Do You Know a Fundraising Star?

It's the day before Thanksgiving, and I've been complaining about the rush to Christmas ever since the first ornaments appeared on store shelves the week before Halloween.

So I hope you'll forgive and indulge me as I look ahead to the February issue of FundRaising Success. That's when we announce the winners of our annual Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards — and it's my favorite issue of the year. Plus, it's entirely appropriate to open the submission period at Thanksgiving, because the awards are a way to show our thanks, in some small way, for the work that you do.

To nominate a peer, colleague, co-worker, employee, staff member, volunteer, client or agency partner, just send an e-mail to mbattistelli@napco.com with "FOTY nomination" in the subject line, and include the following information:

• Nominee's name, organization, title and e-mail address
• Your contact information
• A photo of the nominee, if possible
• Category of nomination
• Explanation of why you are nominating this person (500 to 1,000 words)

This year's categories are:

• Lifetime Achievement — For a body of work over the course of 30+ years
• Fundraising Professional of the Year — For specific fundraising achievements in 2013
• Fundraising Stars — For a body of work, a compelling project or special circumstance, an overall attitude or approach, etc.
• Rising Stars — Up-and-comers with fewer than five years in the sector
• Live It! Award — For fundraisers who champion causes and support philanthropy in their personal lives
• Best Fundraising Blog
• Best Industry Speaker

There's no fee to make a nomination, and the nomination deadline is Jan. 13, 2014.

So look around you. There's no doubt you know one or more folks who deserve to be recognized for their efforts. We're looking forward to reading all about them! (You can check out last year's winners here.)