For additional information regarding current and future award information, click here

The Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation

A Message from Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005)

Most of the successes we've had these last 30 years in tackling social problems in America: educating disadvantaged children; fighting alcohol and drug abuse; rehabilitating youthful criminals; combating cardiac and mental disease, have been attained by nonprofit organizations -- some of them big and national, some quite small and purely local. Nonprofit organizations have been equally successful in improving their own effectiveness: in attracting new groups of volunteers; in converting volunteers from helpers to partners; in building donor-constituencies; in making their boards effective; in placing into second careers in their organizations experienced business executives. America 's nonprofit organizations have, in fact, been the country's leading innovators.

Innovation is change that creates a new dimension of performance. All nonprofit organizations must be governed by performance, not merely good intentions. To do so, they must begin with mission, for the mission defines what results are for any organization. In the social sector, as in business and government, performance is the ultimate test of an organization. Every nonprofit organization exists for the sake of performance in changing people and society.

In the years ahead, America 's nonprofits will become even more important. As government retrenches, Americans will look increasingly to the nonprofits to tackle the problems of a fast-changing society. These challenges will demand innovation -- in services, and in nonprofit management. The purpose of the annual Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation is to find the innovators, whether small or large; to recognize and celebrate their example; and, to inspire others.

Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation Award Winners