The "Prove It" Prize:
A $450,000 pool of grants to organizations that run the most effective RCTs in
2025 NJ & VA Elections
Prize Details
Movement Labs is launching the “Prove It” Prize to evaluate and reward bold, under-tested ideas that prove they can move votes in 2025. If you can prove your program is effective at netting Democratic votes via a randomized controlled trial (RCT)—which we'll help you run—you’ll be eligible for funding to scale in 2026!
Apply
Apply to measure your organization's 2025 voter turnout or persuasion program in Virginia or New Jersey.
Raise
Raise money independent of the “Prove It” Prize to fund your 2025 program. We’ll share a list of applicants with any funders interested in learning more about the most rigorous programs.
Run RCT
Run a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to measure the impact of your program in 2025, sharing your randomly assigned treatment and control universe with a 3rd party auditor before election day. Movement Labs and our expert partners can help you structure your RCT and consult on experimental design.
Prize
A $300,000 prize pool will be distributed to programs that meet a cost-effectiveness threshold, based on both their impact and potential scalability for 2026.
*The lump sum first prize is measured in terms of cost per net Democratic vote. The other prize pool is split among accepted organizations that achieve statistically significant results.
Additional Grants
Additional grants from the rest of the prize pool of up to $150,000 will be split proportionally to participating organizations who netted votes based on the number of votes generated and achieved statistically significant results based on the following criterion:
- $50k to the top survey-based RCT
- $50k to the most effective volunteer-driven program
- $50k raffled to programs that “pre-register” but achieve null results
Terms
Any grant awards are not “payment” for specific work. The grants will be general purpose funding that can be used for anything by the recipients in the future, and are not meant to specifically compensate grantees for their RCT. Funding partners, not Movement Labs, are awarding grants to top-performing programs.
Missed Our Last Info Session? Watch it here.
Timeline
July 16
Applications open and are accepted on a rolling basis
August 15
Early bird deadline for expedited review
September 15
Final day to submit applications
September 15 - September 30
Our third-party referees review applications and make decisions on which organizations and programs will be accepted for the “Prove It” Prize program
October 24
Deadline to “pre-register” your programs - finalize experiments and share the target universe and voter contact tactics/scripts/creative with the 3rd-party evaluator
November 10 - November 21
Debriefs with participating organizations & post-interviews
Winter 2025 & Spring 2026
Program evaluation
Summer 2026
Final prize awarded
FAQs
The “Prove It” Prize rewards bold, measurable electoral programs. Organizations running voter turnout or persuasion programs in 2025 in NJ or VA can apply to have their results independently evaluated. Effective programs that demonstrate strong, measurable impact will be connected with up to $300,000 of grants from funder partners to scale their work in key 2026 Congressional and Senate races.
In addition, the “Prove It” Prize includes three $50,000 innovation awards (from a separate prize pool) for programs that stand out in specific areas:
- $50K for the top survey-based RCT
- $50K for the most effective volunteer-driven program
- $50K raffled among pre-registered programs that produce null results
We’re seeking applications from organizations running innovative, partisan voter turnout or persuasion programs in the November 2025 elections in Virginia or New Jersey. To qualify, the tactic must be under-tested, with significant uncertainty about its effectiveness. Not sure if your tactic is under-tested? Drop in an application and we’ll be in touch!
Eligible organizations must be willing to rigorously evaluate their program through a randomized controlled trial and share their program data for meta-analysis.
501(c)(4) and 501(c)(5) organizations, political action committees, and campaign consultants can apply.
New! 501(c)(3) nonprofits and similar nonpartisan turnout RCT programs can apply through the separate Prove It Prize for Civic Engagement: https://forms.movementlabs.com/t/9AgmnASVwhus
Apply with your experimental program idea! If selected, you’ll receive research design support and work with independent evaluators to pre-register your study and verify your results. Programs with the strongest 2025 results will win grants to help them grow in 2026.
Movement Labs is an incubator and consulting firm that uses technology, data, and experimentation to stop fascism and build progressive power. We help progressives win and defeat MAGA extremists through year-round work grounded in research and real-world testing. Our team partners with leading advocacy groups, grassroots organizers, and electoral campaigns to develop innovative tactics, win elections, and shift power for the long term.
As the R&D powerhouse for the progressive movement, we’ve run over 100 randomized control trials (RCTs) on voter behavior and helped hundreds of organizations increase their impact.
Apply to be part of the "Prove It" Prize Program!
Apply for the "Prove It" Prize!
Ready to apply for the "Prove It" Prize? Fill out the form below!
New! 501(c)(3) nonprofits and similar nonpartisan turnout RCT programs can apply through the separate Prove It Prize for Civic Engagement: https://forms.movementlabs.com/t/9AgmnASVwhus