The Center created the Nonprofit Sector Stewardship Awards in 1995 to recognize nonprofits that demonstrate the high standards of accountability, ethics, and stewardship that the public expects of them as tax-exempt organizations. The Center’s statewide Board of Directors serves as the selection committee. The 2008 Awards are sponsored by Prudential Financial, Inc.

Founded in 1983, Action for Children North Carolina advocates for the well-being of children. It does this byeducating and engaging people across the state to ensure that North Carolina’s children are healthy, safe, well-educated, and have opportunities for success.

Accepting the award for Action for Children were President & CEO Barb Bradley; Polly Hathaway, chair of the Board of Directors; Randi Munns, office manager; Angella Bellota, research and data analyst; and Josh Meyer,director of communications. Presenting the awards for the N.C. Center for Nonprofits were Jane Kendall, president; Doris Stith, vice chair of the Board of Directors; and Trisha Lester, vice president.

"We are honoring Action for Children North Carolina for its focus on advocacy and collaboration to improve public policies that affect people’s lives. The ability to develop workable solutions to difficult public problems is a hallmark ofthe nonprofit sector and careful stewardship of resources,” said Kendall. “Action for Children also used sound practices in nonprofit management and governance to transform itself into a results-oriented organization that is truly statewide. Its board and staff defined what ‘child well-being’ means, and they are measuring tangible progress toward this goal.”