for a new young generation of givers.

Judges' Special Prizes

In addition, the independent panel of judges will be reviewing nominations received for the 6 categories above, with a view to awarding Judges' Special Prizes. Special focus in 2004 will be on The Most Generous Celebrity, The Most Generous Business Leader and the Most Generous Young Person (up to 18 years old). Judges will be looking for demonstrated generosity of spirit, inspiration, ingenuity and involvement whether with time, money, skills or ideas.

National and Regional Prizes

For each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and England, the Judges will award a Prize to an individual who has made an exceptional contribution in any one of the above 6 categories, and where the charitable efforts and results have been largely regional or national.