In 2006 , Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman, CPAs chose to sponsor an exciting and relatively new award program that was created to recognize exemplary nonprofit leadership in the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The Excellence in Chief Executive Leadership (EXCEL) award program is administered by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement, the “largest and most experienced nonprofit membership organization” in the area. The award celebrates outstanding leadership among nonprofit executives—a chief executive officer, a president or someone holding a commensurate position—in the areas of innovation, motivation, community building, ethical integrity and strategic leadership. Up to three awardees will be selected each year to receive a $5,000 professional development account for their continued growth as nonprofit leaders. Each recipient’s organization also will receive a $2,000 cash grant to support the nonprofit’s mission.

Our firm decided to sponsor the EXCEL award program because of our long-time support for Washington-area nonprofits and our close relationship with the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Over the years, our staff has helped many committed and passionate nonprofit groups achieve financial success so they may advance their respective missions in health, education, environmental preservation, social justice and international development.

This award program provides an opportunity for individuals with firsthand knowledge of the nonprofit sector to nominate executive leaders whose dedication and source of inspiration deserves recognition. Volunteers, nonprofit colleagues, business and community leaders, and executives who serve on the Boards of Directors or Executive Committees of outstanding nonprofits are encouraged to submit their nominations to recognize excellence in chief executive leadership. In addition to the (up to) three winners, two nominees may be chosen as Honorable Mention recipients: these leaders will each receive $500 to support professional development programs for their staff.

Previously, the EXCEL award program required all leaders eligible to be nominated for the award to lead nonprofits whose total annual budget did not exceed $5 million. The guiding philosophy of the Center for Nonprofit Advancement and our firm was that this would best support those organizations, which could most benefit from the award. Those nonprofits with larger budgets, we believed, already were in an excellent position to serve the professional development needs of their executive leaders.

However, over the past several months, we concluded that this requirement might unduly stress a nonprofit's size rather than the quality of its leader. We, therefore, modified the eligibility requirement so that any nonprofit leader was eligible for nomination if his/her nonprofit did not have an annual budget of more than $10 million. We are extraordinarily happy with the three leaders chosen in 2006 to receive an EXCEL Award. We believe the new eligibility requirements will open up nomination opportunities for equally exceptional candidates from a greater pool of candidates. Please see the EXCEL Award News Releases section below for more information.

For more information

Susan Sanow, Deputy Executive Director of Programs
Center for Nonprofit Advancement
phone: 202-457-0530
e-mail: susans@nonprofitadvancement.org

Matthew Easley , Marketing Coordinator
Gelman, Rosenberg & Freedman, CPAs
phone: 301-951-9090
e-mail: measley@grfcpa.com

• 2008 EXCEL Awards - Click here for a copy of the 2008 EXCEL Award nomination application, details and eligibility qualifications. Applications will be accepted May 1, 2008 through June 16, 2008.

• 2007 EXCEL Award Winners - The winners of the 2007 EXCEL Award and some of their achievements.

• 2006 EXCEL Award Winners - The three winners of the 2006 EXCEL Award tell us the value of the award to them and their nonprofits.