The Community Foundation, founded in Cape Coral, is a leader in recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of charity fundraising events, galas, golf tournaments, and competitive races to secure contributions and raise awareness for nonprofit and charitable causes.
The Community Foundation will host its inaugural Charity Event Awards to recognize event fundraising innovation and excellence. More than 200 nonprofit event fundraising professionals, marketing and public relations leaders, event sponsors, and private donors are expected to gather at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Fort Myers on April 5, from 6-9 p.m., to celebrate the best fundraising events and the most outstanding charitable organizations which host, plan, and promote events to raise funds to fulfill their mission.
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An important part of the Charity Event Awards is celebrating the continued innovation and resilience of our nonprofit community and its ability to create well-planned events with excellence. Over the past five years I’ve been the leader of the Community Foundation, we’ve received stories from hundreds of charitable organizations, event fundraising professionals, and board members who are truly changing the future of fundraising. This year’s winners will honor the charity event fundraisers and trailblazers who turned the challenges of the pandemic into opportunities for their causes, finding new ways to engage donors, sponsors, ticket buyers, and grow impact.
The guest speaker for the Charity Event Awards is Teri Hansen, founder, president, and creative director of Priority Marketing. Dr. Carol Rae Culliton, President & CEO, Gunterberg Charitable Foundation, is the title sponsor for the event. Wendy Fullerton Powell, Executive Editor of Naples Daily News/Southwest Florida Region Editor, and Sandy Stilwell Younquist, Co-Founder, SWFL Children’s Charities are award presenters.
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The Charity Event Awards, created by the Community Foundation, expands its list of categories to include Best Overall Charity Event. The eight award categories this year include:
Business Charity Award / Outstanding Charity Support by a Business: This award recognizes the efforts of a company that has strived to have a positive impact on the community, upheld strong ethical and moral standards, and worked toward a sustainable future.
Virtual Charity Event of the Year: Putting a charity event on virtually is no easy feat, so this category is for those who pulled it off seamlessly and delivered a virtual event to remember.
Leading Events Team Award / Outstanding Events Team Award: Any event worker can tell you there truly is no “I’ in team. This category is for the team that best worked together to deliver incredible charity events that made an impact.
Best Overall Charity Event of the Year: Sometimes everything just comes together beautifully. This award is for the charity event that was firing on all cylinders and succeeded in a truly impressive way.
Best Charity Event Support by a Marketing/PR Firm: Behind any successful charity is a PR or marketing firm that helped get the word out there. This category recognizes the vital contributions of these firms to put on charity events that make a difference.
Best Charity Event Caterer Award: No great charity event is complete without some outstanding food to keep everyone energized. This category is for the catering team that best elevated charity events with their service.
Up and Coming/Grassroots Award: Everyone gets their start somewhere, so this award is for the organization/individual who started strong and is already well on their way.
Best Special Event Fundraising / Best Creative Charity Event: Did you organize a charity golf tournament, walk-a-thon, gala, or other specialty charity event? This category recognizes your efforts to organize unique, memorable charity events.
Nominations are now being accepted for outstanding individual and organizational efforts led by nonprofits across Lee, Collier, Charlotte, DeSoto, Glades, Hendry and Sarasota counties. The organization selected as the Best Overall Charity Event will be awarded $5,000, and all other category winners will each receive $500. Nominations are due by March 1
Winners are selected by a committee of marketing and event fundraising experts. In addition to the recognition at the Charity Event Awards, winners receive a special award, television appearance, and mention in news releases.
The 2022 Charity Event Awards is presented by the Gunterberg Charitable Foundation. The Community Foundation is seeking the community’s support for the 2022 event and has announced additional sponsorship levels ranging from $1,200 to $7,500 with a variety of benefits. Tickets for the event are $150 per person.
To learn more about nominations, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase tickets, visit CapeCoralCF.org/Events/Charity-Event-Awards-Nominations or call 239-542-5594.
To find out more about the Charity Event Awards, visit charityeventawards.org
The Community Foundation, founded in Cape Coral, the largest city in Southwest Florida, is the voice and the choice of the region’s 5,214 nonprofits with a combined workforce of 37,610 employees that generate $4.15 billion in annual revenue. The Community Foundation is also the creator of the upcoming Charity TV Show, weekly television production that combines entertainment with philanthropy. The groundbreaking television series will broadcast across Lee, Collier, Charlotte, DeSoto, Glades and Hendry counties in Florida to more than 610,000 households. Every episode features real-world nonprofit leaders and experts who are working in the trenches of the charitable sector.
Michael Chatman is president & CEO of The Community Foundation, the global center for generosity, and can be reached at michael@capecoralcf.org. The foundation is located at 1405 SE 47th Terrace, Unit 2, Cape Coral. For information, call 239-542-5594 or go to www.capecoralcf.org
