Learn from the experience of our winners!
The annual Board Leadership Award not only recognizes outstanding, highly successful boards, but also provides an opportunity for all of us to learn from their journeys to extraordinary.
Presenting the Center's 6th annual Board Best Practices Video Shorts, including interviews with leaders from award winner, CARECEN, and honorable mentions, DC SCORES and Greater DC Diaper Bank.
First release: Leading the Organization through a Leadership Transition
Cast: Nicole Kaeding, Board Chair of Greater DC Diaper Bank
Guest appearance: Anne Schrantz, Partner at CohnReznick, Board Leadership Award sponsor
This conversation explores how the Board of Greater DC Diaper Bank guided the organization through a founder’s departure and leadership transition. It covers the executive search, lessons learned, and the Board’s role in ensuring transparency with staff and stakeholders.
Second release: Board Recruitment and Structure
Cast: Katrina Owens, Executive Director at DC SCORES
Guest appearance: Anne Schrantz, Partner at CohnReznick, Board Leadership Award sponsor
This video highlights DC SCORES’s innovative recruitment process, including fundraising-specific buckets and fluid movement between them. It also covers the role of advisory and emeritus councils in adding thought leadership and institutional knowledge, and concludes with board member professional development.
Third release: Being Strategic While Meeting the Moment
Cast: Abel Nuñez, Executive Director and Melecio Rivera, Board Chair of CARECEN
Guest appearance: Anne Schrantz, Partner at CohnReznick, Board Leadership Award sponsor
In this video, we discuss how CARECEN’s Board navigated the migrant crisis, balancing strategic leadership and executive limits while remaining nimble enough to take calculated risks to assist both existing and new constituents.
Congratulations to the 2025 winner:
CARECEN
CARECEN, founded in 1981, supports the Latino immigrant community in the Washington, DC area through direct services, civic engagement, and human rights advocacy. With a focus on empowerment, solidarity, and inclusion, CARECEN helps immigrants thrive and become leaders in their communities.
... and our Honorable Mentions:
DC SCORES
Founded in 1994 by D.C. public school teacher Julie Kennedy, DC SCORES combines soccer, poetry, and community service to help students thrive on and off the field. The program nurtures physical wellness, literacy, and leadership among thousands of “poet-athletes” in the District each year. As the founding site of the America SCORES network, DC SCORES anchors a national movement that now spans 13 cities and reaches more than 13,000 young people across North America.
Greater DC Diaper Bank
Since 2010, the Greater DC Diaper Bank has worked to reduce barriers for families living with economic insecurity by providing essential baby and hygiene supplies. Through a robust network of community partners, GDCDB distributes diapers, formula, period products, and more across 375 zip codes in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. To date, the organization has distributed over 50 million diapers while also connecting families to wraparound services like food assistance, healthcare, and housing support.
Click on the title of each organization to learn about their experience going through the award process, what it means to be a finalist and what advice they would give other organizations/board members striving for excellence in board leadership.
Thank you to everyone who makes this award possible:
Our selection committee dedicates their time for several months to focus on thoroughly reviewing all nominations, participating in interviews, and attending site visits.
With support and input from area experts, the Center created this award in 2011 to recognize and spotlight ou
tstanding leadership from nonprofit Boards of Directors in the Greater Washington area.
This award distinguishes those Boards that go above and beyond recommended standards and fundamentals to bring new levels of leadership to their role, resulting in positive changes and notable successes for their organizations. To win the award, all candidates must go through an extensive selection process that includes nominations, interviews, and final site visits.
Nominations can be made by board members, staff members, volunteers, clients or community members, and can be made with or without the candidate’s knowledge.
If you have any questions about the process, please email seans@nonprofitadvancement.org.
Thank you to our 2025 Board Leadership Award presenting sponsor:
CohnReznick
