Whether transforming buses into classrooms for migrant children living at the US-Mexico border or providing free veterinary care for pets living on the streets, CNN Heroes are everyday people who are making the world a better place.
By sharing these unique stories, the CNN Heroes campaign connects a global audience to this life-changing work. We provide easy ways for our viewers to donate to the causes they care about. During our annual live global broadcast, we offer ten amazing humanitarians the recognition and celebrity treatment they deserve. By the end of the night, one walks away as the CNN Hero of the Year.
In 2023, our audience donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the Heroes’ charities. That’s in addition to the Top 10 CNN Heroes receiving prize money awarded by CNN and funds from The Elevate Prize Foundation, totaling $1,000,000.
Beyond fundraising, the CNN Heroes campaign helps our honorees take their work to the next level. Before bestowing the title of CNN Hero, our team conducts an unrivaled level of vetting that offers the Heroes and their nonprofits a credibility recognized around the world. The Heroes also receive nonprofit sustainability and leadership training provided this year through a collaboration with the Elevate Prize Foundation.
In addition to helping the Heroes and their causes, we engage our audience every step of the way. From nominations to fundraising to CNN Hero of the Year voting, our audience rallies behind their favorite causes and helps shape our campaign every year.
🌎 IT ALL BEGINS WITH OUR FANS
Each CNN Hero’s journey begins with a nomination by our audience. Fans from around the world flock to CNNHeroes.com to tell us about their family members, friends, people in their communities, or public figures who inspire them.
Our producers travel the world to capture these stories and craft them into compelling, high-quality documentary shorts. These videos are featured weekly across CNN broadcast networks, digital and social media.
A partnership with GoFundMe offers fans a safe and easy way to donate to the causes that inspire them.
🔥 A VOTE OF SUPPORT AMPLIFIED ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Fans vote for their favorite Heroes to be the next CNN Hero of the Year and receive an additional $100,000 to continue their life-changing work. Our voting partner Telescope enabled us to offer a multi-vote module allowing fans to cast ten votes per day, every day, and double their votes by sharing on social media.
Voting kicked off in early November with Anderson Cooper appearing live on CNN to announce the 2023 Top 10 CNN Heroes and their important causes:
Stacey Buckner: Using her modified Jeep, she provides showers, laundry services, and meals to homeless veterans in her hometown.
Mama Shu: She channeled the grief of losing her two-year-old son into transforming her struggling neighborhood into a safe, sustainable, thriving eco-village.
Estefanía Rebellón: By transforming old buses into mobile classrooms, she’s providing free education and stability for migrant children living in shelters along the US-Mexico border.
Adam Pearce: His transformative retreats offer the healing power of yoga and meditation to people with a traumatic brain injury and their caregivers.
Dr. Kwan Stewart: This veterinarian brings free medical care to the pets of people who are experiencing homelessness.
Yasmine Arrington: Her scholarship and mentorship program is helping fellow children of incarcerated parents go to college and thrive.
Alvin Irby: He’s helping young Black boys strengthen their literacy by giving them the opportunity and encouragement to read while they’re visiting their local barbershops.
Mike Goldberg: He recruits an army of recreational divers to help restore dying reefs in the Florida Keys.
Osei Boateng: His mobile medical clinic delivers essential health care to remote communities in Ghana where hospitals are often hours away.
Tescha Hawley: She provides a healthcare lifeline to her remote Native American community by offering free transportation to medical appointments as well as fresh food.
🤩 SELFLESSNESS OUTSHINES STARDOM
On December 10th, the year-long campaign culminated in our star-studded awards gala. Viewers experienced the Top 10 Heroes’ stories told through celebrity introductions and newly produced videos. There were also segments featuring Young Wonders, and the inaugural CNN Heroes Legacy Award was presented to former President Jimmy Carter and the late First Lady Rosalynn Carter for their lifetime commitment to community service.
When Anderson and Laura Coates announced Dr. Kwan Stewart as the CNN Hero of the Year, he shocked the world by announcing that he would share the $100,000 prize equally amongst his fellow Top 10 CNN Heroes.
In addition to the prizing, donations and media attention, several CNN Heroes shared updates on how this experience benefited their nonprofits:
Dr. Kwan Stewart: Since being named CNN Hero of the Year, he has partnered with John Legend and Chrissy Teigen to become the chief veterinary officer for their dog food company Kismet. Proceeds from orders help support Dr. Kwan’s nonprofit, Project Street Vet.
Alvin Irby: Partnered with the NFL to establish Barbershop Books at ten barbershops in Nevada over Super Bowl weekend. Together with the Las Vegas Clark County Library District, they gave away 1,000 books and held an event for 150 kids with 20 former players in attendance.
Mama Shu: Appeared on the Tamron Hall show and was named one of USA Today’s Women of the Year.
Mike Goldberg: Receiving a $650,000 donation from Delores Barr Weaver who learned of his work through CNN Heroes.
