The Wellspring

The Not-For-Profit Network has developed an new awards program to highlight the achievements in the sector over the past 12 months.

The Not-For-Profit Network Awards will be presented to achievers from Australia and New Zealand. The awards have a strong focus on individuals, organisations, and projects whose actions have helped their organisation to be more sustainable, more successful and achieve
their vision. The award categories are:

• BDO Kendalls Not-for-profit Organisation of the Year - for advances
  in sustainability that support the organisation’s vision.
• Suncorp Investment Management CEO of the Year - for a not-for-profit
  leader whose vision and innovation is recognised both within their
  organisation and throughout the sector.
• Rydges Hotels and Resorts Team Member of the Year - for a staff
  member or volunteer who has shown creativity, innovation and
  dedication to achieving the organisation’s vision.
• Software Design Group Project of the Year - for a project that has
  achieved buy-in from a variety of supporters and has helped the
  organisation in achieving its vision.

The only catch is that organisations are only eligible for entry if they are a enrolled in Not-For-Profit Network’s SubscriberPlus program, which costs $590 for a single office and $1490 for a national organisation. This effectively puts it beyond the reach of most youth-run organisations (and probably a lot of other small not-for-profits too).

I don’t see why enrollment in their subscription program should be a condition of entry. Given that there is a separate (small) entry fee and that the awards are not monetary, I’m inclined to be quite cynical of the whole endeavour.

But anyhoo: for further information and to download an entry form, see http://www.nfpn.com.au/cm.esp?id=3001&pageid=_2100WFA7I.

Applications close Tuesday 31 July 2007.

Update (28 May 2007): I received a call this afternoon from the Not-For-Profit Network informing me that contrary to what I had written, any Australian or New Zealand not-for-profit organisation is eligible for entry. Organisations enrolled in the SubscriberPlus program have to pay an entry fee of $24, whilst non-subscribers pay $74.

From what I can tell, this tiered fee structure is a sensible change to the original eligibility requirements on which I commented: the original email notice said:

How to enter
1. Check you are enrolled in Not-For-Profit Network’s SubscriberPlus program.
…

In any case: good news.