Editor’s Note

Last year’s Nonprofit Excellence Awards showed us at Springfield Business Journal why this event is so important to the community – and why it needed to come back.

These awards were started by Dan Prater, Drury University’s founding leader of the Center for Nonprofit Leadership. He took the awards with him when he joined accounting firm Forvis Mazars LLP and later approached SBJ with the request to refresh the awards last held in 2020. Last year marked the inaugural event under SBJ’s leadership.

It might seem odd at first glance that a business publication is honoring the nonprofit community. But profits aren’t what we’re chasing here; it’s impact.

Nonprofits are a vital part of our local economy. Through the vibrant workforce they employ and the innovative service methods they develop, Springfield just would not be the community it is without this industry.

We hope you enjoy reading this special section and learning about the passionate people powering our nonprofit sector.

Special thanks to the panel of judges who selected this year’s class of Nonprofit Excellence Awards winners. And thanks to the honorees for giving their time, talent and treasure to serve our community.