The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore is accepting nominations until August 29, 2014 for the Richard A. Henson Award for Nonprofit Excellence, the Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award, and the Mary Gladys Jones Volunteer of the Year Award.
The award recipients will be announced at the annual meeting and luncheon of the Community Foundation on Friday, November 7, at The Fountains Conference Center in Salisbury. The awards are considered among the most prestigious honoring philanthropic service in this region.
The Mary Gladys Jones Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding, sustained and unselfish contributions to community service. This person should represent outstanding achievement in the field of direct community service—volunteers from the tri-county region who have given back to their community in such areas as youth, education, human services, community development, health or the environment. The Foundation will grant $1,000 to the Volunteer of the Year Award winner’s charity of choice.
Established in 1989, the Richard A. Henson Award for Nonprofit Excellence is presented annually to a qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Somerset, Wicomico, or Worcester counties which has implemented a program or project that has made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of residents of the Lower Eastern Shore.
The criteria for this Award corresponds closely to the late local philanthropist Richard Henson’s philosophy that achievement in the nonprofit sector should demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and creatively utilizes resources to provide effective and timely responses to critical or emerging community needs. The Award includes a $5,000 donation to the recipient.
First given in 1992, the Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award recognizes an individual who has made outstanding, sustained and unselfish contributions to community enrichment and whose vital ideas and personal sacrifices exemplify the philanthropic spirit of our community.
The late Frank Morris was a leading local businessman and philanthropist and among many civic activities was a former mayor of the City of Salisbury. Criteria for the Award include qualities of exemplary leadership, vision, integrity, compassion, cooperation, and generosity of time and talents. The Foundation grants $1,000 to the Morris Award winner’s charity of choice.
Recipients are selected by a committee of community residents from nominations submitted by the public. Application forms for the awards are available by going online to http://www.cfes.org/grants or calling the Community Foundation office at 410-742-9911.
About the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore: Celebrating 30 years of philanthropy, the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore (CFES) has been serving the needs of Wicomico, Worcester and Somerset Counties granting more than $50 million. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, CFES awarded grants totaling more than $5.4 million in fiscal year 2013. CFES brings together donors and builds on community assets through scholarships, grants, advocacy, and leadership development. By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods, and nonprofit capacity building, the Foundation addresses community needs in the area of health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment. For more information, visit www.cfes.org or call 410-742-9911.
