LIMBS International wins 2019 Drucker Prize

Today we announced that LIMBS International is the winner of the 2019 Drucker Prize. The organization’s innovation combines technology with community support to transform the lives of amputees in developing countries. Its LIMBox program provides an ultra-low cost prosthetic knee to local partners trained to fit amputees on site. Community-based rehabilitation programs then make the prosthetic effective for patients through ongoing physical therapy, counseling and social advocacy.

Drucker Prize judges recognized LIMBS International for its holistic approach to accessibility and affordability. The judges also recognized the organization’s promise to further leverage the discipline of innovation.

“It would have been easy for LIMBS International to be satisfied with its technical achievement of a $20 functional prosthetic,” said Zach First, executive director of the Drucker Institute. “But it often takes social innovation to make technical innovation effective. And LIMBS International exemplifies this in the way they married their innovative prosthetic with an equally innovative local physical-therapy model. Thanks to their work, innocent victims of war and disease get a second chance to stand on their own two feet.”

Oscar Gonzalez Montoya, President of LIMBS International said, “We are greatly honored to be selected for the 2019 Drucker Prize. We look forward to implementing new innovative solutions that were inspired during the application process—addressing accessibility challenges and engaging communities to assist amputees in the developing world. We are thankful for this opportunity to increase our impact around the world.”

The Drucker Prize application process is itself a tool for nonprofits to learn Peter Drucker’s key innovation principles and practices. A survey found that 91% of  those who completed the 2019 application said that doing so will help their organizations be more effective.

All ideas and tools created for The Drucker Prize application are now available for free in the Drucker Prize Resource Library. It features the timeless wisdom of Peter Drucker, videos showcasing insights from some of today’s top thinkers on management and leadership and other practical resources.

In addition to First, the final judges for the 2019 Drucker Prize were: Brian Bender, co-chair of the nonprofit practice at S.R. Snodgrass, P.C.; Cecily Drucker, member of the Drucker Institute Board of Advisors; Sumita Dutta, managing director at Golden Seeds; Patricia Easton, executive vice president and provost of Claremont Graduate University; Jane Nelson, board member of Leadership Network; Susan O’Malley, director at IDEO CoLab; and C. William Pollard, chairman emeritus of ServiceMaster Co. and an emeritus member of the Drucker Institute Board of Advisors.