(Community Matters) I’m on the advisory board for E&Y’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year Award program. I’m especially excited about the opportunity for a social entrepreneur to be recognized and their nonprofit to receive a $100,000 grant from the Silverton Foundation. See qualifications, etc below:
Ernst & Young and Silverton Foundation
Seek Austin’s Outstanding Social Entrepreneurs
Applications Being Accepted for $100,000 Grant to Recognize Social Entrepreneurship
Austin, TX, March 2, 2009 – Ernst & Young LLP and Silverton Foundation opened the nomination period for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2009 Social Award for non-profit executives. The Award includes a $100,000 grant from the Silverton Foundation. The deadline for applications is April 3, 2009. The award recipient will be announced on May 28, 2009, at the Austin Hilton Hotel.
Qualifying for the Award
The Award honors talented individuals who have shown extraordinary leadership and innovation in building an organization to address the social needs of the central Texas community.
Eligibility requires a nominee to be currently serving as the chief paid officer of a public charity and be primarily responsible for the recent performance of the agency. The primary mission of the agency should include initiatives in the areas of health, education, social services or economic development which help underserved and disadvantaged people in the five county Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area including Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties.
Criteria include demonstrated commitment to the development of social enterprise, and potential for future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishment. A thorough assessment of leadership, strategic direction, innovation, personal integrity, values and originality takes place in the judging process.
Nomination for the Award is through submission of an application which is evaluated by an independent judging panel comprised of central Texas leaders in the fields of entrepreneurship and social enterprise. For more information, contact amy.warmke@ey.com, 512-473-1623, or to download a copy of the application, visit www.silvertonfoundation.org. Applications must be received by April 3, 2009.
$100,000 Grant
The Award carries with it a $100,000 grant directed to the agency of the Award recipient. The grant, from the Austin based Silverton Foundation, is for use as directed by the Award recipient consistent only with the charitable purposes of the Award recipient’s agency, and is otherwise unrestricted.
“We believe the success of both social and business enterprise is essential to the development of our community,” said Andy White, Silverton Foundation’s executive director, “We are pleased to help bring attention to Austin’s extraordinary social entrepreneurs and the causes they serve.”
This is the sixth year the Austin-based Silverton Foundation has co-sponsored the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Social Award to recognize social entrepreneurs in conjunction with Ernst & Young’s annual Entrepreneur Of The Year Program.
“Social entrepreneurs are a vital part of Austin’s thriving economy and community,” said Don Dwight, Ernst & Young executive director and Entrepreneur Of The Year program director. “We commend Silverton Foundation for their continued generosity to this important group.”
In 2008, Richard Halpin of American YouthWorks was selected as the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur Of The Year, and additional past winners include Steven Jackobs of Capital IDEA, Susan McDowell of Lifeworks, Walter Moreau of Foundation Communities and Margo Weisz of PeopleFund (formerly Austin CDC).
Contact Information
For more information and nomination forms contact: Amy Warmke, Program Manager, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Central Texas Awards, at 512-473-1623 or amy.warmke@ey.com.
Community Matters 