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AFP Awards

For 50 years, AFP has been the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising. Learn more about AFP, its activities and people, and how you can be involved.

A Note About the AFP Awards Committee: All awards recipients are chosen by the AFP Awards Committee. The committee reviews each application received by the stated dealine that satisfies all criteria. Due to the large number of entry forms submitted, the committee does not provide chapters or other applicants with an evaluation of their entry once the process is completed. If, in the judgement of the committee, no application for a particular award meets the stated criteria, no award will be given. The committee works to establish consistent criteria for each award.

2013 Award News

AFP Announces International Awards for Philanthropy Honorees
(April 8, 2013) A generous couple in Saskatchewan; an outstanding family foundation supporting causes around the world; a volunteer legend in Vancouver; a fundraising pioneer in Wisconsin; a dynamic brother-sister team in Georgia; an inspiring newspaper project in Calgary; and a heroic young woman in Minnesota are all recipients of the Association of Fundraising Professionals 2013 Awards for Philanthropy.

Georgia Brother and Sister Honored with International Youth Philanthropy Award
(Mar. 14, 2013) Carter and Olivia Ries, brother and sister from Fayetteville, Georgia, who have created plastic recycling programs being used in schools across the U.S. and are committed to conservation and endangered species efforts, are the recipients of the 2013 Bob Carter Companies/William R. Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, Group, presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

Bob Carter Companies to Sponsor Youth in Philanthropy Awards
AFP thanks the Bob Carter Companies for their support and sponsorship of the 2013 William R. Simms Awards for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy. Two awards, an Individual and a Youth Group Award, will be presented at The Celebration of Philanthropy at AFP's International Conference on Fundraising, April 6, 2013, in San Diego. Our youth honorees this year were Jeneece Edroff, O.B.C., and Megan and Justin Churchman. Thanks again to the Bob Carter Companies for their support of AFP’s work in encouraging young people to get involved in philanthropy.

2012 Award News

Mark Climie-Elliott: Born to Be a Fundraiser
(Oct. 30, 2012) Mark Climie-Elliott, CFRE was born to be a fundraiser. After all, he was born on Nov. 15, National Philanthropy Day. But the long-time fundraiser and this year’s recipient of the Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP credits his success to his family, his experience with AFP and the incredible colleagues he’s met throughout this career.

The Spirit of Cincinnatus First in Tri-State to Receive Prestigious International Fundraising Excellence Award
(June 22, 2012) Arlington, Va. - The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has bestowed its highest fundraising honor, the Award for Excellence in Fundraising, to The Spirit of Cincinnatus in Cincinnati, Ohio.

AFP Awards Materials Available Online—Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP and the Charles R. Stephens Award for Excellence in Diversity
The 2012 AFP Awards nomination materials are here! Nominations for the Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP and the Charles R. Stephens Award for Excellence in Diversity are due Tuesday, July 17, 2012. Honor the best and brightest – submit your nomination today! Please note that AFP’s awards program is undergoing significant changes. Nominations for the Awards for Philanthropy and Excellence in Fundraising will be accepted later this year. See the 2012 AFP Awards nomination booklet for more details!

Top Philanthropy Research Prize Awarded to Albany Consultant Robert M. Penna, Ph.D.
(April 19, 2012) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has awarded its top research award, The Skystone Partners Prize for Research on Fundraising and Philanthropy, to Robert M. Penna, Ph.D., of Albany, N.Y., for his pioneering book, The Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox: A Complete Guide to Program Effectiveness, Performance Measurement, and Results, published by John Wiley & Sons.

AFP Announces International Awards for Philanthropy Honorees
(November 15, 2011) An incredibly generous businessman who resides in Arizona, but made his fortune in South Dakota; an inspiring foundation from Iowa; a powerhouse fundraising couple from Toronto; a fundraising legend in Los Angeles; a heroic young woman from Victoria; and a dynamic brother-sister team in El Paso are all recipients of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) international 2012 Awards for Philanthropy.

Nashville Fundraiser Wins International Award for Service to the Profession
(November 4, 2011) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has bestowed the Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP, the association’s highest volunteer and leadership recognition, to Susan Earl Hosbach, CFRE, of Nashville, Tenn.

2011 Award News

Top International Fundraising Honor Awarded to SAIT Polytechnic
(Arlington, Va. - April 26, 2011) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has bestowed its highest fundraising honor, the Campbell & Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising, Large Category (six or more individuals in the fundraising department) to SAIT Polytechnic, located in Calgary, Alberta.

Outstanding Youth Honored with AFP International Philanthropy Award
(Arlington, Va. - April 12, 2011) - Andrew Fazackerley and Edward Goodfellow of Tichborne, Ontario, and the founders of the Minnesota Student Energy Project (MNSEP) in Rochester, Minnesota, are the recipients of the 2011 Changing Our World/Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, presented by AFP.

Arkansas Fundraiser Sue Williamson Named 2011 CCS Outstanding Fundraising Professional
(Arlington, Va. - April 5, 2011) - Sue S. Williamson, CFRE, senior development director at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Little Rock, Ark., is the recipient of the 2011 CCS Award for Outstanding Fundraising Professional presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Safeway Inc. Named Year’s Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation
(Arlington, Va. - March 21, 2011) - The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) will honor Safeway Inc. as the year’s most exemplary philanthropic company with the 2011 Freeman Philanthropic Services Award for Outstanding Corporation.

