Finalist for Two Top Awards – And You Can Vote
Friends of the Chicago River is proud to be named a finalist for two competitive awards recognizing nonprofit managerial excellence, and innovation.
Chicago Innovation announced in Crain’s Chicago Business that Friends is a 2023 Finalist for the 22nd annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The Chicago Innovation Awards ceremony is the largest annual celebration of new products, services and organizations across industries and sectors in the Midwest. Out of 344 nominees, Friends was selected to be one of this year's Top 100 Finalists. A panel of judges will narrow this list down to the final 20 Chicago Innovation Award Winners, to be announced on November 16 during the awards celebration.
Vote Now until October 17
YOU can support Friends’ application by voting now in Chicago Innovation’s People's Choice Award voting. The Chicago Innovation Award judges will be meeting over the coming weeks to select the final 20 winners, and the public is invited to choose their favorite innovation of the year too. Voting will be open until Tuesday, October 17th.
Friends is a nominee for the Natural Solutions Tool, which had its public launch earlier this year at our 2023 Chicago River Summit. The Natural Solutions Tool is a multi-benefit project prioritization tool designed to catalyze strategic green infrastructure projects. A key feature of this new and powerful online-mapping tool includes parcel prioritization – at the neighborhood level – that will drive investments in green infrastructure to areas of the Chicago-Calumet River watershed and beyond with the greatest need and opportunity, harnessing the power of nature to achieve multiple social, environmental, and economic benefits within communities – equitably.
YOU can support Friends’ application by voting now in Chicago Innovation’s People's Choice Award voting. The Chicago Innovation Award judges will be meeting over the coming weeks to select the final 20 winners, and the public is invited to choose their favorite innovation of the year too. Voting will be open until Tuesday, October 17th.
Friends is also nominated for the Alford-Axelson Award for Nonprofit Managerial Excellence. The Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management at North Park University presents the award annually. The purpose of this award is to recognize and celebrate Chicago area nonprofit organizations that exemplify extraordinary managerial excellence. Friends is one of this year’s four Finalists and will learn who the grand prize winner is in October at the Axelson Center’s 2023 Nonprofit Conference. Friends is honored to receive this recognition for a second consecutive year, and congratulates our fellow Finalist organizations: Girls on the Run, Ignite, and Shore Community Services.
