News & Press

Introducing the Nonprofit Excellence Awards

08.29.23

Introducing the Nonprofit Excellence Awards

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The NEPA Learning Conference is excited to introduce a new aspect of the conference: The Nonprofit Excellence Awards!

The Nonprofit Excellence Awards are meant to honor nonprofit organizations, individuals, and projects that help embody the themes of this year’s conference: Collaboration; Innovation; Advocacy; and Inclusion.

The Nonprofit Excellence Awards are peer-led, meaning registered conference attendees nominate and vote for the winners. Nominees do not have to be registered for the conference. If award finalists are not already registered, they will be invited to join the conference.

Award recipients will be determined by vote (via the Whova app) during the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference!

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Please Note: ONLY registered attendees may nominate and vote for the winners.
 

Nonprofit of the Year Award

The NEPA Learning Conference aims to help nonprofit organizations learn best practices, make new connections, and lead the community to a better future. The Nonprofit of the Year award will be given to an organization chosen by their peers who embodies all of these qualities.

Nonprofit of the Year Award recognizes a nonprofit organization in Northeast Pennsylvania that promotes and demonstrates excellence in leadership, management, innovation, collaboration, and impact.

2023 Nonprofit of the Year nominees must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• Must be an active 501(c)(3) organization operating within the NEPA counties of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Wayne, Carbon, Pike, Susquehanna, Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming.
• Staff and board demonstrates strong leadership and management practices through clear vision for future growth.
• Demonstrates innovation and cooperation through problem solving, effective programs, and collaboration with other organizations.
• Shows community impact by demonstrating positive change as a result of the organization’s work.

A $500 unrestricted grant will be issued to the Nonprofit of the Year from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Capacity Building Fund.

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Collaborative Project of the Year Award

The NEPA Learning Conference is focusing on collaboration in its 4th year! The Collaborative Project of the Year award will be given to collaborating organizations chosen by their peers who embody the act of working together for success.

The purpose of the Collaborative Project of the Year Award is to celebrate successes, share best practices, and to acknowledge the collaborative efforts of organizations who achieve extraordinary results as a result of their partnerships.

In order to be eligible for this award, nominees must have successfully worked together on a project with a mix of organizations and individuals – for instance, local entrepreneurs, governments, funders, the private sector, academics, etc. A successful collaboration could mean they’ve overcome particular obstacles, used technology creatively, or found new ways to work together. They may have had to compromise or take calculated risks with new collaborations that hadn’t been tried before. This is the time to shine the light on the necessity of and the successes had in collaboration.

2023 Collaborative Project of the Year nominees must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• A minimum of 50% of the project partners must be active 501(c)(3) organizations operating within the NEPA counties of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Wayne, Carbon, Pike, Susquehanna, Bradford.
• The collaborative project has to be supporting the NEPA community.

A $500 unrestricted grant will be issued to each organization (up to 5 organizations)* involved in the winning Collaborative Project of the Year from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Capacity Building Fund.

*Please note, grant funds can only be issued to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. All partners of the winning project will be recognized, with funds being issued to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

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Rising Star Award

The NEPA Learning Conference wants to highlight up and comers in our local nonprofit community! These individuals are the future of our community, and will help shape the future of nonprofits. The Rising Star award will be given to an individual chosen by their peers who embody the act of going above and beyond for their community and organization.

The Rising Star Award recognizes an individual who is an up-and-comer in the NEPA nonprofit sector. This individual can be new to the nonprofit sector, new to nonprofit management, new to their nonprofit organization, a new board member for this organization, or new volunteer. This individual should demonstrate an ability to go above and beyond for their organization, able to rise to meet challenges, and to motivate and inspire others to do the same. There is no age limit or title requirement for this award. In this case, “new” is defined as within the last five (5) years.

A $500 unrestricted grant from the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Capacity Building Fund will be awarded to the organization* that nominated the winner of the Rising Star Award. In addition, the recipient of the Rising Star Award will receive professional development via a complimentary enrollment in their choice of one of the SAF pre approved eCornell certificate programs (a $3900 value).

*Please note, grant funds can only be issued to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. If the nominating organization of the Rising Star Award recipient is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, they can designate a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in NEPA to receive the grant funds.

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How the Awards Work

Only organizations registered to attend the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference may nominate an individual/collaboration/nonprofit organization for an award. Once registered, organizations may submit their nominations. Award recipients will be determined by vote during the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference. Registered attendees will vote via the WHOVA app live during the conference.

Award nominations are now OPEN, and will close Friday, September 8th at 5:00 PM.

Click here to learn more about the Nonprofit Excellence Awards

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Register now for the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference!

The NEPA Learning Conference is an opportunity for those involved in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector in Northeastern Pennsylvania to connect, learn, and lead together. Through a mix of keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and discussion circles, the conference allows individuals and organizations to learn how to best serve their community and better meet their missions.

The 2023 NEPA Learning Conference will take place at the Hilton Scranton from Wednesday, September 20th through Friday, September 22nd, 2023.

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NEPA Learning Conference Registration:

Regular Full Conference Registration – $199.00 (+ $12.40)
In-person attendance for all three days of the conference, including meals

Single day tickets are available for purchase at the registration page
Registration closes September 1st, 2023 at 5:00 PM

Click here to register
Click here to learn more about the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference

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Invite your Board Members!

The NEPA Learning Conference’s agenda for Thursday, September 21st, is heavily focused on supporting board development. Thursday’s plenary session, keynote speaker, and breakout sessions are all designed to help grow, support, and develop your leadership.

Registered NEPA Learning Conference attendees may register their organization’s board member(s) for the full conference, or Thursday only, for 50% of the normal registration fee!

Learn more and register for the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference at www.nepalearningconference.com

Already registered? Email programs@safdn.org for instructions on how to register your Board Members for 50% of the normal registration fee!

Questions about the 2023 NEPA Learning Conference? Please reach out to us at info@safdn.org