NMH Announces Global Social Entrepreneurship Prize

Northfield Mount Hermon has established a new prize recognizing outstanding innovation, entrepreneurship, and service in the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. The D.L. Moody Prize in Social Entrepreneurship, open to entrepreneurs around the globe, is funded by a gift from generous alumni and carries a $50,000 honorarium. 

The prize reflects Northfield Mount Hermon’s foundational commitment to preparing students for service and leadership in communities around the world. Named for the school’s founder, it will be awarded annually to an entrepreneur whose creativity, passion, and dedication to making a positive difference in the world evokes the spirit that Moody modeled in his own extraordinary life. It also will recognize new generations of social entrepreneurs who work to shape a more equitable, just, and loving world through innovative solutions to social challenges. 

“While Northfield Mount Hermon has a long tradition of honoring alums who’ve made positive change in the world, the Moody Prize is our first award that’s open to recipients beyond the NMH community,” said Head of School Brian Hargrove. “And it’s a fitting way to honor him.

“D.L. Moody set an example known the world over,” Hargrove continued. “Steadfast in his Christian faith, he called others into service and leadership in their communities and modeled the many ways we can bring about positive transformation through individual and collective action. Given the profound effect  he had on the wider world through his countless good works, it is particularly meaningful to honor his example through this award. As we do, we also call in future generations to the very work that centered Moody.”

Moody founded the Northfield Seminary for girls and Mount Hermon School for boys to provide an accessible, high-quality education to students of all backgrounds. From their earliest days, the schools enrolled students of all races and ethnicities, from across the United States and around the world. Moody’s commitment to serve the greater good, unwavering creativity, and business acumen allowed the schools to thrive and become today’s Northfield Mount Hermon. In his words and actions, he modeled NMH’s mission: to educate the head, heart, and hands of students, engaging their intellect, compassion, and talents and empowering them to act with humanity and purpose.

“The legacy of NMH is truly unique in the universe of prep schools in that our founder, D.L. Moody, was the quintessential OG social entrepreneur, even before that term entered the modern lexicon,” said Sam Calagione ’88, a member of the NMH Board of Trustees, who established the gift with his wife, Mariah Draper Calagione ’89, former NMH board chair. The Calagiones are the parents of two NMH alums, Sam ’18 and Grier ’20. They are also the founders of Dogfish Head Brewing, where philanthropy and community partnerships are integral to their approach to business.

“The mission of our schools has always been grounded in a meritocratic ideal, providing opportunities for talented, hardworking people from all walks of life and geographies to join and amplify community,” Calagione said. “The NMH experience is centered around enhancing our students’ capabilities to use their heads, their hearts, and hands to make the world a better place and create more opportunities for all our fellow humans.”

“We’re deeply grateful to Mariah and Sam Calagione for their support of the Moody Prize,” Hargrove said. “In their business and personal lives, they model the values that have been at the heart of the NMH experience from our earliest days. This prize will serve to share our school’s mission even more broadly and spotlight those who are using their creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to improve the world.”   

Prize recipients will spend time on campus engaging with students and faculty, delivering an address to the community and participating in classes and related activities. That will include connecting with students in NMH’s distinctive Rhodes Fellowship Course in Social Entrepreneurship, in which they learn how to create innovative ventures designed to change society for the better.

By bringing the recipients to campus, the prize allows the NMH community to benefit directly from their experience and knowledge. “I’m excited to learn from world-class social entrepreneurs who will be joining our community through this prize and speaker series to enhance these unique capabilities of NMH to an even greater degree,” Calagione said. 

The first D.L. Moody Prize in Social Entrepreneurship is expected to be awarded in 2027. Nominations will be reviewed by a committee comprising NMH alumni, faculty, and students as well as experts in social entrepreneurship who are not affiliated with the school. The committee will recommend finalists to the head of school for final selection. The committee is now accepting nominations.