American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds)
The American College of Pediatricians (ACPeds) is an association of pediatricians and health care practitioners committed to the health and development of infants, children, and adolescents. Its mission is to help children reach optimal emotional and physical well-being by promoting parental responsibility, the traditional family unit, and ethical practices founded in biological reality. ACPeds advocates for child-centered policies prioritizing enduring moral and scientific truths over shifting ideological or political trends. One of its key initiatives, Doctor, Heal Thyself: A Bold Initiative to Rescue Doctors in the American Academy of Pediatrics from Woke Gender Ideology, confronts the harmful influence of gender ideology that has infiltrated major, once-trusted medical institutions in the U.S. Through such efforts in education and advocacy, ACPeds protects and advances the best interests of children and families.
“The American College of Pediatricians is thrilled to be one of the winners of The Heritage Innovation Prize. This award will help us reach more pediatricians, restore sound medical practice within the pediatric medical community when it comes to treatment of gender dysphoria in minors, and advocate for evidence-based medicine for children everywhere. We are grateful for the commitment of The Heritage Foundation in protecting children and entrusting us to carry out this mission.” - Dr. Jill Simons, Executive Director
American Reformer Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing (CAFF)
The American Reformer Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing (CAFF) exists to renew Christian higher education by encouraging intellectual rigor and institutional fidelity to Biblical truth. CAFF equips campus leaders with resources to resist unbiblical ideologies, strengthen institutional governance, improve financial stability, and build networks with like-minded partners. One of its initiatives, The CAFF College Guide, connects faithful students with faithful colleges, building a K-20 pipeline for conservative, Christian students. Through research, advocacy, and collaboration, CAFF supports a vision of education that forms the individual for faithful service in the church, academy, and public life.
“The college search process is a consequential endeavor, and families often find it difficult to identify which institutions truly share their values. American Reformer’s Center for Academic Faithfulness & Flourishing has addressed this need by creating the CAFF College Guide, a dynamic online directory providing objectively measured, independently verified, and comprehensive information for over 250 Christian colleges and universities across the country. We are grateful for The Heritage Foundation’s generous award, which will support expansion of the Guide’s offerings and ensure that the resource remains free to the general public, so that all Americans can have access to relevant and trustworthy information when making their college decision.” - Josh Abbotoy, Executive Director
Ben Franklin Fellowship
The Ben Franklin Fellowship (BFF) advances a Constitutionally grounded U.S. foreign policy prioritizing American sovereignty, secure borders, and fiscal responsibility. It seeks to restore realism in diplomacy by rejecting ideological conformity and promoting merit-based hiring and advancement. Through initiatives like the JUNTO Outreach Project, BFF is working to revitalize the State Department by challenging entrenched bureaucratic norms and producing a new generation of diplomats committed to an America First vision. BFF champions the national interest and works to reestablish accountability and competence in international engagement. Through forums, events, and professional networks, the Fellowship is a platform for advancing policies that serve the American people.
“The Ben Franklin Fellowship is honored and deeply grateful to receive The Heritage Foundation’s Innovation Prize. This award will empower BFF to advance its JUNTO Project—an educational outreach initiative aimed at cultivating a national interest–driven foreign policy within the career ranks of the State Department. Our mission is to help restore traditional U.S. diplomacy that defends national borders, protects American sovereignty, and serves the American people. Through targeted engagement with the Civil and Foreign Service, BFF is committed to building a diplomatic corps rooted in merit, accountability, and service to the President and the nation.” - Phillip Linderman, Board Chairman
Do No Harm
Do No Harm represents healthcare professionals, students, patients, and policymakers dedicated to preserving science-based, unbiased medical care. The organization opposes the politicization of medicine and the injection of identity politics into medical education, research, and clinical practice. As part of its efforts, Do No Harm conducts investigations into how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies shape medical school admissions and curricula, publishing rankings to inform students, patients, and policymakers while pressing public institutions to uphold standards of excellence and objectivity. Do No Harm also challenges youth-focused gender ideology, which threatens medical standards and patient trust. The organization’s mission is to protect healthcare’s integrity by promoting objective, evidence-driven medicine that prioritizes patient well-being and ensures care remains focused on healing rather than political or ideological agendas.
