AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award

The American Marketing Association Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award honors extraordinary leadership and achievement in the field of nonprofit marketing.

The AMAF is thrilled to recognize Leah Chandler of Discover Puerto Rico as the 2024 National Nonprofit Marketer of the Year and Jody Shiroma of PBS Hawai’i as the Regional Nonprofit Marketer of the Year! Click here to read more about these incredible award winners.

Watch this video to learn about marketing trailblazers whose work has been honored by this award:

Eligibility

Nominees must be currently employed at a nonprofit organization with an active 501(c)(3) category tax status and their current responsibilities must focus on the branding, marketing, and communications aspects of a nonprofit organization.

When nominating someone for the AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year, please consider the following three categories:

Strategy

Has the candidate achieved breakthroughs and advances in organizing and planning in the context of nonprofit organizations
Has the candidate developed unique methodologies?
Has the candidate shown effective collaboration inside the organization as well as with outside partners?
Has the candidate successfully implemented creative approaches to solving marketing and communication problems?

Results

Has the candidate employed effective methods of measurement?
Has the candidate’s work helped their organization achieve both short- and long-term goals?

Vision and Leadership

Has the candidate’s work helped advance or transform their organization or the field of nonprofit marketing?
Has the candidate shown thought leadership by speaking and writing on nonprofit marketing?
Has the candidate been recognized by others in the field for their work?

Process

Nominating someone for this award is simple. Fill out a short form and we’ll notify the nominee, asking for a more detailed candidate profile. (Self Nominations are Accepted).

At that point, nominees will be asked to choose which of our two award categories best fits their organization:

National/International Nonprofit (Larger nonprofit with a wide reach)
Regional/Local Nonprofit (Smaller nonprofit making an impact in their direct community or region)

Traditionally, a six-judge panel consisting of members of at least one AMA Foundation Committee member, and at least one past award recipient will evaluate the entries. The AMA Foundation reserves the right to appoint judges outside of these categories as it sees fit in order to maintain a representative judging committee in terms of marketing expertise and function. All judges will be leaders and experts in the field of nonprofit marketing with careers as nonprofit marketing academics, consultants, and practitioners. The Award Committee reserves the right to reassign applicants to the award category they deem appropriate. It is up to the discretion of the Awards Committee to reward and acknowledge honorees as the committee deems appropriate.

Recognition and Benefits

The recipient(s) of the AMA Foundation Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award will receive:

One year paid membership to the AMA and an award plaque
Complimentary registration to a future event
Recognition virtually to our community of over 24,000 members

AMA Foundation

As the philanthropic arm of the AMA, the AMA Foundation champions individual marketers who are making an impact in our profession and community. We recognize marketing visionaries who have elevated the field, and we support the next generation of marketers who will transform the profession.

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Previous Recipients

2022 Winners

National Nonprofit: Cindy Rahman, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, March of Dimes
Regional Nonprofit: Katie Ferrell, Director of Marketing & Communications, Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana

2021 Winners

National Nonprofit: Amy Pearson-Wales, SVP, Communications & Public Affairs, SightLife
Regional Nonprofit: Christian Doucette, Director of Community Engagement, CaringKind

2020 Winners

National Nonprofit: Lisa Sherman, President and CEO, The Ad Council
Regional Nonprofit: Justine Burke, Vice President of Marketing, Metropolitan Ministries, Inc

2019 Winners

National Nonprofit: Melissa Fors, Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation
Regional Nonprofit: Jennifer GoodSmith, Vice President of Mission Advancement, Chief Advancement Officer/Chief Marketing Officer, The Anti-Cruelty Society

2018 Winners

National Nonprofit: Artis Stevens, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, National 4-H Council
Regional Nonprofit: Andrew Goldberg, Vice President, Marketing, Adrienne Arscht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County

2017 Winner

Lisa Bowman, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, United Way Worldwide

2017 Honorable Mention

Amy Shearer, Chief Marketing Officer, Philadelphia Zoo

2016 Winner

Nicole Dorrler, Vice President, Marketing, Truth Initiative

2015 Winner

Ettoré Rossetti, Director, Social Media & Digital Marketing, Save the Children

2014 Winner

Kate Grant, Chief Executive Officer, Fistula Foundation

2013 Winner

John G. Rodman, Director of Museum Experience, The Preservation Society of Newport County

2012 Winner

Anne Marie Dougherty, Executive Director, Bob Woodruff Foundation

2011 Winner

Brendan Hurley, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, Goodwill of Greater Washington

2010 Winner

Stephanie Hogarth, Chief Marketing Officer, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

2010 Honorable Mentions

Joel Bartlett, Director of Marketing, PETA
Susan de Cuba, Vice President of Community Outreach, Treasure Coast Hospice

2009 Winners

Nonprofit Marketer of the Year Award: C. Eric Overman, Director of Online Communities & Social Media, Operation Smile
Special Marketing Initiatives Award: Anne Bergquist, Vice President, Brand Management and Marketing, YMCA of Metro Chicago
Social Media Award: David J. Neff, Director of Web, Film and Interactive Strategy, American Cancer Society – High Plains

2008 Winners

Jay Aldous, U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Kyle Zimmer, First Book

2008 Honorable Mentions

Carl Mitchell, Virginia Economic Bridge, Inc.
David B. Waters, Community Servings, Inc.
Douglas A. Staples, March of Dimes Foundation
Linda Smith, Opportunity Village
Mike Tringale, Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
William “Bill” Robert Gombeski Jr., University of Kentucky Medical Center