Awards

The 2010 Combined Federal Campaign raised more than $281.5 million for charities, and Tuesday federal employees got their kudos at a White House ceremony. Those efforts yielded only less than half-percent of the record-setting 2009 results of $282.6 million.

The Office of Personnel Management praised the campaign, noting its success despite a tough economic year and an overall drop in the nation’s charitable giving.

On Tuesday, OPM’s John Berry honored 26 CFC personnel and volunteers, recognizing 11 individuals, nine campaigns with the largest increase in pledges from 2009, and five campaigns for their innovation.

Gulfside Regional Hospice has been named the top nonprofit of the year by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

The Business Journal announced Thursday at a luncheon that the New Port Richey, Fla.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit was the overall winner of its 2011 Nonprofit of the Year award. It was also named winner of the health services category of the awards. To see the rest of the winners, pick up the June 24 edition of the Journal or read its preview here.

Recipients of the 2011 Jefferson Awards accepted their honors Tuesday evening at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. Others honorees accepted theirs Wednesday in New York City. The recipients of most of the 18 awards include the founder of a nonprofit that works to end childhood hunger and a brother and sister who have distributed phone cards to U.S. troops overseas.

DMW Direct received a record number of wins at the 2011 Benjamin Franklin Awards for Direct Marketing Excellence.

The Direct Marketing Fundraisers Association passed along the full list of winners and runners-up for its Package of the Year awards. Bringing home the highest honor, Package of the Year, was Fountain House for its Flying Cat Pads and Cards campaign.

The deadline for FS' 2011 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence is July 8.

The Children’s Aid Society is pleased to announce that it has received its 11th consecutive four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent charity evaluator.

Independent Sector will honor Bill Drayton with the 2011 John W. Gardner Leadership Award in recognition of his innovation and leadership in social change and social entrepreneurship. The award will be presented at the 2011 Independent Sector Annual Conference Oct. 31-Nov. 1 in Chicago.

Drayton is the chief executive officer and founder of Ashoka, a global organization that supports individual efforts to address society’s most pressing problems with innovative, entrepreneurial solutions.

Kyle Weiss, an 18-year-old from Danville, Calif., who started a nonprofit that raises money for soccer in Africa — FUNDaFIELD — has been selected as a 2011 Build-A-Bear Workshop Huggable Hero.

The honor comes with a $7,500 educational scholarship and a $2,500 donation to the cause of Weiss' choice, according to the Build-A-Bear Workshop. He will also go to the company's headquarters in St. Louis to be honored with the nine other recipients. Almost 1,200 people applied to be honored as a Huggable Hero.

The Washington Post and the Center for Nonprofit Advancement announced Horton’s Kids as the 2011 recipient of The Washington Post Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management. In its 17th year of competition, The Post Award recognizes outstanding achievement in nonprofit management for a Washington, D.C.-area nonprofit organization.

Horton’s Kids is a nonprofit social service organization providing comprehensive services to the children of Washington, D.C.’s Anacostia neighborhood that improve the quality of their daily lives and nurture their desire and ability to succeed.