Research Awards
2023 Submissions closed on June 6*
*Unless noted otherwise.
Distinguished Achievement and Leadership in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research Award
The Distinguished Achievement and Leadership Award is given annually for significant and sustained contributions to the field through leadership as a researcher or practitioner. Nominees must have demonstrated outstanding achievement(s) as a researcher or practitioner in the field of nonprofit and voluntary action research and/or significant leadership achievements in the advancement and promotion of such research or practice over an extended period of time.
AWARD AMOUNT: $1,000 USD
Please note: Nominees need not to be active members of ARNOVA by the time of nomination, but should be considered long-time members of the ARNOVA community.
Submission Requirements
- Two (2) Letters of Nomination (a maximum of two letters, two pages each): One letter must come from a different current institutional base than that of the nominee and at least one must be an ARNOVA member. Self-nominations will not be considered.
- The Nominee’s Curriculum Vitae
- All nominations must be submitted electronically in a single PDF formatted file to assure their integrity. Word documents will not be considered.
Additional notes
- At least one nominator needs to be an active member of ARNOVA
- The award recipient will be invited to present a personal address to ARNOVA members at the Opening Luncheon during the annual conference
- The award recipient is expected to pay and register for the annual conference
- The award recipient is responsible for booking and paying for their accommodations during the conference
- The award prize will be paid to the awardee(s) electronically after the conference. The Award winner(s) should provide all the information required for ARNOVA to process the payment
- The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year
IMPORTANT DATES
2024 dates to be confirmed.
2023 - Richard Steinberg | Read Remarks
2022 - Alan Abramson | Read Remarks
2021 - Judith Saidel | Read Remarks & Jack Quarter - Posthumously | Watch tribute
2020 - Melissa Stone | Read Remarks
2019 - Susan Ostrander | Read Remarks & Dwight Burlingame | Read Remarks
2018 - Evelyn Brody | Read Remarks
2017 - David Renz
2016 - Thomasina Borkman
2015 - Jeffrey L. Brudney
2014 - Joseph Galaskiewicz
2013 - Steven Rathgeb Smith
2012 - David Hammack
2011 - Margaret E. Harris
2010 - Robert D. Herman
2009 - Marion Fremont-Smith
2008 - Peter Dobkin Hall
2007 - Joel Fleishman
2006 - Elizabeth Boris
2005 - Kirsten Gronbjerg
2004- Dennis Young
2003 - Lester M. Salamon
2002 - Victor V. Murray
2001 - Felice Perlmutter
2000 - Robert L. Payton
1999 - David E. Mason
1998 - John G. Simon
1997 - Burton Weisbrod
1996 - Virginia A. Hodgkinson
1995 - Amitai Etzioni | David Billis
1994 - Jon Van Til | Ralph M. Kramer
1993 - David Horton Smith | Robert Bremner
Gabriel G. Rudney Memorial Award for an Outstanding Dissertation in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research
The Outstanding Dissertation is awarded annually for a Ph.D. dissertation completed and/or defended in the three years prior to the award (2020, 2021, and 2022). Dissertations that contribute to the advancement of theory, conceptualization, research, or practice closely related to nonprofit organizations or voluntary action are eligible.
AWARD AMOUNT: $1,000 USD
Nominations are especially invited in the areas where Gabe Rudney made significant research contributions during his lifetime: patterns of giving, tax policy and charitable giving and the nonprofit sector, economic contributions of the sector, or comparative international studies.
Submission Requirements
- Letter from Advisor explaining the nature of the work and how well it meets criteria for excellence in its field.
- An Extended Abstract, approximately five (5) pages. Nominees should be prepared to send a copy of the full dissertation upon request.
- All proposals must be submitted electronically in a single PDF formatted file to assure their integrity. Word documents will not be considered.
Additional notes
- Applicants need to be active members of ARNOVA prior to the notification date
- The award prize will be paid to the awardee(s) electronically after the conference. The Award winner(s) should provide all the information required for ARNOVA to process the payment
- The award recipient is expected to pay and register for the annual conference as condition of acceptance of the award. Exceptions may apply and be considered by the ARNOVA staff case by case
- Award recipient is responsible for booking and paying their accommodations during conference
- The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year
IMPORTANT DATES
2024 dates to be confirmed.
