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THE

GREGOR G. PETERSON PRIZE IN VENTURE PHILANTHROPY

An annual prize for a trailblazing early stage non-profit

THE PRIZE

Our Mission

The Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy is awarded annually to a trailblazing start-up in the non-profit sector. Our mission is to identify founders with bold ideas; to help bring these ideas to fruition, and to partner in building sustainable, life-changing organizations.

 

The Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy offers a one-time grant of $250,000 payable over three years. Rules and restrictions apply.

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ABOUT

The Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy was launched in 2019 by the Peterson Family to honor Greg Peterson’s core principles in business and to advance his long-standing legacy of philanthropy.

Gregor G. Peterson

Greg Peterson was a pioneer in the field of venture capital. In 1961, the San Francisco native co-founded Sutter Hill Co., one of the first venture capital firms on the West Coast. A marine infantry officer, a rugby player in his undergraduate years at Stanford, a lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and later university trustee and two-term director of the Stanford Management Co.—Greg Peterson appreciated the importance of teamwork and delighted in serving as a mentor to hardworking entrepreneurs.

Our Values

We appreciate a big idea—an idea that’s attainable, scalable, and meaningful in its ultimate fulfillment; one that reinforces the ideals of liberty, equality, and justice.

But more important, in the leaders we support, we value commitment, integrity, honesty, and common sense.

 

Our Culture 

Building a successful non-profit can be a long, arduous road—especially in the early years. We offer our Prize winners a bridge to the future. In return for this bridge, we expect open, honest communication, and we require accountability.

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RECOGNIZING LEADERSHIP

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EMBRACING BOLD IDEAS

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WINNERS AND FINALISTS

2023 WINNER

Children's Entrepreneur Market

Lehi, Utah

Connor Boyack, President

Lynee Fife, Director

2022 WINNER

Do No Harm

Greater Washington, D.C. area

Dr. Stanley Goldfarb, Founder and Board Chair

Kristina Rasmussen, Exec. Director

2021 WINNER

Recidiviz

San Francisco, CA

Clementine Jacoby, Exec. Director

2020 WINNER

Center for American Liberty

Leesburg, VA

Harmeet Dhillon, Founder

Mark Trammell, Exec. Director

2019 WINNER

The Center for the Rights of Abused Children

(formerly Gen Justice)

Phoenix, AZ

Darcy Olsen, Founder and CEO

FINALISTS

2023

American Accountability Foundation, virtual

Dissident Project, Washington, D.C.

Independent Women's Network, Winchester, VA

Iron Light Labs, Chicago, IL

Love Your School, Phoenix, AZ

2022

American Studio, christopherrufo.com.

FreeWorld, San Jose, CA

Lasagna Love, Williamstown, MA

Parents Defending Education, Arlington, VA

2021

America First Legal, Washington, D.C.

Better Together, Naples, FL

BLEXIT Foundation, Washington, D.C.

Vertex Partnership Academies, New York, NY

 

2020

The Independence Fund, Charlotte, NC

FREOPP.org, Austin, TX

Sunshine Enterprises, Chicago, IL

Let Grow, New York, NY

 

2019

Censorship Exposed, a project of Young America's Foundation

Publius Lex, San Francisco

State Policy Network (SPN) LaunchPad, Arlington, VA

Lincoln Studio, Silicon Valley, CA

Libertas Institute, Lehi, UT

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RULES

Type 

Must be a 501(c)3 in good standing

 

Age 

Only non-profits or their newly launched projects which incorporated or launched in the past five years are eligible

Geographic 

No limitations

Vision 

Innovation (a great idea!), leadership, and mission will be prioritized

Deadline for Entry 

Nominations for calendar year 2024 are closed. Nominations for the 2025 Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy must be received by July 1, 2025.

 

Process 

A non-profit can be nominated by a fan or may self-identify as a worthy candidate for consideration. Prize applicants understand and agree that the evaluation process may include telephone interviews and one or more on-site visits by members of the Peterson Family and/or its agents. Applicants agree to make available to the Peterson Family and/or its agents any business plans, financial information, and other information deemed necessary to evaluate the operations of their non-profit.

