The US Department of Housing and Urban Development, in partner­ship with the Council on Foundations’ Public-Philanthropic Partnership Initiative, announces the inaugural annual Secretary’s Award for Community Foundations, which will be presented at the Council’s annual Fall Conference for Community Foundations, September 10-12, 2012 in New Orleans, LA. Read the press release.

Applications closed on Friday, May 11, 2012 at midnight PT

The Secretary’s Award for Community Foundations recognizes excellence in public-philanthropic partnerships that have both transformed the relationship between the sectors and led to measurable benefits in terms of increased economic employ­ment, health, safety, education, sustainability, inclusivity and cultural opportunities, and/or housing access for low and moderate-income families. Download the brochure to learn more.

Why

In the United States, community foundations serve tens of thousands of donors, administer more than $49 billion in charitable funds, and address the core concerns of more than 725 communities and regions.

Not only are community foundations a valuable repository of local wealth resources held in perpetuity, they are led by a local board of trustees and staff that provide in-depth knowledge of community challenges, opportunities, and broader resources. This facilitates the foundation’s capacity to provide leadership on housing and community development while guiding donors toward impactful investments in housing solutions.

By strengthening the connection between the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and community foundations, this award highlights the power of collective impact that can be achieved through public-philanthropic partnerships between government entities and foundations.

What

This award emphasizes cross-sector partnerships between the philanthropic and public sectors. The goal is to recognize the partnership process and its impact as a community strategy to increase the quality of life for low and moderate-income residents. Examples of desired nominations may include projects affiliated with housing and neighborhood improvements, education, health and recreation, transportation, community participation, arts and culture, safety, sustainability, and economic develop­ment. Awards will recognize community foundations that have navigated cross-sector relationships and built a stronger effort than either partner could have produced alone. Recognizing that community foundations of all sizes partner with public agencies, the jury will take asset and staff size into consideration to ensure that the award recipients reflect a diversity of community foundations.

• Awards will be given to community foundations for completed or ongoing initiatives that are executed in partnership with a local, regional, or federal government agency. The initiative submitted should have been either (1) completed within the last calendar year since the application deadline or (2) if ongoing, in effect for a minimum of one year before the application deadline.
• HUD and the Council will select a total of 10 awards to be given to community foundations, one each in the 10 HUD-defined regions of the country.

Who

This competition is open to all community foundations, both Council members and nonmembers, and accreditation with the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations™ is not required. For this awards program, a community foundation is defined as a tax-exempt, nonprofit, autonomous, publicly supported, nonsectarian philanthropic institution with a long-term goal of building permanent, named component funds established by many separate donors to carry out their charitable interests and for the broad-based charitable interest and benefit of residents of a defined geographic area. The community foundation must be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States. Foreign citizens can participate as employees of an entity that is properly incorporated in the United States and maintains a primary place of business in the country. Contestants may submit more than one entry if they have developed more than one project. Eligibility for a prize award is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. HUD will not select an individual or entity that is currently on the Excluded Parties List (https://www.epls.gov/) as a finalist or winner.

When

March 2012: Applications open

May 11, 2012 at midnight PT: Applications close

September 10-12, 2012 in New Orleans, LA: Awards presented at Council’s Fall Conference for Community Foundations

How

The Council on Foundations accepted applications from community foundations through Friday, May 11, 2012 at midnight PT.  A complete submission included:

1. Official Application Form
2. Executive Summary (as described on the Official Application Form)
3. Project Summary (as described on the Official Application Form)
4. Support Letters and Statements (as described on the Official Application Form)
5. Images (as described on the Official Application Form)

For detailed instructions, see the brochure, application, and Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 5-3-12).

Questions

We’ve compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (Updated 5-3-12).

Have any additional questions? Please feel free to contact the Council at HUDaward@cof.org or 703-879-0729.