2014 Lipman Prize Finalists Announced

The University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School are pleased to announce the three finalists for the 2014 Barry & Marie Lipman Family Prize.

In its third year, The Lipman Family Prize received applications from 115 organizations dedicated to global causes including disaster recovery, economic development, education, environmental sustainaibility, gender equailty, healthcare, housing, hunger/safe water, and poverty alleviation.

The finalists below were chosen after rigorous evaluation by a committee of faculty, students and staff spanning the University. We recognize these organizations for their ability to create sustainable solutions and for their potential to transfer their knowledge to others working to make a positive impact.

The winner of the Lipman Family Prize will be announced in the early spring and will receive a cash award of $125,000. Each finalist receives a cash award of $12,500.

breakthrough prevents violence against women and girls by transforming the norms and cultures that enable it. Working out of centers in India and the U.S., Breakthrough creates innovative, relevant multimedia tools and programs – from short animation to long-term leadership training — inspiring and equipping people to build a world in which all can enjoy their human rights. In all, Breakthrough works with more than 150 NGO and governmental partners to ensure all people enjoy human rights.


KickStart International
works to alleviate poverty and build a vibrant entrepreneurial middle class in Africa. Smallholder farmers use KickStart’s MoneyMaker pumps to move from subsistence rain-fed agriculture to commercial irrigated farming to establish highly profitable farms. To date, more than 150,000 families have used KickStart’s unique MoneyMaker pumps to irrigate their land and establish dynamic farming businesses. 15 to 20 million households in sub-Saharan Africa stand to benefit from these pumps.

Not for Sale stands with those who are enslaved, works across divisions to free them, and empowers survivors of human trafficking in their freedom to break the cycle of vulnerability. Not For Sale believes that long-term freedom is centered in an individual’s tools for self-empowerment: access to rights, education and income-generating skills that can directly lead to improved economic opportunities. To this end, they equip and empower exploited and vulnerable communities by bringing life-enhancing jobs and access to the global marketplace through healthy supply-chains.

As finalists, all three organizations will enter into an ongoing relationship with the University of Pennsylvania and The Wharton School, including free access to Wharton Executive Education programming, partnerships with faculty researchers, internships with graduate students, and development of course content.


About the Lipman Family Prize

Awarded annually, the Prize is given to one organization that demonstrates leadership and innovation in the social sector and possesses the potential to transfer their best practices to others. The ultimate goal is to spread the global lessons found in local success. The Prize is made possible by a generous gift from Wharton alumnus, Barry R. Lipman and his wife, Marie.

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