Locke Innovative Leader Award Board Portal

Recipients of the Locke Innovative Leader Award exemplify creative and courageous leadership and an unceasing entrepreneurial spirit. Specifically, the Locke Innovative Leader Award seeks to recognize*:

• Proven Innovative Leadership – honorees will have demonstrated evidence of successful ministries in the innovation space. These leaders exhibit the courage needed to stand firm in the face of resistance, lean into change, and see beyond what can be; they are self-motivated toward action and transformation, indicating great potential for the future.
• Igniting the Imagination of the Wesleyan Movement – Through their vision and encounter with the world, honorees embody Wesleyan values and the spirit of the Wesleyan movement. Their ministry exemplifies grace for all, peace with justice, and addresses the systemic changes needed for human flourishing grounded in love, generosity, and belonging. Telling their stories, singing their songs, witnessing their rituals, and learning from their experiences, expands imagination for what’s possible across the Wesleyan ecosystem.
• Innovative Ministries at the Intersection of Personal and Community Transformation – honorees live out of deep spiritual faith and work at the intersection of individual and communal transformation, moving beyond traditional social-justice ministries to equipping and forming flourishing communities deeply rooted in faith. Grounded in their commitment to follow Jesus Christ, these individuals lead from humility, servanthood, and integrity, encouraging and empowering others to claim their gifts and calling, broadly expanding their impact.
• Steadfast Investment in Communities – honorees innovate with and invest in people and communities not historically reached or well-resourced, especially by the church, reaching persons of color, non-English speaking populations, millennials, persons living in poverty, and communities underserved by the traditional church. The Locke Innovative Leader Award seeks to recognize innovative leaders who disrupt norms, value the voice and wisdom of diverse communities, and invest in traditionally under-resourced areas.
• Committed to Life-long Learning – honorees demonstrate a willingness to experiment, fail, reflect, learn, and try again. Rooted in profound confidence in the Holy Spirit’s power and guidance, they are resilient, undaunted by failure, and actively seek opportunities to learn and grow within the Wesleyan ecosystem. They embrace vulnerability, take bold action, and actively pursue emotional and cultural intelligence..

* Recipients may not hold elected public office or be compensated as a lobbyist; recipients need not be credentialed by the church; they must be engaged in ministry in the US or US territory and hold a US taxpayer identification number.

Tom Stanton, General Counsel for Wesleyan Impact Partners, outlines legal guidelines for nominations, emphasizing non-discrimination, strict nominee anonymity, and the avoidance of private benefit appearances.

• Independent Nominators will be selected to nominate potential recipients.
• Nominators will be independent of Wesleyan Impact Partners’ Governing Board and management.
• Nominators will be anonymous to the Board and only known to the Staff Selection Team.
• Nominators will reflect a diversity of thought and background across the Wesleyan ecosystem.

Selection Process

• The Staff Selection Team will receive nominations and conduct appropriate vetting, including background checks, reference checks, and secondary research, including extensive online searches.
• The Staff Selection Team will create a recommendation list of award recipients to present to the Board Selection Committee.
• The Board Chair will name a Board Selection Committee comprised of approximately seven members.
• The Board Selection Committee members will be identified. Each Wesleyan Impact Partners Board member will be permitted to serve on the Board Selection Committee during their tenure. Three-year terms will be the norm.
• The Board Selection Committee members will receive in-depth background information regarding the award’s purpose, selection criteria, and selection process.
• The Board Selection Committee will decide how many and which recipients to recommend to the Board from the list of staff recommendations.
• Wesleyan Impact Partners Board will approve all Locke Innovative Leader Award recipients.

Award Specifics

The award has two parts:

• Invitation to join a learning cohort.
• A $50,000 cash award.
• The award is given to individuals, not organizations, and may be subject to federal and state tax.
• Honorees will be provided detailed information about Wesleyan Impact Partners, the aims and purpose of the Locke Innovative Leader Award, and introductions to all prior recipients.
• Recipients will not be required to produce a report or generate any other outcome in connection with the award.
• The President of Wesleyan Impact Partners, or the President’s designee, will contact each honoree to notify them of the award and to invite them to participate in the learning cohort.

As a Board Selection Committee member for the Locke Innovative Leader Award, I agree to the following:

• I understand that my role as a Board Member serving on the LILA Board Selection Committee is to discern with the rest of the committee which nominees align with the Purpose and Selection Criteria of the Locke Innovative Leader Award and therefore should be recommended to the Wesleyan Impact Partners Board for approval.
• I will maintain confidentiality regarding any information about nominees, including refraining from conversations with nominees, potential nominees, or award recipients regarding their nomination.

By signing here, I acknowledge I have reviewed all materials as it pertains to the Locke Innovative Leader Award.