This award was established by Joan Mannheimer and the family of late Des Moines attorney Robert Mannheimer, who supported the ACLU of Iowa for more than 50 years as a cooperating attorney, board member, and donor.
We’re looking for a young person (age 14-19) who advocates for civil liberties with passion and determination—someone who recognizes injustices and finds ways to correct them. Areas of focus might include reproductive freedom, racial justice, free speech, free expression, LGBTQ issues, immigrants' rights, gender equality, religious freedom, government and technology privacy issues, or disability rights.
The ACLU of Iowa works to defend everyone's rights—even when it isn’t popular, even when no one else will—and we are interested in recognizing a young person who encapsulates that same spirit.
Anyone familiar with a young person’s accomplishments is encouraged to nominate one or multiple young people. That means parents, teachers, guardians, religious leaders, advocacy groups, community leaders, another young person, and others may make a nomination.
A young person may also submit their own nomination.
The nomination form is available as both a Google Form and a Microsoft Word document (link to download here). Nominators are welcome to answer application questions in writing or by recording a video.
Send the completed form and any additional material for consideration to outreach@aclu-ia.org with “Mannheimer Award” in the subject line. Alternatively, you can print and mail it to: ACLU of Iowa, c/o Mannheimer Award, 505 5th Ave, #808, Des Moines, IA 50309.
If you have technical difficulties or questions while accessing the form or submitting your nomination, please reach out to us at outreach@aclu-ia.org or 515-207-5448.
Completed nomination forms must be received by Sunday, November 17, 2024.
The young person must be age 14 to 19 at the time of nomination and live in Iowa.
The immigration status of the nominee does not matter for this award. Special consideration will be given to young people who are transient, traveling among various states to be with family or for work, have had a variety of addresses in more than one state over the past several months, and/or are experiencing homelessness.
ACLU of Iowa staff, current board members, and their close relatives are not eligible.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa does not stipulate that the award monies be used for any specific purpose. The prize may be used by the applicant for any legal purpose. For more information, contact us at outreach@aclu-ia.org.
2024: Danika Jacobsen, Ivy Wishman
2023: Hailie Bonz, Jemma Bullock
2022: Natalie Andrade, Waverly Zhao
2021: Endí Montalvo-Martinez, Lyrics Sellers
2020: David F. Peña Medina
2019: Malika Davis
2018: Alyssa Parker
2017: Jeevanjot "J.J." Kapur
2016: Ben Christiason
2015: Glori Dei Filippone
2014: Meghan Plambeck, Lillie Zablocki, and Sierra Smith
2013: Nilvia Reyes-Rodriquez