Need one more reason to love Google?

They recently announced what they’re calling the Project 10 to the 100th contest where they’re looking for “ideas to change the world by helping as many people as possible.” Their reasoning is that helping other people is the one thing (besides material wealth) that increases an individuals happiness over time. As a result, they’re looking for ideas that not only help people – but ideas that will help the most number of people. Not only will you get the benefit of helping others, they’ll also invest $10 million (yes, $10 MILLION) to make it happen themselves.

How does it work?

All you have to do is submit your idea using this 20-question submission form. You can also upload a 30-second YouTube video to their channel explaining your idea in more detail. Google will select the top 100 ideas and ask the public to vote until 20 semi-finalists are left. An advisory board will select up to 5 final ideas and Google will use the $10 million dollar pool to implement it.The winners do not receive any of the prize money – but they will have the satisfaction of making a difference and the accolades to go with it.

Your idea can be submitted in 8 categories total – Community, Opportunity, Energy, Environment, Health, Education, Shelter, and Everything else.

To increase your chance of winning, keep these criteria in mind (as shown on the site):

  • Reach: How many people would this idea affect?
  • Depth: How deeply are people impacted? How urgent is the need?
  • Attainability: Can this idea be implemented within a year or two?
  • Efficiency: How simple and cost-effective is your idea?
  • Longevity: How long will the idea’s impact last?

The deadline is October 20th and more than one entry is allowed so start brainstorming right away! Check out the current submissions here for inspiration.

How are you going to change the world?