2017 HALO Award Winners
On Thursday, February 15, 2018, The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation honored the 2017 HALO Award winners at the historic Marion Davies Beach House in Santa Monica. It was a warm, sunny day full of joyful celebration to recognize some of the most inspiring volunteer “angels” in our community.
Of the 60 total applications received, a Selection Committee, comprised of local nonprofit and foundation leaders, selected six Los Angeles-based nonprofit organizations to be the recipients of a $25,000 grant - $20,000 for the nonprofit to strengthen its volunteer program and $5,000 to a nominated volunteer to honor his or her outstanding service to the organization.
2017 Selection Committee
From left: John Maceri, The People Concern; Kristina Deutsch, The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation; Nancy Stiles, Lake Avenue Community Foundation; Liza Bray, Partners for Children South LA; Simon Lopez; Goodwill Industries of Southern California. Not pictured: Angel Roberson Daniels, The Angell Foundation; Jeff Kim, California Wellness Foundation.
The 2017 awardees, which include Elizabeth House, Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), Los Angeles Center for Law & Justice, Pasadena Educational Foundation, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden, and WriteGirl were officially announced last November, but came together for the first time at the Luncheon to celebrate and publicly recognize their nominated volunteers.
Each year, the Foundation invites an influential individual or organization to speak to the value of service in the nonprofit sector. This year, guests were gifted with an inspiring, heartfelt message from Fred Ali, President & CEO of the Weingart Foundation which works to advance fairness, inclusion, and opportunity for all Southern Californians, especially those communities hit hardest by persistent poverty. Fred shared why service & volunteerism have been and continue to be important parts of his journey in philanthropy.
Keynote Speaker: Fred Ali, President & CEO of the Weingart Foundation
Immediately following the Luncheon, organizations wasted no time kicking-off their year of capacity building support, the third piece of the HALO Award, by convening for a program orientation. At the orientation, the newest awardees had the opportunity to learn from and be encouraged by two past HALO awardees: Anne Viricel, Executive Director, San Bernardino Symphony (2015 winner) and Nancy Stiles, Executive Director, Lake Avenue Community Foundation (2016 winner). Over the next year, the six organizations will receive support in the form of peer networking sessions and one-on-one coachings led by the Foundation and Blue Garnet, a strategy and management firm for social change organizations, to strengthen organizational capacity around volunteerism.
The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation looks forward to working with another group of amazing organizations!
Deborah Enterante, Nancy Norris, and Kate Rhymer (Volunteer Awardee),
Keren Taylor & Clare Sera (Volunteer Awardee), WriteGirl
Alex Nataren & Lilia Aguilar (Volunteer Awardee), Heart of Los Angeles
Russell Faucett & Cindy Walkenbach (Volunteer Awardee),
Jacqueline Chun, The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation &
Annabelle Rosborough, Southern California Grantmakers