Independent Sector Calls for Nominations for the 2006 John W. Gardner Leadership Award and the Leadership IS Award

(Washington , D.C., December 29, 2005) – Nominations are now being accepted for Independent Sector's John W. Gardner Leadership Award and the Leadership IS Award.

John W. Gardner Leadership Award

The John W. Gardner Leadership Award was established by Independent Sector in 1985 to honor outstanding Americans who exemplify the leadership and the ideals of John W. Gardner, founding chairperson of Independent Sector.

The award recognizes living Americans, working in or with the voluntary sector, who have mobilized and unified people, institutions, or causes.  The individual's leadership should have had a national or international impact and transformed his or her chosen field, thereby contributing to the greater good.  Nominees may be of any age.

The recipient will be presented with the award at the 2006 Independent Sector Annual Conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul, October 22 to 24.

Anyone can nominate an individual for the Gardner Award by filling out a nomination form and sending a nomination letter.  Nomination materials, including letter criteria, can be found online.  The deadline for nominations is January 31.

Independent Sector honored Ron Grzywinski, chairman and CEO of ShoreBank Corporation, with the 2005 John W. Gardner Leadership Award, recognizing a career that has transformed underserved neighborhoods into vibrant communities and inspired a community development banking movement worldwide. 

Leadership IS Award

The Leadership IS Award was established in 1999 to recognize outstanding organizations for their leadership in investing in the people of the charitable sector as they work to build community.  The Leadership IS Award supports this important principle by honoring an organization that supports the development of future leaders, both within the organization and within the sector, in its policies and daily operations.

The recipient will be acknowledged at the 2006 Independent Sector Annual Conference in Minneapolis/St. Paul, October 22 to 24.

Anyone can nominate an organization by filling out the online nomination form.  The deadline for nominations is March 17.

National Hispana Leadership Institute received the 2005 Leadership IS Award recognizing NHLI's work in developing leadership skills of Hispanic women.

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 600 charities, foundations, and corporate philanthropy programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit community.