Awards, Sep 20, 2007

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

Health and human services. The National Human Services Assembly (Washington) has presented its 2007 Essence of Leadership Awards in the following categories:

— The Award for Excellence in National Board Leadership went to Rodney Slater, past chair of the Board of Trustees of the United Way of America (Alexandria, Va.).

— The Award for Excellence in National Executive Leadership went to Kathy Cloninger, chief executive officer of the Girl Scouts of the USA (New York).

— The Award for Excellence in National Civic or Public Leadership went to John Huckstadt, chief executive officer of 501(c) Services (Cupertino, Calif.).

Leadership. The Heinz Family Foundation (Pittsburgh) has announced the recipients of the 2007 Heinz Awards, which recognize exceptional leadership and accomplishments in five areas and honor the late Sen. H. John Heinz III, Republican of Pennsylvania. The winners, who each receive $250,000:

— Arts and humanities. Dave Eggers, an author, for founding the 826 Valencia writing laboratories for children and a publishing house for emerging writers. The nonprofit laboratories got started in San Francisco, where Mr. Eggers lives, and have spread across the country.

— Environment. Bernard Amadei, an engineer who founded Engineers Without Borders (Boulder, Colo.), for his work to bring sustainable engineering projects to villages in developing countries; and Susan Seacrest, founder of the Groundwater Foundation (Lincoln, Neb.), which organizes water-education activities and protection efforts.

— Human condition. David L. Heymann, assistant director general of the World Health Organization (Geneva), for his efforts to provide information about preparing for and responding to widespread infectious diseases.

— Public policy. Donald M. Berwick, founder and chief executive officer of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (Cambridge, Mass.), for his work to change how hospitals and medical practices care for their patients and reduce the mistakes that hospitals make when treating patients. Dr. Berwick also has received one of Civic Ventures’ Purpose Prizes for his work at the institute.

— Technology, the economy, and employment. Hugh Herr, an inventor based in Cambridge, Mass., who has developed several prosthetic limbs and joints that enable the wearer to walk faster and with greater stability than typical prosthetics.

Social entrepreneurship. The Manhattan Institute (New York) has announced the five recipients of its Social Entrepreneurship Award, which honors nonprofit leaders who have developed programs that aim to solve social problems in America. The winners, whose groups each receive $25,000:

— Robert Chambers, co-founder of Bonnie CLAC (Cars, Loans, and Counseling) (Lebanon, N.H.), which helps low-income residents of New Hampshire buy new cars and manage their payments.

— Toni Heineman, founder and executive director of A Home Within (San Francisco), a group that recruits volunteer therapists to provide counseling services to foster children and young people who were previously in foster care.

— Addie Mix, founder and executive director of Reclaim a Youth (Glenwood, Ill.), which provides activities and role models for poor children to help them avoid drug use and gang violence.

— Catherine Rohr, founder and executive director of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (Houston), which helps formerly incarcerated men cultivate business skills and start their own companies.

— Rabbi Levi and Bassie Shemtov, founders of Friendship Circle (West Bloomfield, Mich.), a group that helps developmentally disabled people learn and practice skills they need in daily life.

In addition, the institute presented its inaugural William E. Simon Lifetime Achievement Award for social entrepreneurship. The $100,000 prize went to Dan Biederman, co-founder and president of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation (New York), a group that has revitalized an abandoned public park.