Clifton-based Sax LLP, an accounting, tax and advisory firm, announced recently it gave out its first annual Founder’s Award, which celebrated the positive work of local nonprofits, and awarded one organization with a $15,000 gift for sustainability efforts.
The winner was Imagine: A Center for Coping with Loss. The check will support Imagine’s mission to provide year-round peer support groups for families and children who are dealing with loss due to death or a life-altering physical illness.
“We’ve come a very long way, and we serve hundreds of families now with our support services for children who are grieving and who need a place to feel comfortable, safe and warm … and a place where they can relate to people who are going through a similar situation. Thank you for helping us, because the work we are doing changes the trajectory of young people’s lives,” Stuart Arnold, Imagine’s board chair and the organization’s representative at the event, said when receiving the check.
Sax’s not-for-profit practice initiated the application process for the award, and nearly 190 nonprofit organizations entered to win by explaining how their organization is perpetuating sustainability and/or the measures they are putting in place to reach sustainability. Four judges went through the submissions to determine the winner, which was announced at the Founder’s Award ceremony Jan. 25 at The Chart House in Weehawken.
About 200 not-for-profits attended the event. The event’s food and beverage sponsor was Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
“When I first saw the application for Sax’s Founder’s Award, I was hopeful because sustainability is something we’ve been focused on since day one of our founding,” said Mary Robinson, Imagine founder and executive director, who wrote the winning essay. “However, when I heard there were over 180 applicants, I knew it would be tough to stand out among so many other worthy not-for-profit organizations. When we heard the news from Stu that we were selected, we were thrilled! It was so incredibly validating of our focus and philosophy, and we know in our hearts our mission is one worth sustaining.”
In addition to Imagine, two runner-up organizations were selected for their efforts toward sustainability. Second place was awarded to Partners for Women and Justice, which focuses on free legal assistance to victims and survivors of domestic violence. Third place was awarded to Spectrum360, which focuses on providing quality education and therapeutic programs for individuals with autism.
