MCF NEWS ARCHIVES
3/22/05

The national Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C. has named 115 winners of the 2005 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards for Excellence in Communications, including four Minnesota grantmakers.

The Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program recognizes and encourages excellence in communications by grantmaking foundations and corporate giving programs. The awards, which originated in 1984, showcase the ways foundations and corporate giving programs use communication strategies and techniques to advance their grantmaking goals.

The Minnesota winners are:

Annual and Biennial Reports:

Newsletters:

Special Reports:

Web Sites:

"Communicating is inherent in public accountability and public service," said Dorothy S. Ridings, president and CEO of the Council on Foundations. "This year’s awards are an important reminder that strategic communications are a wise and critical investment in achieving philanthropic objectives."

The award categories for 2005 are annual or biennial reports, newsletters, public policy campaigns, special reports and Web sites. Judges evaluated entries based on the following criteria: overall outcomes/impact, message and design effectiveness, organization of content and outreach/distribution strategies. The 54 judges represented a range of professional skills, including communications, foundation and nonprofit management, graphic design, photography, writing and Web site development.

For a complete list of winners, click here.

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