It was a packed house at last night’s 2014 NCRP Impact Awards reception to honor four of the country’s top foundations: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, The California Endowment, Hill-Snowdon Foundation and Liberty Hill Foundation.
As NCRP’s executive director Aaron Dorfman said in his opening remarks, “Our society does not lack problems to be solved, but it also does not lack solutions and leaders.” These four foundations represent high-impact philanthropy at its smartest, prioritizing transparency, democratized philanthropy and high-impact investments that work for the greater good. It was exhilarating to be in a room full of people celebrating these ideals.
We enjoyed seeing old friends and making new connections, all while enjoying delicious Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. But one thing proved to be the highlight of the night: the inspiring stories of impact by the people on the ground that are working boldly and tirelessly to address tough, difficult issues our communities face. All of the awardees dedicated their awards to their nonprofit partners and the communities they serve, and underscored the importance of community organizing in moving the needle on social justice.
In the coming year, we at NCRP will continue to remember the words of Dr. Nat Chioke Williams as he accepted the award for Hill-Snowdon Foundation: “Let us in philanthropy mirror the courage of the communities we serve.” This sentiment is certainly true of our allies, and every year it becomes more evident that together we’re changing the face of philanthropy.
From The California Endowment’s mission of building a “hope pipeline” for the communities it serves, to Liberty Hill Foundation’s “change not charity” mentality, all four awardees follow through on their commitment to grantmaking that gives power to the people most affected by a problem. As the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation director of programs Rebecca Golden said, “Grassroots organizing is the most effective method of creating social change.”
Special thanks to last year’s awardees who presented the awards to this year’s recipients, along with NCRP board chair Dr. Sherece West-Scantlebury: Antonia Hernández, president and CEO of the California Community Foundation; Grace Hou, executive director of Woods Fund of Chicago; and Daniel Lee, executive director of Levi Strauss Foundation.
And thanks to all who joined us at the reception. What were your favorite moments?
Here are some photos from the event. Please don’t hesitate to tag and share! We’d love to see the photos you took as well. Send us a link, tweet it or post on Facebook using the hashtag #NCRPImpactAwards.
Yna C. Moore is communications director at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP). Follow NCRP on Twitter (@ncrp) and #NCRPImpactAwards.
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