2023 NON-PROFIT OF THE YEAR

This Award is presented at the 2024 Chamber Annual Awards Banquet
 
The Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce is proud to recognize the success of nonprofit organizations in our community through our Nonprofit of the Year Award. Chamber members meeting the following criteria will be eligible for the award. NonProfits can nominate themselves or another Non-Profit they feel should be recognized.
 
The recipient of this award is considered an outstanding model of mission achievement and community impact through:
• Innovation: Developing an innovative approach to solve a pressing need within the community.
• Leadership and Community Empowerment: Demonstrating leadership in inspiring change while addressing specific community needs.
• Impact: Tracking and documenting results that show a positive, tangible, and sustainable impact.
• Partnerships: Developing innovative partnerships including private-public initiatives and with other nonprofit organizations.
• Transferability: Sharing and transferring knowledge, expertise and experience through networking and learning.
CRITERIA
1. Must be an active non-profit organization located or operating in the Cottage Grove area.
2. Must be a member in good standing with the Cottage Grove Area Chamber of Commerce for a minimum of three years.
3. Must have been in operation for a minimum of five years.
4. Has shown exemplary support to the Cottage Grove area through contributions and support of the community while adhering to the non-profit’s mission statement. (Mission statement of the non-profit organization must be submitted with application)
5. Must have demonstrated success in the following areas:
         a. Shown leadership with a reputation for excellence within the community
         b. Maintains high ethical standards and compliance with generally accepted standards for management and public disclosure
         c. Sustained achievement in fundraising through marketing and consistent successful financial performance
6. The Chamber reserves the right to request two letters of reference from a third party. The nominee may furnish one of these letters if they did not submit the original nomination form.
 
Nominee Information
1.Name of Non-Profit(Required.)
2.Director(Required.)
3.Please submit your nomination in a paragraph/narrative format answering the questions below using 225 words or less.
1. Why have you nominated this non-profit for the Cottage Grove Chamber “Non-Profit of the Year” Award?
2. What group of people or part of the community does this organization serve?
3. How has the organization’s involvement with the Cottage Grove Chamber contributed to its success?
4. How does the organization impact the Cottage Grove area?
5. What are the organization’s most significant accomplishments in 2023?
6. How does this organization network with other sectors of the community? (Ex.: the business community, churches, etc.)(Required.)
4.Submitted by (your name)(Required.)
5.Your phone number(Required.)
Nominations may be turned in any time throughout the year, but the deadline for submissions is 5:00pm on February 9, 2024. Please note incomplete applications and nominee’s failure to meet criteria may be subject to removal of consideration.