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“I value the awards and your contributions, and I mean that… We are at the receiving end of the very important services that you provide.”

-Governor Deval Patrick, MNN 1st Annual Nonprofit Awareness Day

“As last year’s recipient of the Governance Award it gave our organization immediate recognition with our community stakeholders. The award was widely publicized and helped the agency secure additional grants and other funding opportunities. Our Board of Directors were very proud of receiving the award. Our agency currently publicizes the award on our website and is also highlighted in our agency’s Annual Report.”

-Marty Martini, Executive Director of Minute Man Arc for Human Services, Inc.

MNN Nonprofit Excellence Award Categories

MNN Nonprofit Advocacy Award

Judging will be based on:

• How did you advocate for your constituents when programs that could assist them were in need or at risk?  How do you involve your constituencies in your advocacy?

MNN Nonprofit Capacity Building Award

Judging will be based on:

• How did this program, service or funding opportunities increase the capability of a nonprofit to better serve its constituents.

MNN Nonprofit Collaboration Award

Judging will be based on:

• How specifically did working with other organizations further your mission and better deliver to your constituents? How did you increase your impact  - and how does your collaboration define impact? What did your collaboration achieve that could not have been accomplished as individuals? What makes your collaboration uniquely successful?

MNN Nonprofit Communications Award

Judging will be based on:

• How did you use new media (social networking, email, website) and /or traditional media in increasing the use of your programs, services or creating public awareness of your mission.

MNN Nonprofit Innovation Award

Judging will be based on:

• Did the organization do something that others can learn from or did you do something in a new way?  Be specific in defining innovation - what problems does the “old way” of thinking cause or leave unaddressed that your approach solves

MNN Nonprofit Governance Award

Judging will be based on:

• How does the organization work with your board? What ways are they involved in meeting the goals of the organization?  How active is your board in (for example) volunteering or fundraising etc? Is the composition of your board unique - do you have (for example) young people or clients, areas residents actively involved in your governance?

MNN Nonprofit Leadership Award

Judging will be based on:

• In what ways has this leader demonstrated excellence? How did s/he leverage the strengths of the organization - or the staff  - to create change? What, specifically, did this leader do that increased impact?

MNN Nonprofit Management Award

Judging will be based on:

• What challenges did the organization have this year and how did the management handle them?  In what ways did the management reach out to stakeholders - as you choose to define the term - to address the challenge?

MNN Nonprofit Social Entrepreneur Award

Judging will be based on:

• In what ways does the organization create revenue to support programs and services. What is the underlying fundamental social change the organization is working to achieve.

MNN Nonprofit Young Professional Award (<35 years old)

Judging will be based on:

• In what ways has this young professional demonstrated excellence? How did s/he leverage the strengths of the organization - or the staff - to create change? What, specifically, did this young professional do that increased impact.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Heather Hartshorn 617-330-1188 x 240 or awards@massnonprofitnet.org