Applications Now Being Accepted for the 2011 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards

The competition to be named among New York’s best run nonprofit organizations is now open.

Applications for the 2011 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards, sponsored by The New York Times Company’s Community Affairs department in collaboration with the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York (NPCC) and Philanthropy New York, are now available online at www.NYTimes-community.com and will be accepted from any New York state nonprofit organization based in Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County or Westchester County through Monday, Nov. 15.

The awards are intended to honor nonprofit management excellence rather than program content. A selection committee of nonprofit management experts will consider applications, evaluate finalists during site visits and make the final determination of winners. Organizations will be evaluated on: 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 communications; and effective, ethical fundraising and resource development.

A total of $40,000 will be awarded at a ceremony at TheTimesCenter in New York City in June 2011. The Gold Prize winner for Overall Management Excellence will receive $25,000. The Silver Prize winner will receive $10,000; and the Bronze prize winner $5,000.

Each of the winning organizations will also receive a scholarship for Programs in Social Enterprise at Columbia Business School Executive Education.

The 2010 New York Times Company Nonprofit Excellence Awards Gold Prize went to Sadie Nash Leadership Project, while God’s Love We Deliver and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest received the Silver and Bronze awards.

"The New York Times Company is looking to identify organizations that have demonstrated high standards of leadership, accountability and results,” said Diane McNulty, executive director of corporate communications, The New York Times Company. "At a time when nonprofits are being asked to meet rising demands with diminishing resources, these awards offer an opportunity to share best practices, and to inspire and encourage others across the sector.”

"The thousands of nonprofits in the New York City area contribute enormously to our quality of life,” said Michael Clark, president, Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York. "This program helps all nonprofits improve their management and recognizes the best of the best among them in terms of management.”

"We could not be more proud to recognize these organizations that have achieved and maintained the highest standards of operations, management, and accountability,” said Ronna Brown, President, Philanthropy New York. "Through their leadership in this area, the awardees have certainly raised the bar within the entire nonprofit community.”

Additional financial and in-kind support in the past year was provided by The Clark Foundation, Google Inc., the Surdna Foundation, McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, the Fund for the City of New York, Social Enterprise Programs in Executive Education at Columbia Business School, The New York Community Trust, New York Life Foundation, The Venable Foundation, Wells Fargo, Community Resource Exchange and the Altman Foundation.

The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2009 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers, and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.

Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, Inc., (NPCC), a service and membership organization for nearly 1,700 nonprofit organizations in the New York City area is the voice and information source for New York nonprofits on sector-wide issues. It informs and connects nonprofit leaders, saves nonprofits money, and strengthens the nonprofit sector by building positive relations with government and advocating effective, accountable and transparent nonprofit management and governance. NPCC publishes a monthly newsletter, New York Nonprofits , runs workshops and roundtables on management issues, offers cost-saving group purchasing services, coordinates an esteemed Government Relations Committee that works on sector-wide government and legislative issues, and maintains a website loaded with information on operating a nonprofit. (www.npccny.org/)

Philanthropy New York is a nonprofit membership organization of 275 grantmaking foundations and corporations in the tri-state New York area and beyond. Its members award about $4 billion annually to charitable organizations in New York and around the globe. Philanthropy New York seeks to strengthen philanthropy by offering programs and resources for valuable and strategic grantmaking. Its mission is to promote and support the practice of effective philanthropy for the public good. (www.philanthropynewyork.org)

This press release can be downloaded from www.nytco.com.