Elly Awards
Honoring game changing women leaders since 2011.
Honoring game changing women while supporting our Scholars
Named for Forum founder Elinor Guggenheimer, the Elly Awards is the annual fundraising event for The Education Fund. Since 2011, the event has honored women leaders who set (or changed) the rules of the game.
The 2026 Elly Awards
Our annual fundraiser honoring women leaders in support of the Education Fund which awards $10,000 to women over the age of 25 pursuing their first college degrees.
Join Us
2025 Elly Awards
In 2025, we were proud to honor Dr. Carla Hayden who was sworn in as the 14th Librarian of Congress on September 14, 2016. Dr. Hayden, the first woman and the first African American to lead the national library, was nominated to the position by President Barack Obama. The conversation with Dr. Hayden was moderated by Jessica Dean, host of the primetime weekend edition of CNN Newsroom.
2024 Elly Awards
In 2024, we honored Scout Bassett, President, the Women's Sports Foundation, U.S. Paralympian and world record holder in track & field, Author and Activist. The program featured a conversation with Dr. Cheri Blauwet, M.D. who is also a decorated Paralympic athlete and Sports Medicine physician who spoke about visibility and inclusion. The conversation was moderated by Erica Hill, a CNN National Anchor.
2023 Elly Awards
Misinformation Warriors was the theme of the 2023 event. We were proud to celebrate three honorees, all devoted to countering and preventing the spread of misinformation and disinformation. Forum Vice-President, Stephanie Mehta, moderated a discussion with the honorees (L-R) Lesley Stahl, Broadcast Journalist, CBS News, Sarah Longwell, President and CEO, Longwell Partners, and Audie Cornish, Anchor and Correspondent, CNN.