Nonprofit Mission Awards

Each year, nonprofit organizations across Minnesota make incredible contributions to our state's high quality of life. The Minnesota Nonprofit Mission Awards were created specifically to honor these contributions.

Whether the continued and evolving challenges presented by the pandemic or increasing divisions and disparities in our state and nation, Minnesota nonprofits continue to play vital roles in supporting communities, fostering solutions, and advocating for the change we hope to see.

Since 1987, the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits has been showcasing the work of Minnesota’s outstanding nonprofits through the Nonprofit Mission Awards in the categories of:

Nominations are currently open. Click on the links above to nominate an award-worthy nonprofit today!

See Past Recipients

Nonprofit Mission Awards recipients will receive:

Professional video production highlighting each recipient's award-worthy work
Recognition in front of 700 nonprofit peers at the 2023 MCN Annual Conference in Duluth
A feature profile of your organization in MCN's Nonprofit News reaching 15,000 nonprofit employees
Two free registrations to the 2023 MCN Annual Conference (value $179 each)
Cash award (for all recipients except for Responsive Philanthropy recipient)

Timeline:

February 27 -April 28
Call for Nominations

April 28 - May 22
The Nonprofit Mission Awards Selection Committee will review all complete nominations in the categories of Innovation, Anti-racism Initiative, Advocacy and Responsive Philanthropy and narrow the field of nominations to three finalists in each category. Finalists, as well as all nominations not advanced, will be notified.

May 30 - June 9
MCN member organizations and their staff members will be invited to vote on the winners from the field of finalists. The finalists with the winning number of votes in each category will be selected to receive the awards.

June 12
Recipients will be notified (but will not be publicly announced until October).

September 7
Award recipients are announced.

September
The Nonprofit Mission Awards ceremony will take place during the MCN’s Annual Conference in Duluth on September 20-21, 2023.

Mission Awards Selection Process:

Staff members, board members, volunteers, program recipients, donors, or other supporters may nominate a nonprofit for a Mission Award.

The Nonprofit Mission Awards Selection Committee will then review all complete nominations in the categories of Innovation, Anti-racism Initiative, Advocacy, and Responsive Philanthropy and narrow the field of nominations to three finalists in each category.

All MCN member organizations and their staff members are invited to vote on the winners from the field of finalists. Voters can vote once in each category and must have their MCN Individual Member ID Number in order to cast their votes. The recipients of the four awards will be decided by member votes and the organizations receiving the most votes will win. Finalist organizations and their staff members are not eligible to vote within their own category.