Higher Achievement Program Named Winner of The Washington Post 2005 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management

PRESS RELEASE CONTACT Rick Rose, Director of Communications EMAIL rickr@nonprofitadvancement.org SUBJECT Higher Achievement Program Named Winner of The Washington Post 2005 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management Washington, D.C. – The Center for Nonprofit Advancement, formerly the Washington Council of Agencies, announced today that Higher Achievement Program has been awarded The Washington Post 2005 Award for Excellence in Nonprofit Management.The competitive award recognizes outstanding achievement in nonprofit management for a Washington-area nonprofit organization.Organizations are judged in the areas of:fiscal management, information and communication, organizational development, people development, planning, resource development, risk management, and use of technology.The winner receives a $5,000 cash grant and a scholarship to a GeorgeWashingtonUniversity nonprofit management course. This is the 11th year of competition.The program is sponsored by The Washington Post, with additional support from RAFFA and Virginia Polytechnic and StateUniversity; the scholarship is provided by GeorgeWashingtonUniversity.The program is administered by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. This year’s winner, Higher Achievement Program, believes talent is everywhere. Their mission is to develop academic skills, behaviors, and attitudes in DC’s academically motivated and underserved middle school children to improve their grades, standardized test scores, and attendance; and increase their educational opportunities through acceptance to top area high school programs.They work for under-served 5th- through 8th-graders in the District of Columbia to achieve their highest potential for academic excellence and community leadership. Higher Achievement recruits motivated and curious middle school children who dedicate up to 4 years developing their academic skills, behaviors and attitudes. Upon graduation, scholars are connected with the opportunities to attend accelerated high school programs. This $1.2 million dollar program is led by a full-time staff of 13 and a corps of 300 dedicated volunteers.More information about Higher Achievement Program can be found at www.higherachievementprogram.org. Higher Achievement Program has been recognized for outstanding management excellence in a number of areas.Some examples of management excellence include: ·The decision to shutdown programs in 1999 in order to reinvent a stronger, more viable program. ·A culture document developed by board and staff to share values and motivation for the organization’s work. ·Implementation of a 360 degree evaluation system of volunteers. ·Development of an thorough , standard orientation checklist for your new staff members. ·A data collection system that empowers board, staff, funders, academics, and others. Honorable Mentions were also presented to four area nonprofit organizations at this meeting.They were presented to Arlington Free Clinic, Coptic Orphans, PHILLIPS Programs and Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.Each Honorable Mention recipient received a $2,500 award. The Award selection process began in September and the final selection was completed in May.It is a three-step process that requires applicants to answer pre-set questions in Parts One and Two and host a site visit for the third and final phase.Thirty-four applications were received for consideration in the 2005 competition. The Award Selection Committee evaluates the applicants at each stage and selects a winner and four honorable mention recipients.The Committee is a select group of community members with expertise in nonprofit management.Included in every committee is the previous year’s Award winner.The competitive program is open to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the Washington metropolitan area. The Award program began in 1994 as a program of the Washington Council of Agencies, now known as the Center for Nonprofit Advancement.Recent past winners include Miriam’s Kitchen (2001), The Choral Arts Society of Washington (2002), Miriam’s House (2003), and Bread for the City (2004) The Center for Nonprofit Advancement provides training and education on how to manage and maximize resources. We’re a center for sharing best practices through networking. We advocate so governments understand that nonprofits provide core services that hold communities together. And, we provide members with the buying power they need to operate efficiently. Membership is open to any 501(c) organization in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Founded in 1979 (as the Washington Council of Agencies), the Center currently has nearly 1,100 organizational members. For additional information visit our web site at www.nonprofitadvancement.org. –end– © The Atlantic Philanthropies