Make It Better Media, in conjunction with the Make It Better Foundation, is pleased to announce the winners of its second annual Philanthropy Awards.
Each year, the Philanthropy Awards recognize outstanding nonprofits that are excelling in their fields and utilizing innovative practices to make an impact on the lives of Chicagoans.
In founding Make It Better six years ago, our Kitchen Cabinet strove to help nonprofit organizations project their message to the community. We’ve committed ourselves to that—to our mission as a nonprofit and as a local resource—by sharing the stories of hundreds of organizations and individuals who are making a difference locally and around the globe. We realized that the best of these organizations deserve to be recognized and rewarded.
Our second Philanthropy Awards brought in more than 100 unique and worthy submissions. The finalist pool, consisting of three organizations in each category, was narrowed down by an esteemed panel of judges. This group of 20 educational, business and civic leaders drew from their extensive expertise to evaluate applicants on eligibility, evidence of potential reach and endorsement and scalability.
The winners will receive a professionally made video tailored to highlight the enthusiasm, passion and dedication that makes its work so essential. This video, for full use by the organizations, serves to raise awareness for the organization’s impressive work.
We applaud your great efforts and what you are doing to strengthen families, empower children and teens, and better our communities.
The 2013 winners in each category are:
- Literature for All of Us (Arts)
- Bernie’s Book Bank (Education)
- Midwest Palliative & Hospice CareCenter (Health)
- Mothers Trust Foundation (Human Services-Social Services)
- Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (Most Innovative Fundraising)
- The Beyond Sports Foundation (Athletics)
- The Posse Foundation (Education-National)
- Youth Organization Umbrella (Human Services-Family, Youth & Child)
- Northwestern University Settlement House (Most Improved Fundraising)
We surprised each of our nine winners during an all-day celebration, Friday, Nov. 15, 2013, spanning from our offices in Winnetka through all of Chicago. Our recognition coincided with National Philanthropy Day, which provides an opportunity to identify and laud the great work of nonprofits and individuals.
We are so proud of the exceptional work of our winners, and we thank each of our applicants for its extraordinary quests to do good.
Watch last year’s celebration:
