Nominations Now Being Accepted for the 2012 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards

Fresh off the heels of the 2011 Gold Awards for Fundraising Excellence, we're ready to turn our attention to the 2012 Fundraising Professionals of the Year Awards!

Every year, I am so deeply touched to read about nominees' selfless dedication, their vision, their passion, their perseverance and their steadfast devotion to making the world a better, more livable place — whether they work for huge, venerable organizations, or startups, or the myriad companies that partner with them; whether they're saving animals or the planet, feeding the poor, maintaining museums, eradicating diseases or tending to those who suffer from them, educating children, empowering women … the list goes on; whether their jobs are dedicated solely to development, or fundraising is just one of many hats they wear.

Is every fundraiser, personally, a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize? Of course not. But most of you are more in tune with humanity — your own and that of the people you work so hard to help — than most folks. After more than eight years as editor of FundRaising Success, I'm still awed and humbled by the people who work for nonprofit organizations, especially the fundraisers who more often than not do their work out of the limelight.

So, please, start thinking about who you would like to submit for consideration. The deadline is Dec. 16, and winners will be announced in the February issue of FundRaising Success.

Nominating a colleague, peer, co-worker, boss or employee is easy — and free. Simply send an e-mail to me at mbattistelli@napco.com, with the subject line: FOTY nomination.

Your e-mail should include:
* Nominee's name, title and organization or company
* Nominee's e-mail address
* Category of nomination (see below)
* Reason for the nomination (please include as much information as possible)
* Your name, title, organization or company
* A headshot of the nominee, if possible