New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards

Community Health Action of Staten Island is this year’s winner of the second annual New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Award for “Overall Management Excellence”.

The organization was honored along with three other finalists – Harlem RBI, Ifetayo Cultural Arts and The Institute for Family Health – each of which was honored for excellence in specific aspects of their management practices.

The awards are a collaborative effort of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) and the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG), which joined the Times Company in establishing this program.  The winning organizations were recognized at a special awards presentation held on June 24 at the TheTimesCenter.  The Overall Management Excellence Award includes a cash prize of $25,000, and each of the other awards features a $5,000 cash prize.  All four winning organizations will receive scholarships to The Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at Columbia Business School Executive Education.

Community Health Action of Staten Island improves the lives of individuals, families and communities challenged by health disparities related to poverty, discrimination and lack of access, through direct service, education and advocacy.  The selection committee cited Community Health’s successful response to emerging communities by initiating new programs, modifying its mission and actively seeking feedback from clients.

Harlem RBI won the award for “Excellent Communications”.  The organization uses baseball and softball, and the power of teams, to provide inner-city youth with opportunities to play, to learn, and to grow, inspiring them to recognize their potential and realize their dreams.  In addition to communications, the selection committee was impressed with Harlem RBI’s board governance and leadership, in particular, its use of a Board Member Report Card that resulted in a 20 percent increase in board attendance.

Ifetayo Cultural Arts was honored for “Excellent Culturally-Based Management Strategies”.  It supports the creative, educational and vocational development of youth and families of African descent.  The selection committee noted Ifetayo’s strong focus on results and online date-driven tracking system, which allows parents, teachers and community members to track the progress of students.

The Institute for Family Health was the winner for “Excellent Use of Technology and Focus on Mission”.  The organization develops innovative ways to provide primary health care services to underserved urban populations based on the family practice model of care.  The Institute is a pioneer in medical records technology and received strong marks from the committee for their financial management practices and willingness to take risks in acquiring six additional centers to improve access to care.

“We congratulate the four nonprofit organizations chosen as winners of the second annual New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards,” said Diane McNulty, Executive Director of Community Affairs and Media Relations, The New York Times Company.  “These organizations exemplify exceptional management practices and truly reflect some of the great work that is being done in our communities.”

“These are four wonderful organizations with great lessons in excellent management practices for any nonprofit manager,” said Michael Clark, President of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York.

“NYRAG applauds these four exceptional organizations and congratulates their boards, staff and funders for working together to create strong models of nonprofit management from which others in the community can learn,” said Ronna Brown, President of the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers.

Citi lent its support to the Nonprofit Excellence Awards by underwriting a special section to be published in The New York Times on July 7.  Additional support for the program was provided by the Surdna Foundation, The New York Community Trust, RSM McGladrey, Inc., the Fund for The City of New York, The Institute for Not-for-Profit Management at Columbia Business School Executive Education, the Altman Foundation, The Clark Foundation and GoShow Entertainment.

Winners were chosen for their excellent management practices after completing two rounds of written applications and site visits.  All nonprofit organizations based in and serving the communities of New York City, Long Island or Westchester were eligible to apply.

The winners of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards were chosen by a selection committee comprised of more than two dozen influential leaders in New York City’s nonprofit community.