Awards

Until Alan Atterbury heard that he and his wife were being honored as Philanthropists of the Year, he said he had never heard his name and “philanthropist” mentioned in the same sentence.

But the University of Missouri-Kansas City and area nonprofits consider Alan and Mary Atterbury philanthropists because of their financial and volunteer support.

The two were among givers of time and talent who were honored Friday at the 27th annual Philanthropy Awards luncheon. About 1,000 people attended the event, sponsored by Nonprofit Connect, the successor organization to the Council on Philanthropy.

The International Swimming Hall of Fame conferred the 2011 G. Harold Martin Award to Robert Ogoreuc, president of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA), at a May 7 awards ceremony. The award is given annually to an individual who exemplifies “long and exceptional leadership, insight and dedication to the water safety of children and the cause of making ‘Every Child a Swimmer.’”

The NDPA is currently working on a federally funded, national public education program that complements the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Pool Safely campaign.

In this sixth year of Eva’s Initiatives Awards for Innovation, three winners are being recognized for their outstanding work with homeless youth. Eva’s Initiatives received 24 applications from organizations working with homeless youth across Canada. A six-member panel, knowledgeable about services for homeless youth, reviewed all applications and selected three winners from among the many applicants with impressive and innovative projects underway in communities across the county.

The winners are Resource Assistance for Youth, Phoenix Youth Programs and Bathurst Youth Centre.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals has awarded its highest professional certification, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE), to Angela Seaworth, director of the Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at Rice University, which seeks to increase the effectiveness and impact of the nonprofit sector by providing education and nurturing leadership among professionals and those who support nonprofit organizations.

Available only to senior-level fundraisers who've worked in the profession for 10 or more years, the ACFRE is a distinguished achievement earned by only 91 professionals since the inception of the program in 1992.

Blue Avocado and the Tom Battin Awards announced their updated list of the Best Nonprofit Job Sites. This year's Tom Battin Awards winners are:

• Best all-around: Idealist
• Best nonprofit site: Opportunity Knocks
• Best commercial site: Simply Hired
• Best international: Devex

In recognition of its 75th anniversary, the Ford Foundation announced $100,000 awards to 12 social innovators who, through their extraordinary vision and courageous work, are improving the lives of millions of people. In a period of uncertain transformation in global society, politics and the economy, the Ford Foundation Visionaries Awards seek to raise the profile of leaders whose innovative efforts on the frontlines of key social issues offer pathways to improved economic opportunities and expanded political and social participation for millions of marginalized people worldwide.

Three nonprofits — the Public Broadcasting Service, Avaaz.org and Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation — were honored with awards recently.

The Public Broadcasting Service was among many nonprofits that earned top prizes for online efforts in this year’s Webby Awards. Avaaz.org, which focuses on issues such as poverty, corruption, and climate change, won the People’s Voice award for best Web site on activism. And the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation won in the best video-activism category with “The Time to Eliminate Pediatric AIDS is Now.”

The Partnership for Public Service on Monday announced 34 finalists from across the government for its annual awards honoring outstanding public service.

The federal workers, honored for their contributions to the public's health, safety and security, are contenders for eight Service to America Medals, including Federal Employee of the Year. The nonprofit organization will celebrate the finalists at a breakfast on Tuesday and will announce the winners in September at a black-tie gala in Washington.

TIME named Matt Damon and Gary White, co-founders of Water.org, to the 2011 TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. The full list and related tributes appear in the May 2 issue of TIME, available on newsstands on Friday, April 22, and now at http://time.com/time100

Conservation International, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and Human Rights Watch are among the long list of nonprofits that have earned nominations for the annual Webby People’s Voice Awards.

The awards, which seek to recognize the best of the Internet, have long rewarded the work of big-budget media companies and Web startups.

While charities have a history of performing well at the 15-year-old contest, this year’s list of nonprofit nominees is particularly deep—even in categories that aren’t specifically set aside for nonprofits.