Bullitt Prize

Washington Conservation Action awards the esteemed Bullitt Prize annually to the generation of emerging leaders advancing conservation and environmental justice in Washington state.

The Bullitt Prize: $100,000 Springboard for Change

Are you an academic, professional, and/or grassroots leader working on a project or action to address a conservation or environmental justice issue in the Pacific Northwest? Then we want to hear from you — the $100,000 Bullitt Prize can be the springboard for change you need to address or solve that issue for your community.

The Bullitt Prize is awarded annually based on the following eligibility:

An individual 35 years or younger,

From an underrepresented group

From Washington state (or the Pacific Northwest region if their work impacts Washington)

Have demonstrated academic, professional, or grassroots leadership that advances the conservation and environmental justice movement

The goal is to broaden, strengthen, and diversify the current and future leadership of the environmental movement by investing in emerging leaders advancing conservation and environmental justice efforts in the Pacific Northwest.

The Prize consists of $100,000, split over two years ($50,000 in year one, and the remaining $50,000 in the second year).

Frequently Asked Questions:

What steps are involved in the application process?

Washington Conservation Action Education Fund facilitates a committee of five community and environmental justice leaders to select a winner for the annual Bullitt Prize. The committee scores applications and narrows the pool to finalists. Finalists are then asked to join a 50-minute interview (virtual, or in person) with the selection committee. References are contacted and consulted for each of the final applicants. Based on the interview process and references, the committee then chooses a winner from among the finalists. The final candidate is awarded the prize during an in-person reception, where they can invite their family, friends, and community to join in celebrating them. Funding is awarded in December of each year. The entire process takes approximately 6 months from the application deadline.

What types of costs and project expenses can the Bullitt Prize be used for?

Funding from the Bullitt Prize award is unrestricted, meaning the award is an investment in an emerging leader, not in a specific project they are implementing. Funding can support the prize winner’s living expenses and academic and tuition expenses in addition to costs related directly to implementation of a project they are leading or opportunity they are pursuing. Our goal is to set emerging leaders up to invest in the vision and goals for their future in conservation or environmental justice, not to set barriers around allowable and eligible project costs. Expenses related to travel should support your goals or relate to the planned outcomes of your project.

What are you looking for from applicants in terms of their connection to their community?

The Bullitt Prize selection committee is seeking an applicant who demonstrates how their connection to a particular community informs their vision related to their leadership in conservation and environmental justice. From our perspective, “community” can reflect groups at multiple levels—whether a geographic or place-based community, professional community, academic community, or some other form of community. The project proposed does not need to be based in a specific geographic location, but it is helpful for the committee to learn about the applicant’s origin story and how connections to their community helped shape them.

Do we need to live in Washington state?

The Bullitt Prize is intended to award people based in Washington state. Please contact us if you have any more questions.

Please clarify the age limit.

You need to be 35 years or younger when you apply to the Bullitt Prize.