The 2018 Mission Capital Award Finalists
Mission Capital is thrilled to once again present the Mission Capital Awards – a recognition of the leaders and organizations going above and beyond in their service to our community. On Wednesday, October 17 at Austin Saengerrunde, we’ll announce the five award winners and honor Toya Cirica Bell, the 2018 Libby Malone Community Leader of the Year. We invite you to join us in recognizing these outstanding finalists by celebrating their extraordinary work uplifting our community.
The 2018 Award Finalists
The Nonprofit Leadership Award and Outstanding Nonprofit Award recognize leaders and organizations who make powerful progress towards lasting change in our community. Our community is transformed by these influential leaders: Ann Beeson of the Center for Public Policy Priorities, Shilpa Shamapant of Austin Speech Labs, and Larry Elsner of Open Door Preschool. We’re proud to recognize the following nonprofits for their relentless drive and compassion, creating powerful progress within the Central Texas community: Austin Creative Reuse, Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas, and Mothers’ Milk Bank.
“Since 1981, Volunteer Legal Services has provided pro bono civil legal services to individuals and families struggling to make ends meet. Our vision – poverty is not a barrier to justice – fuels our two-fold mission to help individuals access life-changing legal services by matching them with attorneys who donate their time and expertise to resolve civil legal issues and to recruit, train, and support a growing network of dedicated pro bono attorneys."- Excerpt from Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas’ nomination (Outstanding Nonprofit Award finalist)
Nominees for the Aligned Impact Award, School Readiness Action Plan, Best Single Source Plus, and ServeAustin, are cross-sector collaboratives creating system-wide change. Their focus on shared decision-making, execution and ownership create unique and targeted progress through collective power. The Catalyst for Change Award also focuses on individuals who are creating major change with initiatives targeting a specific social issue. These change-making catalysts are Mia Johns of Dress for Success Austin, Kyndel Bennett of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas, and Christina Collazo of Todos Juntos Learning Center.
"Mia Johns’ persistent efforts, vision, and ability to implement effective strategic planning in almost every area have contributed greatly to the success of Dress for Success Austin, and its capacity to empower women from diverse walks of life, ethnicities, and socio-economic groups to seek professional and personal growth."– Excerpt from Mia Johns’ nomination (Catalyst for Change Award finalist)
Cast Your Vote for the Nonprofit Community Award!
Last, but not least, we’re excited for the inaugural Nonprofit Community Award! This is a peer-recognition award highlighting an organization that inspires our community’s nonprofit sector, and your vote determines the winner! We encouraged nonprofit professionals to nominate organizations that support, partner or advocate alongside them, so all nominees are a direct reflection of our nonprofit community’s voice. Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM), Moody Foundation, and TreeFolks are the three finalists, and they need your vote!
“Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) has always partnered with existing provider clinics and specialists to keep costs of care as low as possible. Whether it has been utilizing Seton clinics, or the city MAP programs, or working with Capital Area Dental Foundation, HAAM thinks outside the box for ways to maximize both our service offerings and our cost effectiveness.”- Excerpt from HAAM’s nomination (Nonprofit Community Award finalist)
The 2018 Libby Malone Community Leader of the Year
This year we’re proud to celebrate Toya Cirica Bell as the 2018 Libby Malone Community Leader of the Year for her outstanding dedication and service to the Central Texas community. The Community Leader of the Year Award honors individuals who passionately champion transformational community impact. Toya’s extraordinary volunteer service and inspiring investment in social change – including board service and leadership positions within numerous local and national organizations – speaks for itself:
Austin Young Lawyers Association
American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division
Austin Black Lawyers Association
Travis County Women Lawyers Association
Junior League of Austin
Lone Star Girl Scouts Council
Long Center for the Performing Arts
Mission Capital
Executive Women in Texas Government
the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce
Immediate past board chair of Leadership Austin
All finalists will be announced at the Mission Capital Awards! Purchase your ticket today to join in on the celebration!