“Do No Harm is honored and grateful to receive Heritage’s Innovation Prize. This award affirms the vital importance of our mission to safeguard medicine from divisive identity politics, and will enable us to continue our work upholding merit, individual dignity, and excellence in medicine. With this award, Do No Harm will invest in a project to rank and review medical schools according to their DEI activities and hold them accountable for their divisive and discriminatory practices. We thank Heritage for its support.” - Dr. Stanley Goldfarb
Families Empowered
Families Empowered helps Texas parents control their children’s education by offering free, bilingual, personalized support. In the wake of new Education Savings Account (ESA) legislation, the organization provides accurate, actionable information to help families effectively navigate K–20 education options. Families Empowered equips parents with practical tools tailored to their values and priorities, recognizing that every child learns differently. The organization is guided by direct parent feedback so that its support reflects real needs across Texan communities. Regardless of background or income, Families Empowered is committed to helping families make informed decisions to find the right school for their children.
“The Heritage Innovation Prize presents a significant opportunity for the Families Empowered team to enhance our mission as Texas prepares to launch one of the largest Education Savings Account programs in the country. Our team works tirelessly to empower parents to make educational choices that best meet their needs and align with their values. We believe that parents, not the state, are best positioned to make educational decisions for their children; the Innovation Prize will enhance and expand our ability to provide parents, who are looking for school options, with unbiased school information and personalized educational advisory services. Parents are our core customers, and this prize will directly support families who now have more freedom to choose schools that are a right fit for them.” - Colleen Dippel, Founder and CEO
LifeWise Academy
The LifeWise Academy provides gospel-centered Bible education to public school students through programs that facilitate spiritual growth. In response to rising youth anxiety, depression, and declining biblical literacy, the LifeWise Academy offers a faith-based alternative focused on Scripture, character, and hope. The organization partners with local churches and communities to deliver impactful teaching and, through initiatives like empowering parental choice through Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI), the Academy enables parents to choose Bible-based character education for their children during the school day. Its mission is to transform hearts and minds through the truth of God’s Word, equipping the next generation to live with purpose and conviction in a culture disconnected from biblical truth.
“We are honored to receive The Heritage Foundation’s Innovation Prize in recognition of LifeWise Academy’s efforts to advance parental choice in education. This award affirms the vital role of parental choice and local initiative in shaping the next generation. By equipping communities to provide Bible education to public school students during school hours, LifeWise helps restore moral foundations and instill timeless values. We’re grateful for The Heritage Foundation’s leadership in promoting policies that strengthen faith, family and freedom across our nation.” - Joel Penton, Founder and CEO
Napa Legal Institute
Napa Legal Institute equips faith-based nonprofits with the legal and governance tools to operate effectively and faithfully in a challenging regulatory environment. Napa Legal Institute’s expertise lies in nonprofit law, religious liberty, and public policy, helping religious organizations protect their missions while remaining compliant. One of its key initiatives, the Faith & Freedom Index, measures how supportive each state is toward religious freedom and regulatory flexibility for faith-based nonprofits. The project also provides model legislation to state lawmakers seeking to strengthen protections for religious organizations. Its mission is clear: to empower faith-based organizations to serve legally and confidently in defense of their convictions and the common good.
