Congratulations to our 2019 Board Leadership Award Winner:

We also congratulate our two honorable mentions: Adventure Theatre MTC and Primary Care Coalition. With support and input from area experts, the Center created this award in 2011 to recognize and spotlight outstanding leadership from nonprofit Boards of Directors in the Greater Washington area. We were impressed with the caliber of all our candidates this year, especially the three that rose to the top.

Hear what these exceptional nonprofits shared with us during the selection process:

Martha's Table
Adventure Theatre
Primary Care Coalition

Our winner and finalists were recognized on July 25 at the Center's 2019 Board Leadership Award Reception, following a special new feature—an interactive panel discussion with members of the finalists' boards. Participants enjoyed learning new approaches, reconnecting and expanding their networks. Anne Schrantz from CohnReznick and Glen O'Gilvie from the Center presented awards to the winner and honorable mentions.

Martha's Table

Pictured left to right-Front: Michael Bartscherer, Board Member, Donna Banzon, Director, Healthy Markets, Key Estime, Communications Fellow; Middle: Sequoya Pollard, Lead Teacher, Charles Gussom, Community Development Manager, Rae Davidson, Director, Development, Kim R. Ford, President & CEO, Laura O'Shaughnessy, Board Member, Linda Moore, Board Member, Shernice Quigley-Dozier, Assistant Teacher, Anne Schrantz, CohnReznick, Glen O’Gilvie, the Center; Back: Beatriz Barros, Director, The Maycroft, Chris Niemczewski, Board Member (Chair, Development Committee), Gabriel Gilchrist, Development Associate, Robbie Dealey, Volunteer Engagement Manager, Dan Schiff, Assistant Director, Institutional Development, Frank Garvey, Institutional Development Manager, Ellis Carr, Board Chairman

 

Adventure Theatre

Pictured with Anne and Glen, left to right: Leon Seeman, ED, Craig Stapert, Development Director, and Patricia Glowacki, Board Member

 

 

Primary Care Coalition

Pictured with Anne and Glen, left to right: Leslie Graham, ED and Steve Lieberman, Board Chair

 

 

 

 

We'd like to extend a special thank you
— to our 2019 presenting sponsor:
— to BoardSource for additional support,
— to The Chicago School for hosting the event,
— to Brighter Strategies for their support in making the professional development program a success,
— and to our 2019 Selection Committee for their time and commitment:

Tom Colling, Deputy Director, Nonprofit Village

Lewis R. Flax, Principal, Flax Associates, LLC

Kevin Hinton, CEO/ED, Beacon House

Barbra Kavanaugh, Senior Consultant, Brighter Strategies, LLC

Marguerete Luter , President & Owner, The Process Pro, LLC

Richard Marker, Founder & Co-Principal, Wise Philanthropy

Ann Quinn, Principal, Quinn Strategy Group

Larry Robertson

Maureen K. Robinson

Margarita Rozenfeld, CEO, Incite International

Kris Thompson, Executive Director, Calvary Women’s Services

Anita Whitehead, Principal, KPMG, Global Impact Board Member

Karen Williamson, KEW Consulting, LLC, YWCA Board Member

Cindy Willmann, Vice President for Operations, Global Impact

Participating Members

Anne E. Schrantz, Principal, CohnReznick

Justin Wood, Governance Program Manager, Board Source

Administrators

Sean Sweeney, Director of Education and Programs, Center for Nonprofit Advancement

About the Board Leadership Award Competition

Why should I compete?

At the Center, we believe the benefits of competing are well worth your time and effort, but don’t take our word for it. Hear what past participants have to say.

“Putting this application together gave us a moment to reflect, appreciate, and recognize how robust our Board operations are now, the effort that went into getting to this place, what is still left to do, and - more specifically - what tasks the Board must undertake to continue its growth into the future. All of these practices documented in one place is a great resource for our current Board and will undoubtedly be extremely valuable to new Board members.” —DC Scores

“The Board Leadership Award provides recognition for the outstanding commitment, passion and leadership that the board members and staff have provided to the YWCA over the last few years. It has allowed the board and staff to better understand the requirements for successful board leadership, innovation and partnership and to see the important role they play in the sustainability of the organization.” —YWCA National Capital Area

"Having gone through the [award application] process, we have learned that we want this review to be part of the way we conduct business moving forward. In this way, review of our management processes now reflects the culture that the management team itself helped to create: one of transparency, openness to critique, and tireless dedication to continually improving. The Board Leadership Award will help our donors realize that their investment with A-SPAN is well-managed, and well-placed.” — Arlington Street People's Assistance Network

Who is eligible?

The competition is open to any 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Washington metropolitan area is defined as:

  • District of Columbia
  • Maryland: Montgomery and Prince George's Counties.
  • Virginia

Two-thirds of the Board members must have served on the Board a minimum of one year as of the application due date. All examples and explanations used in the nomination must have occurred during the Executive Director or Board members’ tenure, and must not exceed five years past. Internal nominations must be made in cooperation with the current Executive Director. External nominations must be made in cooperation with the Board Chair and the Executive Director.

Winners of this award must wait a minimum of three years to re-apply.

What can my organization win?

One winner is selected and will receive a $10,000 grant, community exposure and training opportunities for the organizations’ board and executives from BoardSource and the Center’s Training Hub.

Up to two organizations are also selected as honorable mention recipients and receive communication exposure and training opportunities for their board members and executives from the Center’s Training Hub.

Is there a fee to apply?

Board Leadership Award application is free to Center members. The fee for nonmembers is $150.

How do I apply?
The competition incorporates a three-part judging process that includes a part one written application and fact sheet, a part two interview for semi-finalists, and a part three site visit for finalists. To learn more about the award process and application details download the Nomination Packet.
Who has won in the past?

Meet the winners of the past four years:

What best practices and innovative solutions emerged this year?

As a Center member, you can access successful practices shared by the Board Leadership competition participants in the members-only Resource Center.

How can I join the selection committee?

The selection committee is a group of local leaders in the nonprofit, foundation, corporate and government sectors. The committee’s purpose is to read, review and evaluate all applications for the award. Commitment includes in-person attendance at a minimum of three committee meetings, two site visits and the award ceremony.

Participation on the selection committee provides an excellent opportunity to make new connections and see first hand exceptional practices in action. To learn more or express interest in joining the selection committee, contact Taylor Strange, COO.