Every year, we ask New Yorkers a simple but ambitious question and no, it’s not “Why is the G train delayed again?” (although we’d like to know that too…). It’s “What’s your big idea to make this city even better?” The David Prize gives five of them $200,000 of no-strings-attached funding to help turn their vision into a reality.
Along the way, the Prize team gets to do one of the best jobs in town: hearing from countless New Yorkers who are quietly (and not-so-quietly) plotting to make the best city in the world somehow even better.
After a New York summer for the history books, it’s finally here. Our favorite day of the year. Our Super Bowl. Our Knicks Game 4 tip-in moment. The day you get to finally meet our winners.
Nearly a year since opening our last Open Call, we’re thrilled to introduce five New Yorkers who belong on your radar. They’re building a better New York through housing, civics, sustainability, education and public health, and they were doing the work long before anyone handed them a check.
Today, they’re also David Prize winners.
Here are your 2026 David Prize Winners!
Aaliyah Duah is making financial literacy relatable for the next generation of New Yorkers.
Read Aaliyah’s full winner story here.
Dr. Dave Ores is running a one-man practice on the premise that all New Yorkers deserve access to healthcare.
Read Dr. Dave’s full winner story here.
Isaac Adlerstein is turning NYC houses of worship into lifelines for New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.
Read Issac’s full winner story here.
Oded Oren is giving New Yorkers a clearer look at the judges and courts that shape their lives.
Read Oded’s full winner story here.
Regina Carter is giving discarded furniture a second life in the homes of New Yorkers who need it most.
Read Regina’s full winner story here.
⏰ The next David Prize Open Call will be live soon!
Are you a New Yorker who has big ideas that will make New York better? If your answer is ‘yes,’ then you should consider submitting to this year’s Prize! Submissions open Monday, October 5th and close Monday, November 30th.
Submit your idea starting early October, or don’t wait until then and nominate a New Yorker you know NOW who should apply!
This CREW 👏👏👏
what a lineup!!