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 further; 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 a specific community need or problem, whether geographically or by field of interest. His or her 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 founders continued involvement. In order to be considered, the initiative must have been launched at least three, but not 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 original 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 even a better way of running a charity’s services, fundraising or administration.

The Beacon Prize for Family Philanthropy

This prize will honour an individual who has led his or her family’s exceptional contribution to charity over time, where the outcome has had a sustained and effective impact. Through leadership and by keeping the family’s philanthropic mission clear and thoughtful, this individual will have encouraged wide family collaboration, across the generations and established an enduring commitment. This individual alongside other family members will have made substantial personal commitments, whether it be time, money or skills.

The Beacon Prize for Young Philanthropist

This prize will honour an individual of less than 25 year of age who has made an exceptional contribution to charity. Their effort and contribution will have established then as a role model and a catalyst for a new generation of givers.

Judges' Special Prizes

As in previous years, the independent panel of Judges may choose to award a number of Judges’ Special Prizes.

National and Regional Prizes

For 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 six categories and where the charitable efforts and results have largely been regional or national.