About Young America’s Foundation

Young America’s Foundation is committed to ensuring that increasing numbers of young Americans understand and are inspired by the ideas of individual freedom, a strong national defense, free enterprise, and traditional values.

As the principal outreach organization of the Conservative Movement, the Foundation introduces thousands of American youth to these principles by providing essential conferences, seminars, educational materials, internships, and speakers to young people across the country.

Young America’s Foundation has a deep relationship with President Reagan. The foundation stepped forward to save President Reagan’s Western White House, Rancho del Cielo, in the spring of 1998 to preserve it as a living monument to Ronald Reagan to pass on his ideas to future generations. President Reagan committed himself to reach young people with his ideas—a goal that is also central to the Foundation’s mission.

The Foundation has several important centers and departments, including Rancho Del Cielo, The Reagan Ranch Center, Reagan’s Boyhood Home, the National Journalism Center, Young Americans for Freedom, and Center for Entrepreneurship & Free Enterprise, etc.

About the YAF National Journalism Center

Since 1977, the National Journalism Center has trained aspiring conservative journalists in the values of responsible, balanced, and accurate reporting. Weekly seminars and on-the-job experience provide participants with the tools to become leaders in combating bias in the mainstream media.

Seminars include talks with prominent journalists and public policy experts, writing exercises, training in investigative reporting, audio and video training, and current events and policy discussions. Scholars also participate in investigative team, or “I-team,” a six-week program designed to teach the ins and outs of writing an investigative piece. Staff writer for the Washington Free Beacon Bill McMorris takes students from finding a story idea, to cultivating sources and publishing a piece.

NJC scholars are provided a $1200 monthly stipend to put towards rent and transportation to their internship. The balance between hands-on experience and academic training gives scholars a competitive edge in the workplace after graduation.

About The Dao Prize

The Dao Prize, funded by the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation and launched in conjunction with Young America’s Foundation’s National Journalism Center (NJC), is an annual award founded to recognize excellence in investigative journalism. Dao Prize-winning journalism stands out for accuracy and courage.

In 2023, the Dao Feng and Angela Foundation partnered with Young America’s Foundation’s prestigious National Journalism Center to honor truth-seeking journalists. As trust in media hovers near record lows, DAF and NJC believe it is essential to celebrate reporters advancing the public interest through robust investigative work. Too often, the media establishment celebrates work that protects power rather than challenging it. The Dao Prize will honor truth above all else.

Dao Feng He and Angela He started Dao Feng and Angela Foundation with a passion for freedom. As immigrants from China, Dao Feng and Angela know firsthand the importance of a free press and hope to revive the American media’s spirit of curiosity, skepticism, and vigor. Dao Feng observed that in the United States, investigative journalists face increasing constraints around political correctness, and because of this, are discouraged from tackling certain investigations and reporting the truth. This caused him to think of a way in which a group could come alongside his foundation to award the bravery so needed in today’s journalism landscape. 

How It Works

The inaugural Dao Prize will be awarded in the fall of 2023. It is available to all American media outlets. Publications are welcome to submit as many stories for consideration as they like. Applications are available at njc.yaf.org/DaoPrize, and all applications must be signed and approved by an editor from the publication. All mediums will be considered, including print, broadcast, podcast, Substack, etc. The deadline for submissions is September 1.

The National Journalism Center, a project of Young America’s Foundation, has trained truth-seeking journalists since 1977. The Dao Prize will be judged by an independent prize committee, who will cast secret ballots after a round of debate and discussion. Winners will then be announced at a celebratory dinner held in Washington, D.C. The first-prize winners will be awarded $100,000, and two honorable mention winners will receive $10,000 each.

The DaoFeng and Angela Foundation is passionate about this prize, and firmly believes that for America to preserve her founding principles and hold elected officials accountable, courageous journalists are essential. The Dao Prize will award these courageous journalists and give them the recognition often ignored by other organizations and media outlets.

Regarding the announcement of the Dao Prize, National Journalism Center Director Emily Jashinsky said, “For too long, journalists quietly plugging away at brave and thorough investigative work—journalism that holds power to account—have been either attacked or ignored by their peers. The Dao Prize will change this shameful pattern and recognize the best investigative journalism, restoring the standards of accuracy, fairness, and courage to America’s free press. It’s desperately needed.”

The Rules

Applications will be evaluated by an independent prize committee, along with a guest judge to be announced before the deadline. After deliberation, each member of the committee will cast one vote for the story most worthy of the annual Dao Prize.

Eligibility: Each outlet may submit as many stories or series published from Jan. 1, 2022 through Sept. 1, 2023 as they choose. All U.S.-based publications primarily dedicated to news are welcome to participate. This includes Substack pages, YouTube channels, and podcasts.

Selection: Submissions will be evaluated on three main criteria: investigative depth, public interest, and fairness and accuracy. Judges will grade submissions on a five-point scale in each category, and tally the sum for a final score. The judge must cast their vote for the submission with the highest score. Honorable mentions will be determined based on each judge’s second and third-place stories. In the case of a tie, the board will enter another round of voting.

Forms will be signed and preserved. Judges will have no subsequent interaction with applicants in regard to their submissions outside the form itself, with the exception of logistical questions. A judge cannot vote for a story from their own news outlet, or for a story they worked on personally. NJC’s board operates on an advisory basis, meaning members are financially independent of Young America’s Foundation.

Winners: The annual winner will receive a $100,000 prize, divided among team members per the terms to which they agreed upon submitting their application. Two submissions will win $10,000 each as honorable mentions.

Every newsroom that submits an application may request up to ten seats free of charge at the Nov. 6 award ceremony in Washington, D.C. These seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis at the discretion of the National Journalism Center.

The Application

Please visit The Dao Prize Website to download the form or submit application online.