# William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership

The William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership is an annual award given by the William E. Simon Foundation in honor of its founder, former Secretary of the Treasury and financier William E. Simon, and administered by the Philanthropy Roundtable.
The award was created in 2000, first awarded in 2001, and is given to "highlight the power of philanthropy to promote positive change and to inspire others to support charities that achieve genuine results." The prize is given to living donors who have "shown exemplary leadership through their own charitable giving, either directly or through foundations they have created." Donors who receive the prize are expected to exemplify Simon's ideals, which include "personal responsibility, resourcefulness, volunteerism, scholarship, individual freedom, faith in God, and helping people to help themselves."
The Simon Prize carries a $250,000 purse, which is awarded to the charity or charities of the recipient's choice.
The Simon Prize is presented at the Philanthropy Roundtable's Annual Meeting.

## List of recipients

| Year | Recipient | Notable Achievements |
| 2001 | John T. Walton | Founder of Children's Scholarship Fund, school voucher advocate |
| 2002 | Raymond G. Chambers | Private equity pioneer, Newark donor, United Nations special envoy for malaria |
| 2003 | John Templeton | Mutual fund investor, creator of Templeton Prize, founder of John Templeton Foundation |
| 2004 | David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs star, founder of Carver Academy |
| 2005 | Ben Carson | Pioneering neurosurgeon, later presidential candidate and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development |
| 2006 | Richard and Helen DeVos | Co-founder of Amway, donors to conservative causes and education reform |
| 2007 | Frank Hanna III | Merchant banker and noted Catholic philanthropist |
| 2008 | S. Truett Cathy | Founder of Chick-Fil-A and WinShape Foundation |
| 2009 | Philip and Nancy Anschutz | Founder of Anschutz Entertainment Group, Walden Media, and Foundation for a Better Life |
| 2010 | Roger Hertog | Asset management pioneer, patron of Jewish thought |
| 2011 | Charles G. Koch | Chairman and CEO of Koch Industries, funder of free-market organizations |
| 2012 | Bernie Marcus | Co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Home Depot, founder of Georgia Aquarium |
| 2013 | Eli and Edythe Broad | Built two separate Fortune 500 companies, leading education philanthropist. |
| 2014 | Jon Huntsman Sr. | Founder of Huntsman Corporation, created Huntsman Cancer Institute and has made more than $1 billion of total charitable donations. |
| 2015 | David Weekley | Chairman of David Weekley Homes in Houston, Texas, and has devoted half of his time and half of his income to philanthropic pursuits since 1992, offering strategic advice for nonprofits. |
| 2016 | Bruce and Suzie Kovner | Hedge fund manager and investor, chairman of the Juilliard School, vice chairman of Lincoln Center, former chairman of the American Enterprise Institute. |
| 2017 | Pitt and Barbara Hyde | Founder and former chairman and CEO of AutoZone; philanthropists focused on Memphis causes in education, parks, the arts and civic affairs. |
| 2018 | Paul Singer | Founder and director of Elliott Management Corporation, an investment hedge fund specializing in distressed debt acquisition. |
| 2019 | Russell L. Carson | A private-equity investor, co-founder and General Partner at private equity firm Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe, and active philanthropist. |
| 2020 | John and Susan Sobrato | Founders of The Sobrato Organisation, a development firm specializing in commercial and residential real estate. |