FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 17, 2011
Contact: Manny Hidalgo, Executive Director
Ash Kosiewicz, Communications and Advocacy Director
202-422-1707; (202) 425-1303
mhidalgo@ledcmetro.org; akosiewicz@ledcmetro.org
WASHINGTON – The Meyer Foundation, a leading funder of nonprofits serving the Washington, DC region, has just awarded one of three 2011 Exponent Awards – which recognize outstanding nonprofit executive directors – to LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo.
“I’m extremely grateful to the Meyer Foundation for recognizing how hard we at LEDC have worked to fulfill our mission in the region,” Hidalgo said. “It’s been an honor to lead this organization during a time when our services have been needed most. We wouldn’t have been able to rise to the occasion without our awesome staff and supportive board. For me, personally, I couldn’t have done it without my loving family, especially my wife Ellisa.”
The Meyer Foundation created the Exponent Awards in 2006 to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of some of the DC region’s most talented, visionary, and effective nonprofit executives—and to provide funds to sustain and further develop their leadership and their organizations. Recipients’ organizations receive a grant of $100,000 over two years to support leadership development.
Each year, the Foundation solicits nominations through an open process, although nominees must lead an organization that receives Meyer Foundation funding and meet other eligibility criteria. In selecting the recipients, the Foundation considered each nominee’s success at increasing the impact of the organization’s work, instituting sound management, and serving as a collaborative community leader.
The Foundation also awarded Exponent awards to Lecester Johnson, Executive Director of Academy of Hope and Amy Nakamoto, Executive Director of DC Scores.
“Despite the challenging economy, each of these leaders has exhibited creativity and perseverance in expanding the reach and impact of their organization’s work,” says Meyer Foundation President and CEO Julie Rogers. “We are honored to recognize three visionary and talented leaders who are working to address some of our region’s most urgent and compelling needs.”
The Meyer Foundation has a long history of supporting and investing in nonprofit leaders. Earlier this year, the Foundation released Daring to Lead 2011, a national study of more than 3,000 nonprofit executive directors in 12 cities across the country. Two out of three respondents said they were likely to leave their jobs within five years, citing the challenges of fundraising, weak boards of directors, and unsustainable financial models as factors that contribute to burnout and turnover.
Daring to Lead 2011 is the third national survey of executive directors Meyer has conducted, in partnership with CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, since 2001. Meyer created the Exponent Award in 2006 as a response to Daring to Lead 2006, which reported even higher rates of burnout and projected turnover.
For more information about the Exponent Award and profiles of previous recipients, visit http://www.meyerfoundation.org/exponent.
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About the Latino Economic Development Corporation
Working families deserve to live in affordable homes and own successful small businesses – but too many are unable to turn these dreams into a reality. The Latino Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) is a community-based nonprofit that equips Latinos and other DC-area residents with the skills and financial tools to create a better future for their families and communities. Participants in our programs learn how to buy and stay in their homes, take control of the decisions affecting their apartment buildings, and start or expand small businesses. To learn more, visit http://www.ledcmetro.org.
A full biography of LEDC Executive Director Manny Hidalgo can be found at http://ledcmetro.org/staff#manny.
About the Meyer Foundation
The Meyer Foundation identifies and invests in visionary leaders and effective community-based nonprofit organizations that are working to create lasting improvements in the lives of low-income people in the Washington, DC metropolitan region, and works to strengthen the region’s nonprofit sector as a vital and respected partner in meeting community needs.