Baton Rouge Area Foundation Named Year’s Most Outstanding Foundation
(Arlington, Va. - March 21, 2011) - For its extraordinary work in responding to the hurricanes that have affected Louisiana since 2006, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation is the recipient of the 2011 Award for Outstanding Foundation presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).  

Top Philanthropy Research Prize Awarded to Philadelphia Fundraiser Michael Rosen
(Arlington, Va. - March 17, 2011) - The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has awarded its top research award, the Skystone Partners Prize for Research on Fundraising and Philanthropy, to Michael J. Rosen, CFRE, a fundraising consultant in Philadelphia, for his bestselling book, Donor-Centered Planned Gift Marketing.

Chicago’s John Bryan Named Year’s Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser
(Arlington, Va. - March 15, 2011) - John Bryan, former chairman and chief executive officer of the Sara Lee Corporation and a champion of Chicago and its charitable sector, is the recipient of the 2011 Award for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Adrienne Arsht Named Outstanding Philanthropist of 2011
(Arlington, Va. - March 14, 2011) - Adrienne Arsht, a long-time supporter of the arts and numerous other charitable causes across the United States, has been selected to receive the 2011 Award for Outstanding Philanthropist, given by the Association of Fundraising Professionals' (AFP) as the organization's top philanthropy honor.

Charlotte Nonprofit to Receive Top International Fundraising Honor
(Feb. 16, 2011) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) will bestow its highest fundraising honor, the Campbell & Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising, Small Category (five or fewer individuals in the fundraising department) to the Arts & Science Council (ASC) of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc., located in Charlotte, N.C.

Skystone Partners Prize for Research on Fundraising and Philanthropy
Each year, the AFP Research Council awards the Skystone Partners Prize for Research to the author of a book that contributes substantially to the knowledge and understanding of fundraising or philanthropy. 

2010 Award News

Top Fundraising Research Prize Award to Harvard University's Rachel McCleary
(May 27, 2010) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) has awarded its top research award, the Skystone Partners Prize for Research on Fundraising and Philanthropy, to Rachel McCleary for her book, Global Compassion: Private Voluntary Organizations and U.S. Foreign Policy Since 1939.

Maine Student Named Outstanding Youth Philanthropist (18-23)
(April 13, 2010) Jake Gallagher, a 19-year old young man from Yarmouth, Maine, who has been instrumental in raising awareness about and funds for poor children in Guatemala, is the recipient of the 2010 Changing Our World/Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, Ages 18-23, presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Toronto Student Named Outstanding Youth Philanthropist (5-17)
(April 13, 2010) Bilaal Rajan, a 13-year old student from Toronto who has already helped raised an extraordinary amount of funds for children's causes around the world, is the recipient of the 2010 Changing Our World/Simms Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy, Ages 5-17, presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

Birmingham Professor and Attorney Edward Friend, III Named 2010 Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser
(April 13, 2010) Edward M. (Eddie) Friend, III, assistant professor at the University of Alabama-Birmingham's School of Business and shareholder with Sirote & Permutt, Pc, in Birmingham, Ala., is the recipient of the 2010 Award for Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

Knight Foundation Receives Outstanding Foundation Award
(April 13, 2010) For its extraordinary work in supporting journalism and communities across the United States, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is the recipient of the 2010 Award for Outstanding Foundation presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

Rice University Receives AFP’s Highest Fundraising Honor
(April 13, 2010) The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) will bestow its highest fundraising honor, the Campbell & Company Award for Excellence in Fundraising, Large Category, to Rice University. 

Connecticut Fundraiser Rizzo Named 2010 CCS Outstanding Fundraising Professional
(April 12, 2010) Donald G. Rizzo, CFRE, vice president for institutional advancement at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, is the recipient of the 2010 CCS Award for Outstanding Fundraising Professional presented by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). 

Atlanta Couple Named Outstanding Philanthropists
(March 2, 2010) Pete and Ada Lee Correll, long-time donors and volunteers who have created a charitable legacy in Atlanta, Ga., have been selected to receive AFP's top philanthropy honor, the Paschal Murray Award for Outstanding Philanthropist. 

2009 Award News

TELUS Named Most Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation With Global Award
(Jan 26, 2010) TELUS has been named the top philanthropic corporation for 2010. TELUS is the first Canadian company to ever receive this global honor.

AFP Presents Omaha Fundraising Consultant Paul Strawhecker with Highest Volunteer Honor
(Oct. 27, 2009) AFP has bestowed the Barbara Marion Award for Outstanding Leadership to AFP, the association's highest volunteer and leadership recognition, to Paul J. Strawhecker, MPA, ACFRE.

AFP Honors Alford for Outstanding Service to Fundraising, Philanthropy
(April 14, 2009) AFP has named Jimmie R. Alford, a trailblazing philanthropic consultant and champion of diversity within the fundraising profession, as the recipient of the prestigious Chair’s Award for Outstanding Service for 2009.   

AFP Honors Top National Donors and Volunteers for 2009
(March 31, 2009) Maryland businessman John Erickson, AT&T and the Greater New Orleans Foundation are just some of the recipients of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ (AFP) annual international Awards for Philanthropy.     

Previous AFP Award Honorees
AFP is pleased to recognize past honorees of the AFP Awards Program.