Recognizing outstanding nonprofit leaders

 

The call for nominations has now opened!

Awarded by the Center since 2005 and sponsored by GRF CPAs & Advisors since 2007, the EXCEL Award honors exceptional nonprofit chief executives in our region. This year's competition will place a special emphasis on innovation in leadership, recognizing achievement in the areas of motivation, community building, ethical integrity and strategic leadership.

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.

One nominee is selected as the EXCEL winner and is given access to a $10,000 professional development account. The winner’s organization receives a $2,000 cash award to support professional development programs for its staff.

Up to two nominees may be selected as honorable mention recipients. Each of their organizations receives a $3,000 award to support professional development programs for the candidate and/or staff.

The deadline for applications is Friday, August 1, 2025. Download our Nomination Packet and get started! 

If you have any questions about the process, please email seans@nonprofitadvancement.org.

Learn from the experience of our past winners!

Since 2020, the Center has presented a series of video shorts on relevant topics. The series includes interviews with leaders from Award winners and honorable mentions. Videos are available to watch on demand.