Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards Past Winners
Awards are given to three nonprofit organizations, one in each of the following categories:
- Nonprofit Innovation Award
- Nonprofit Excellence Award – Small Organization (Budget under $500,000)
- Nonprofit Excellence Award – Large Organization (Budget over $500,000)

2022 Nonprofit Excellence Awards

Excellence in Collaborative Programming: Connecting Kids to Meals
Excellence in Strategic Action: Children’s Theatre Workshop of Toledo
Excellence in Organizational Operations: Adopt America Network
2021 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

Nonprofit Innovation Award: Valentine Theatre
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Agency: Friends of Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Agency: The Victory Center
2020 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

Nonprofit Innovation Award: Midstory
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Agency: Baby University
2020 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Agency – Bittersweet Farms
2019 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

(Lucas County CASA), John Hoover (Neighborhood Properties, Inc.)
Nonprofit Innovation Award: Neighborhood Properties, Inc.
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Agency: Lucas County CASA
Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Agency: Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity
2018 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

Dave Wehrmeister (Executive Director- Boys & Girls Club of Toledo), Tracee Perryman (CEO- Center of Hope Family Services)
2018 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Center of Hope Family Services
2018 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Agency – Leadership Toledo
2018 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Agency – Boys & Girls Club of Toledo
2017 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

M. Wernert Center, Meg Resner (The Great Lakers Collaborative for Autism), Catina Harding
(The Great Lakes Collaborative for Autism), Matt Risso (A Renewed Mind)
2017 Nonprofit Innovation Award – A Renewed Mind
2017 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Agency – Great Lakes Collaborative for Autism
2017 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Agency – The Thomas M. Wernert Center
2016 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

2016 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Advocating Opportunity
2016 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Diabetes Youth Services
2016 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – Catholic Club
2015 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

Rob Krain (Black Swamp Conservancy), Lori Hauser (Imagination Station)
2015 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Imagination Station
2015 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Black Swamp Conservancy
2015 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – Family & Child Abuse Prevention Center
2014 Nonprofit Innovation & Excellence Awards

Mission Ministries), Lori Schoen (Shared Lives Studio)
2014 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Shared Lives Studios of Lott Industries
2014 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Water for Ishmael
2014 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – Cherry Street Mission Ministries
2013 Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence Awards

L-R Keith Burwell (Toledo Community Foundation President), Jan Ruma (Toledo Lucas
County CareNet), Marc Folk (Arts Commission of Greater Toledo),
Kim Partin (East Toledo Family Center), Joe Zerbey (Toledo Blade President)
2013 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Arts Commission of Greater Toledo
2013 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Toledo Lucas County CareNet
2013 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – East Toledo Family Center
2012 Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence Awards

(LAWO Executive Director), Vicki Obee-Hilty (Bittersweet Farms Executive Director), David Coyle (ABLE/LAWO Board President)
2012 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Bittersweet Farms
2012 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Beach House Family Shelter
2012 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – ABLE/LAWO
2011 Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence Awards

2011 Nonprofit Innovation Award – Unison Behavioral Health Group
2011 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Small Organization – Read for Literacy, Inc.
2011 Nonprofit Excellence Award, Large Organization – Hospice of Northwest Ohio