October 1, 2010
Four outstanding local nonprofits to receive $90,000 through Cameron recognition awards
For the fourth consecutive year, The Cameron Foundation has selected four local nonprofits to be recognized for their outstanding community service and organizational management. The awards will be officially presented to The American Red Cross – Southside Area Chapter; Pathways-VA, Inc.; Virginia’s Gateway Region and the Waverly Volunteer Rescue Squad at The Cameron Foundation’s Annual Grant Awards Ceremony on October 28, 2010.
The selections are the result of two annual competitions for nonprofit organizations within the Foundation’s service area of Petersburg, Colonial Heights, Hopewell, and the counties of Dinwiddie, Prince George, Sussex, and the portion of Chesterfield County lying south of Rt. 10.
For the Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service, members of the community were encouraged to nominate an organization that they felt had demonstrated a commitment to caring and generosity of spirit, as well as openness and accessibility. This award was named in honor of The Cameron Foundation’s first president (and current board member) for his exemplary and untiring commitment to the Foundation’s mission. By the June 1 deadline, nominations had been received for 15 different organizations. Twelve of those were eligible for consideration and moved forward through the competitive process. Led by Foundation director James L. Thacker, Jr., a panel reviewed and scored the applications and voted to honor the Waverly Volunteer Rescue Squad with an unrestricted $40,000 gift.
For the Excellence in Organizational Management Award, nonprofit organizational staff or board members applied on behalf of their organization. The application process was similar to an internal audit or self-assessment, and organizations were encouraged to use it as an opportunity to measure themselves against national best practices in organizational management. It was anticipated that this program would see a smaller pool of candidates due to the rigorous nature of the process, and the number of applications received by the June 30 submission deadline totaled five.
Along with committee chair and Foundation director Dr. Gurpal S. Bhuller, five additional community members from The Cameron Foundation’s service area reviewed and scored the applications and voted to honor the American Red Cross – Southside Area Chapter with the first place unrestricted gift of $30,000 for demonstrating excellence in overall organizational management. This recipient had been honored with the Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service in 2009.
The Excellence in Organizational Management review committee also voted this year to recognize Pathways-VA, Inc. and Virginia’s Gateway Region with honorable mention gifts of $10,000 each for exemplifying excellence in one or more of the specific areas reviewed during the scoring process. This is the fourth consecutive year that Pathways-VA, Inc. secured an honorable mention, and Virginia’s Gateway Region had received it, as well, in 2007 and 2009.
The review committees of the Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service and the Excellence in Organizational Management Award are made up of volunteers who live or work within the community. They are identified by the Foundation staff and board members, invited to serve and approved by the Foundation’s board. Each committee is chaired by a member of the board.
The 2010 committee members for the Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service include: Lamese K. Essey, Chequila H. Fields, Dr. Oliver W. Hill, Jr., Dr. William D. Irvin, Angela M. Orrell, and Pastor J. David Tolbert. Community members for the Excellence in Organizational Management Award include: Dr. Virginia R. Cherry, Dr. Ray L. Drinkwater, Earnest H. Greene, Heather Turbyne-Pollard and Carol D. Woodward. “These are highly competitive recognition awards, and we truly value the work that each of the applicants contributes to our community,” said Handy L. Lindsey, Jr., Foundation president. “It is equally rewarding to see that a newcomer to our awards program has been chosen to receive the Cleveland A. Wright Award for Outstanding Community Service, as it is to see returning winners that continue to demonstrate outstanding levels of leadership and professionalism in carrying out their missions.”