Named after Arnold J. Toynbee, the Toynbee Prize Foundation was chartered in 1987 to contribute to the development of the social sciences through a broad historical view of human society.

Today, the Foundation promotes scholarly engagement with global history by supporting the research, conversations, and public scholarship that shape the field. Through its prize, publications, interviews, and events, the Foundation brings attention to work that expands how we understand the global past and its continued relevance.

At the center of the Foundation’s work is the Toynbee Prize, awarded every other year to honor outstanding contributions to global history. As an affiliated society of the American Historical Association, the Foundation also sponsors sessions at the AHA annual meeting, creating space for scholars at every stage of their careers to share research, exchange ideas, and advance the study of global history.