 

The Peterson Family and its agents will not be parties to any form of non-disclosure agreement (NDA).

 

Installment Grants       

The Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy will be awarded annually. An amount up to $250,000 will be paid out to one winner in three equal installments over three years, as follows:

 

Winners and the Peterson Family and/or its agents will mutually agree on one or more business milestones that shall trigger the payment of grant installments two and three. Winner’s failure to meet agreed-upon milestones, in the sole opinion of the judges, or any failure to provide follow-up information to the satisfaction of the Peterson Family and/or its agents, may result in revocation of Prize installments two and three.

Decisions of the judges are final.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

I’D LIKE TO APPLY FOR THE 2025 PRIZE. WHERE DO I START?

To be considered for the 2025 Gregor G. Peterson Prize, please go to CONTACT US and fill out the form by July 1, 2025. 

IS THERE AN APPLICATION FEE?

No, there is no fee.

WHAT IF MY NON-PROFIT IS OVER FIVE YEARS OLD? AM I STILL ELIGIBLE?

Sorry, this Prize is intended to help early stage non-profits. Non-profits five years or older are ineligible.

WE HAVE A CONCEPT FOR A NEW INITIATIVE WITHIN OUR ESTABLISHED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, BUT WE’RE MORE THAN FIVE YEARS OLD. ARE WE ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRIZE?

Yes, your new initiative or newly launched project makes your non-profit eligible for Prize consideration.

IF I WIN, ARE THERE RESTRICTIONS ON HOW THESE FUNDS CAN BE USED?

No, the Prize grant comes without restrictions.

WHO ARE THE JUDGES AND WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR?

The judges are the direct descendants and descendants' spouses of Gregor G. Peterson—eleven family members in all. They’re looking for leaders of high integrity with bold ideas and exciting visions for their new non-profits.

DOES THE PETERSON FAMILY EXPECT A BOARD SEAT IN RETURN FOR THE PRIZE?

No, there is no expectation of a board seat.

WHO ARE THE PETERSON FAMILY’S DESIGNATED “AGENTS”?

The Peterson Family has engaged the charitable advisory firm Hoplin Jackson to help evaluate nominees and to perform due diligence on our applicants. Once you submit your form, you can expect to hear from them first.

WHEN AND WHERE WILL THE WINNER BE ANNOUNCED, AND AM I EXPECTED TO ATTEND?

The 2025 winner will be announced in December 2025. The date and location are yet to be determined. And yes, if you're the winner, we’d love for you to attend! We plan to make it a memorable celebration. (If you're a finalist, we'll give you advance notice so you can save the date on your calendar.)

DO FINALISTS RECEIVE ANY PRIZE MONEY? IF I’M A FINALIST ONE YEAR, CAN I APPLY FOR A PRIZE THE NEXT YEAR?

Finalists receive no prize money, but they’re certainly encouraged to apply in a subsequent year, provided they’re still under our five-year-old limit. Your good progress might make you an even stronger candidate for next year’s Prize!

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TEAM

in no particular order

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EMIL JUBOORI

Product Manager, VideoAmp

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NICOLE HOPLIN

President, Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors

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SHELLEY CORTOPASSI

Executive Assistant, Peterson Family Office

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DR. LUCAS BRAND

Endodontist

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TERESA PETERSON

ERP Consultant, Red Deer Systems

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MEGAN PETERSON

Registered Nurse

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MACKENZIE JUBOORI

Social Media Director, LocalFoodBuzz.com

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KATIE BRAND

Learning Experience Designer

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ERIC PETERSON

Indie Author/Publisher, Huckleberry House

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CHRISTOPHER PETERSON

Entrepreneur and Private Investor

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CAROLINE PETERSON

Operations Manager, Amgen

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CARLA PETERSON

Homemaker

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JOHN JACKSON

Executive Vice President, Hoplin Jackson Charitable Advisors

CONTACT US

The Gregor G. Peterson Prize in Venture Philanthropy

P.O. Box 4450, Incline Village, NV 89450

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