Heart of Marin Awards
Where volunteers, nonprofits, and leaders shine.
2023 Nominees
$35,000 in awards and eight categories, recognizing and honoring Sonoma County’s outstanding nonprofit volunteers, leaders and organizations.
Sponsored by: CVNL
2023 Nominees:
Bank of America
Bank of Marin
Ghilotti Bros., Inc.
Kaiser Permanente San Rafael – Petaluma
The Volunteer of the Year Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit is presented to an individual, other than a board member, who has provided exemplary volunteer service to a Marin Nonprofit.
Sponsored by: CVNL
2023 Nominees:
Anne Ardillo, WildCare
Deborah Billetter, North Marin Community Services
Vanessa Bishop, Marin Court Appointed Special Advocates (Marin CASA)
Larry Clayman, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Maren Degraff, Children for Change
Marilyn Freund, Marin Humane
Burt Greenspan & Donna Kalal, Marin Humane
Jay Hamilton Roth, ExtraFood
Stan Jensen, The Marine Mammal Center
Brian Johnson, Community Action Marin
Jeff Lewis, Marin Agricultural Land Trust
Janet Miller, Project Awareness and Special Sports
Richard Moore, Halleck Creek Ranch
Elaine Neuwirth, Beyond Differences
Michael Parnes, Kaiser Permanente San Rafael, General Surgery Department
Laura Podell, Canal Alliance
Ned Purdom, Bridge the Gap
John Ratzlaff, Love is the Answer (LITA)
Gordon Reid, Vivalon
Shawn Rossiter, The Spahr Center
Jason Sarris, Marin Housing for All
Marc Schreiber, Family & Children’s Law Center
Kevin Smead, Friends of China Camp, Inc.
Matt Sullivan, Halleck Creek Ranch
Paul and Juliette Valente, San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Linda Varonin, Homeward Bound of Marin
Kay Williams, First Responder Support Network
Mike Wing, Call of the Sea
The Excellence in Board Leadership Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit is presented to an exceptional volunteer member of a Marin nonprofit Board of Directors.
Sponsored by: BioMarin
2023 Nominees:
Dr. Colleen Arnold, Matrix Parent Network and Resource Center
Robert Hendry, Marin City Community Development Corporation
Jerry Peters, Huckleberry Youth Programs
Carol Rebscher, San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Larry Rosenberger, Marin Promise Partnership
Amy Schroeder, The Spahr Center
Tricia Smith, Sausalito Village
Cyndi Weingard, Adopt A Family of Marin
The Excellence in Innovation Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit is presented to an individual, organization or partnership that has developed new, creative, and effective strategies for advancing solutions to critical issues in our community.
Sponsored by: PG&E
2023 Nominees:
Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity
Big Skills Tiny Homes
Sarah Blevins, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Heidi Carman, First Responder Therapy Dogs
Community Action Marin
Kari Cordero, Napa Solano SANE/SART
Enriching Lives through Music
First Responder Support Network
Marc Gillard, Guide Dogs for the Blind
Kathy Huber, Painted Bins
Daniela Huson, Ocean Conservation Research
Make It Home
NAMI Marin Inc. CBT Workshop Team
National JCC Adult & Senior Alliance (with James Sokol)
Ritter Center
Schools Works Initiative
Side by Side
The Youth Volunteer of the Year award and $1,000 for each youth recipient, is presented to five full-time middle or high school students serving in a Marin nonprofit, education, or faith environment. Up to 5 youth recipients will be selected.
2023 Nominees:
Surabhi Chinta, The Marine Mammal Center
Turner Hudson, Marin County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue Unit
Ryder Lariviere, Boy Scouts of America
Sammy Lee, Youth Leadership Institute and Marin County Youth Commission
Henry Lien, Vivalon
Hiromi Lombardi, Marin Humane
Candice Lucas, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy
Emma McFerron, Children for Change
Jessica Mendieta-Alvarado, Youth Leadership Institute and Marin County Youth Commission
Annika Parmar, Marin County Board of Supervisors
Parker Piombo, Halleck Creek Ranch
Sarani Puri, Homework Helpers
Oliver Valente, San Geronimo Valley Community Center
Kate Van Hooser, ExtraFood
Marcos Vega, Youth Transforming Justice
Olivia Villanova, Becca’s Closet
The Excellence in Leadership Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit, is presented to an executive director who has demonstrated excellence in leadership and whose vision has inspired meaningful and lasting change benefiting the organization and community.
Sponsored by: Marin Community Foundation
2023 Nominees:
Chandra Alexandre, Community Action Marin
Kay Carlson, Marin Open Studios
Kari Cordero, Napa Solano SANE/SART
Shari Cruse, Marin Aquatic Masters
Donna Garske, Center for Domestic Peace
Jacqueline Jaffee, Adopt A Family of Marin
Caroline Peattie, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California
Molly Scannell, Halleck Creek Ranch
Samantha Tradelius, Sparkle Foundation, Inc.
Molly Willenbring, First Responder Support Network
The Achievement in Nonprofit Excellence Award and $5,000 for the recipient’s nonprofit is presented to an organization that has demonstrated exemplary service to their constituents.
Sponsored by: Comerica Bank
2023 Nominees:
Ambassadors of Hope and Opportunity
Community Action Marin
Enriching Lives through Music
Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California
Family & Children’s Law Center
First Responder Support Network
Halleck Creek Ranch
Marin City Community Development Corporation
Marin County Cooperation Team
Marin Shakespeare Company
The Nika Project
Osher Marin Jewish Community Center
Sparkle Foundation Inc.
Vivalon
The Lifetime Achievement Award and $5,000 to be distributed to the recipients’ nonprofit(s) of choice, is presented to an individual who has made a positive and notable difference during their career by significantly contributing to addressing a cause, issue, or discipline.
Sponsored by: Kaiser Permanente San Rafael-Petaluma
2023 Nominees:
Berta Campos-Anicetti
Don Carney
Dave Cort
Laura Euphrat
Donna Garske
Joyce Goldfield
Bettie Hodges
Heidi Kuhn
Jody Lewen
Cindy Machado
Bruce Wagman
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