Iowa SHARES Nominations

Nominate for the Iowa SHARES Award!

The World Food Prize Foundation established the Robert D. Ray Iowa SHARES Humanitarian Award (“Iowa SHARES Award”) in 2013 to recognize a current Iowan who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in uplifting their community with dedicated humanitarian service that confronts hunger either at home or abroad.

The award honors the exceptional leadership that former Governor Ray demonstrated in dealing with multiple situations affecting refugees in Southeast Asia and is named after the “Iowa Sends Help to Aid Refugees and End Starvation” campaign he created in 1979. Learn more about the history of the award.

Award Criteria

Nominees should have a strong connection to Iowa and will be evaluated based on their impact, leadership, persistence and humanitarian service that confronts hunger at home or abroad—qualities that reflect those demonstrated by Governor Robert D. Ray in his work on humanitarian assistance and service.

Nominees must be living and in sufficient health to attend and provide an acceptance speech at the Iowa Hunger Summit.

Nominate an Inspiring Iowan

Nominators should submit basic information about their nominee and prepare statements of work and achievement that speak to the nominee's strengths and humanitarian contributions.

Nominations for the 2025 recipient are now closed.