Nominations Sought for Community Foundation Awards

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore annually celebrates local philanthropic service through its annual awards, and is now accepting nominations until August 31, 2025 for the Richard A. Henson Award for Nonprofit Excellence, the Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award, and the Mary Gladys Jones Volunteer of the Year Award.  Award winners are announced each year at the Community Foundation Annual Meeting, which will be held November 7, 2025. These awards are considered among the most prestigious philanthropic service honors in the Lower Shore region. Recipients must first be nominated for an award and then selected by a committee of community volunteers.

To nominate an individual or organization for one of the awards, visit CFES.org/awards and complete the application. The award recipients will be announced in early November by the Community Foundation.

Mary Gladys Jones Volunteer of the Year Award: Recognizes an individual who has made outstanding, sustained and unselfish contributions to community service. The Foundation will grant $1,000 to the Volunteer of the Year Award winner’s charity of choice.

Richard A. Henson Award for Nonprofit Excellence: Presented annually to a qualified 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Somerset, Wicomico, or Worcester counties which has implemented a program or project that has made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of residents of the Lower Eastern Shore. The Foundation will grant a $5,000 donation to the recipient.

Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award: Recognizes an individual who has made outstanding, sustained, and unselfish contributions to community enrichment and whose vital ideas and personal sacrifices exemplify the philanthropic spirit of our community. The Foundation grants $2,500 to the Morris Award winner’s charity of choice.