Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Nonprofit Excellence Awards Findings
A recent survey of the applicants for the 2014 New York Community Trust Nonprofit Excellence Awards found that the application process alone helps nonprofits improve management in eight key areas, including: management focus on results; governance structure; financial management; diverse and responsive organizational practices; human resources; information technology practices; communications; and fundraising and resource development.
Among the findings: 72% of respondents say they made improvements in management practices as a result of the application process (top areas of improvement include: communications, board governance, and focus on results). 75% of respondents plan to make additional improvements to management practices. 58% of respondents report identifying a management weakness they were previously unaware of. These findings do not include the impact of the feedback offered to all applicants by the awards’ panel of management experts, which further helps improve practices and outcomes.
Now in its eighth year, the Awards program has received more than 630 qualified applications. Since the Awards’ inception, 23 organizations have been recognized for outstanding management practices, such as creating online outcomes tracking systems, budgeting for financial stability and future growth, and implementing a training program on organizational values for prospective employees.
Six finalists will be announced in October, and in November, three winning organizations will be honored at an Awards presentation.
Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York created the Nonprofit Excellence Awards in 2007 and manages the program in collaboration with The New York Community Trust and Philanthropy New York. Along with co-sponsor WNYC, the program is also supported by The Clark Foundation, Ford Foundation, Google, Taconic Foundation, McGladrey LLP, Fund for the City of New York, and Programs in Social Enterprise in Executive Education at Columbia Business School. Read more at www.npccny.org/info/awards.htm and at neawards.tumblr.com.