Heart of Marin Awards

Where volunteers, nonprofits, and leaders shine.

31st Annual Heart of Marin Awards

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.

Sponsored by: Redwood Credit Union

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

Thank you to our Presenting Sponsor!

Award & Media Sponsors