Nonprofit Excellence Awards

New York Cares staffers celebrate: Colleen Farrell (marketing and communications), Jennifer Goldschein (corporate relations), Wesley Moe (volunteer relations), and Gary Bagley (executive director)

Monthly performance reports for every program; required public speaking for all employees; implenting job sharing to save money in the downturn: these were just some of the management practices touted at the annual Nonprofit Excellence Awards yesterday at the TimesCenter, during interviews with the six finalists.

At the end of the day, the award for Overall Management Excellence went to New York Cares, which organizes volunteers to work on more than 1,000 projects a month. Some of its best practices: how it handled hiring a new executive director, by promoting within after a thorough search; the development of a volunteer engagement scale, which measures and works to boost the effectiveness of volunteers; and the introduction of volunteer messaging -- and a new tagline, "the way to volunteer" -- in the organization's highly visible coat drive campaign. The prize includes a $25,000 cash award and scholarships to Columbia Business School's Programs for Social Enterprise for Nonprofit Professionals, which are provided with support from the Clark Foundation.

The other finalists were the Citizens Advice Bureau, serving low-income families in the Bronx with basic needs such as housing, food, and legal needs; Groundwork Inc., working in concentrated geographical areas in East New York to support young people and their families; Legal Information for Families Today, helping families through the Family Court system; Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project, which promotes neighborhood equity through outreach, policy research, and direct support to community groups; and the Vera Institute of Justice, which incubates ideas as "demonstration projects" to improve access to justice and safety (one example: Esperanza, which employs therapists to work with juvenile lawbreakers).

The awards program vetting process scrutinizes seven areas: an overall management focus on results; governance structure that moves the organization forward; strong, transparent, and accountable financial management; inclusive, diverse, and responsive organizational practices; enlightened use of human resources and technology; regular and effective communication; and effective, ethical fundraising and resource development. The awards are presented by the New York Times Company Community Affairs Department; the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, and Philanthropy New York.