“Our country can’t thrive without strong nonprofits, and our nonprofits can’t thrive if states burden and repress, rather than support, these organizations’ good work. The Heritage Foundation has recognized this critical need and given Napa Legal an Innovation Prize for telling this story and offering a roadmap for improvement. We are honored by Heritage’s award, which not only supports our organization but also strengthens freedom and builds a brighter future for nonprofits nationwide.” - Mary Margaret Bush, Vice President and Executive Director
National Center on Sexual Exploitation
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) seeks to confront and dismantle the systems that fuel sexual abuse and exploitation in all forms. Through a multidisciplinary approach that includes research, litigation, corporate advocacy, and public policy, NCOSE exposes the interconnected nature of sex trafficking, pornography, prostitution, and child sexual abuse. One of its current efforts, Reclaiming Our Children’s Innocence from Big Tech, protects minors from unregulated exposure to pornography and holds technology companies accountable for practices that exploit children. The organization has decades of experience fighting for a world where every person can live free from sexual exploitation. NCOSE defends the vulnerable, holds exploiters accountable, and drives cultural and legal change to end the commodification of the human body.
“Children face many threats to their safety online, and we seek to hold Big Tech accountable for their products that enable these harms. We advocate that companies design their products with safety measures included from the start. We support legislative solutions that will ensure tech platforms prioritize child safety. Every child deserves to be protected from online harms, and we are grateful for Heritage’s Innovation award that will advance our work to increase child safety online.” - Marcel van der Watt, President
State Armor
State Armor empowers states to confront global security threats head-on, with a focus on countering the influence and aggression of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The organization provides lawmakers with policy tools to enact strong, state-level legislation. In a time of international risk, State Armor strengthens America’s security by turning state governments into active defenders of national interests, ensuring that threats abroad are met with action at home.
“State Armor is honored to win The Heritage Foundation’s Innovation Prize. We are dedicated to executing an effective campaign against the Chinese Communist Party’s malicious influence operations, and we believe this campaign will honor the leadership Heritage has set forth for generations, and which remains central to American policymaking today. State Armor’s partnership with Heritage will uphold American freedom against communism.” - Michael Lucci
Them Before Us
Them Before Us is a global movement dedicated to defending a child’s right to be known and loved by their mother and father. In a culture that prioritizes adult desires, Them Before Us directs the conversation to the needs of children in matters of marriage, family, and policy. Through public education, international advocacy, and policy engagement, the organization ensures children’s rights are upheld in both a cultural and legal context. As part of this mission, Them Before Us is developing a Children’s Rights Database, which equips citizens, legislators, and policy advocates with the necessary information to defend both born and preborn children from unjust adult-centered agendas. Them Before Us exists to build a global coalition that puts children before adults, at home, in law, and in public discourse.
“We are deeply grateful to receive a 2025 Innovation Prize from The Heritage Foundation. This grant will significantly advance our mission to protect children and defend families in today’s shifting cultural landscape. With this support, our team will complete and launch our Children’s Rights Database, which will provide advocates, lawmakers, and concerned citizens with state-by-state information about the status of children’s rights across the United States. With our policy recommendations, individuals, organizations, and legislators will be equipped with clear, actionable responses to put children first.” - Katie Faust, Executive Director
Wired Human
Wired Human is a nonprofit confronting digital exploitation by equipping youth to fight against online harm. Through education, advocacy, and public action, Wired Human exposes the damage caused by pornography, cyberbullying, and unethical tech. The organization trains young individuals to understand the risks, speak out, and facilitate an online environment that respects human dignity. Its curriculum and public campaigns encourage the next generation to fight against digital abuse and demand accountability. Through initiatives like Childhood is Not for Sale, Wired Human protects children from digital exploitation and empowers youth as advocates for change via its Screen Safe Alliance. Wired Human brings youth to the front lines of change, on Capitol Hill, in schools, and across the web.
“The Heritage Foundation, and the Innovation Prize they so generously provided, is rocket fuel in the fight to save a generation. In the grip of a youth mental health crisis, where AI-powered platforms process our children’s data through trillions of parameters to feed them the most addictive content ever engineered, this support is helping us raise a screen-strong generation in a culture designed to exploit them.” - Jason Frost, CEO
