Awards, Jun 15, 2006

The following awards have been presented for work in advocacy, fund raising, nonprofit leadership, philanthropy, and other areas.

Disabilities. The Disability Funders Network (Falls Church, Va.) has given its William Diaz Impact Award to the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation (Arlington, Va.). For the past 15 years, the foundation has made grants to “enhance the independence, productivity, and community inclusion” of disabled children and young people. The award was accepted by Rayna Aylward, who has served as the foundation’s executive director since its inception.

International. Plan USA (Warwick, R.I.) has presented its Eric Muggeridge Award for Humanitarian Contribution to General Electric (Fairfield, Conn.) for its corporate-citizenship activities in the Asesewa region of Ghana, and its John Langdon-Davies Award for Child Advocacy to Leigh Blake, president and chief executive officer of Keep a Child Alive (New York), for her organization’s efforts to battle the AIDS pandemic in Africa, particularly as it affects children.

Nonprofit law. The American Bar Association (Chicago) has named Jeffrey S. Tenenbaum, a partner in the Washington office of Venable LLP, as its Outstanding Nonprofit Lawyer of the Year. The association’s Business Law Section makes this award annually to lawyers who have made exemplary contributions to the nonprofit sector or to the development of nonprofit law. Mr. Tenenbaum’s practice focuses almost exclusively on association and nonprofit legal services.

Public service. Independent Sector (Washington) has presented its 2006 John W. Gardner Leadership Award to Johnnetta B. Cole, president of Bennett College (Greensboro, N.C.). Ms. Cole was honored for her longtime commitment to advancing social justice, including through her leadership of Bennett College and as president of Spelman College (Atlanta), the nation’s two historically black colleges for women. The award is accompanied by a $10,000 cash prize sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation (New York).