Celebrating the unsung heroes of democracy work — the annual awards ceremony and expo for the progressive professional community.
We have built collaborative infrastructure for communications, for donors, for data and for issues. But we have never built collaborative infrastructure for people. GAIN Power exists to fill that gap.
— THE CASE FOR GAIN POWER · gainpower.org
The Powerful IDEA Awards is the progressive movement's premier recognition event. Each year, we celebrate the innovators, doers, and dedicated leaders whose work powers democracy — and who are almost never recognized by mainstream awards or media. The event features a full democracy expo, networking, and a celebration that reminds everyone in this field why the work matters.
In 2024, staff from DCCC, Human Rights Campaign, Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, Open Society Foundations, and Blue Leadership Collaborative were among those honored. This is the event that makes the invisible visible.
This is the event that makes the invisible visible in the progressive movement.