Welcome to the Changemakers “Why Games Matter: A Prescription for Improving Health and Health Care” Collaborative Competition, which aims to find innovative solutions and catalyze a community of changemakers around two increasingly interconnected worlds—computer and video games and health and health care.

The competition description and timeline are as follows:

Eligibility Criteria
The competition will be open to all types of organizations (charitable organizations, private companies, or public entities) from all countries. We consider all entries that:

• Reflect the theme of the competition: Why Games Matter. The goal of the competition is to identify computer and video games that are able to transform health and health care. Entries are invited from organizations in all countries and proposed solutions should inform work being done in the U.S and around the world. To learn about how The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation conceptualizes games please visit (link will be posted shortly).

• We are looking for games that are beyond the stage of programming.

• Are submitted in English or in Spanish and are complete

Assessment Criteria
The winners of this Changemakers Collaborative Competition will be those entries that best meet the following criteria:

• Innovation: This is the knock-out test. The blueprint must clearly describe how the innovation reflects the ability to systemically transform health and health care by focusing on greater simplicity, lower cost, and enhanced convenience of services to more powerful, informed consumers. Does it enable more consumers in that market to afford and/or have the skill to use the product or service?

• Social Impact: It is important that the innovation has already begun to have an impact on the field it addresses. Some innovations will have proven success at a small level, while others will have scaled to engage millions of people. Regardless of the level of demonstrated impact, it is important to see that the innovation has the ability to affect the world and not just one village. This will be judged by considering the scale strategy, ability to be replicated, clear how-tos, and a map to reach the big goals.

• Sustainability: For an innovation to be truly effective it must have a plan for how it will acquire financial and other bases of support for the long-term. Entries should describe not only how they are currently financing their work, but how they plan to finance their work in the future. Go beyond describing whether you charge or not for your services, and describe your business plan. Is there a clear financial plan in place?

Competition Deadlines, Procedures, and Rules
There are three main phases in the competition:

Entry Stage – July 11 to 6 pm EST September 26, 2007: Entries can be submitted until 6 pm Eastern US time on September 26, 2007. Online review and discussion can go on during this entire entry period. Entrants are strongly encouraged to consider feedback and edit and revise their blueprint throughout the entry period.

• Online Review and Judging – September 27 to October 24, 2007: Online review and discussion continues. The Why Games Matter judging panel will select 7 to 15 finalists from the entry pool.

• Voting – October 24 to 6:00 pm EST November 7, 2007: The Changemakers community votes online to select the three award winners from the field of finalists. The Changemakers Collaborative Competition winners, the three finalists that receive the most votes, will be announced on November 8, 2007 and will receive a cash prize of US$5,000.

Participating in the competition provides the chance to receive feedback on your blueprint from fellow entrants, Changemakers staff, judges and the Changemakers community. Showcasing your blueprint and the challenges involved in creating social impact advises potential investors about how best to change funding/investing patterns for the sector and to maximize the strategic impact and effectiveness of their future investments.

Disclaimer—Compliance with Legal Restrictions
Ashoka complies fully with all U.S. laws and regulations, including Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations, export control, and anti-money laundering laws. All grants will be awarded subject to compliance with such laws. Ashoka will not make any grant if it finds that to do so would be unlawful. This may prohibit awards in certain countries and/or to certain individuals or entities. All recipients will comply with these laws to the extent they are applicable to such recipients. No recipient will take any action that would cause Ashoka to violate any laws. Additionally, Ashoka will not make any grant to a company involved in the promotion of tobacco use.

For more information, contact gamesmatter@changemakers.net.