2023 - Samantha Zuhlke, University of Iowa, “A Political Theory of Nonprofits: Partisanship, Policy, and the Rise of the Nonprofit Sector”
2022 - Qun Wang, Center for Philanthropic Studies, Indiana University Bloomington, “Differentiated Government Control: Political Connections and Revenues to NGOs In China” ❘ Honorable mention: "The Promises And Challenges of Community Philanthropy: Place Dilemma, Community Leadership, and Public Engagement on Social Media", Viviana Chiu-Sik Wu, University of Massachusetts Amherst
2021 - Peggy Sue Claire van Teunenbroek, Center for Philanthropic Studies, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Lots of people give me money: Towards a comprehensive understanding of social information effects on donation behavior ❘ Watch Acceptance video
2020 - Jiawei Sophia Fu, Where Does Innovation Come From? Exploring the Dynamic Processes of Organizing and Managing Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation
2019 - Cassandra Margot Chapman, Toward a triadic understanding of charitable giving: How donors, beneficiaries, fundraisers, and social contexts influence donation decisions | Noah Jacobsen Isserman, Venturing into public good: From venture capital to the creation of state-supported venture philanthropy and its implications for third sector financing
2018 - Erynn Beaton, Managerialism, Mission, & Values: Micromechanisms of Nonprofit Institutionalization.
2017 - Claire Dunning, Outsourcing Government: Boston and the Rise of Public-Private Partnerships, 1949-present.
2016 - Tyrone M. Freeman, Gospel of Giving: The Philanthropy of Madam CJ Walker (1867-1919)
2015 - Sheila Cannon, Surviving the Peace: Process of Organizational Identity Work in Response to Deinstitutionalisation of Irish Peacebuilding.
2014 - Catherine E. Herrold, Bankrolling the Arab Spring: The Role of Philanthropy in Egypt's Political Transition. | Honorable Mention: Stijn Van Puyvelde, Applying Agency Theory to Nonprofit Governance: Theoretical and Empirical Contributions.
2013 - Khaldoun AbouAssi, Hands in the Pockets of Mercurial Donors: How Three Theories Explain NGO Responses to Shifting Funding Priorities.
2012 - Lewis Faulk, Nonprofit and Foundation Behavior in Competitive Markets for Grants.
2011 - No Award Given
2010 - Cristina Balboa, When Non-governmental Organizations Govern: Accountability in Private Conservation Networks.
2009 - Julie Darnell, Free Clinics: What are They, and Why Does the Number Vary Geographically.
2008 - Laurie Mook, Social and Environmental Accounting: The Expanded Value Added Statement.
2007 - Chris Einolf, The Roots of Altruistic Behavior: A Gender and Life Course Perspective.
2006 - Jiang Ru, Environmental NGO's in China: The Interplay of State Controls, Agency Interests and NGO Strategies.
2005 - Rene Bekkers, Giving and Volunteering in The Netherlands: Sociological and Psychological Perspectives.
2004 - Angela Bies, Nongovernmental Accountability in Poland: Mandatory versus Discretionary Self-Regulation.
2003 - Dara Z. Strolovitch, Closer to a Pluralist Heaven? Women's, Racial Minority, and Economic Justice Advocacy Groups and the Politics of Representation.
2002 - Patricia Dautel Nobbie, Testing the Implementation, Board Performance and Organizational Effectiveness of the Policy Governance Model in Nonprofit Boards of Directors.
2001 - Eric Twombly, Organizational Response in an Era of Welfare Reform: Exit and Entry Patterns of Human Service Providers.
2000 - Mark A. Hager, Explaining Demise among Nonprofit Organizations.
1999 - Betty Jane Richmond, A Social Audit Model to Measure the Impact of a Nonprofit Organization. | Honorable Mention: Ira Silver, Preventing Fires While Feeling the Heat: Philanthropists and Community Organizations Collaborating to Address Urban Poverty.
1998 - Loretta Sullivan Lobes, ’Hearts All Aflame’: Women in the Development of New Forms of Social Service Organizations, 1870-1930.
1997 - Jessica Elfenbein, To ‘Fit Them for Their Fight with the World’: The Baltimore YMCA and the Making of the Modern City, 1852-1932.
1996 - Femida Handy, A Micro-foundational (Economic) Analysis of Nonprofit Organizations.
1995 - Gaynor Strickler, VISTA: A Study in Organizational Survival.
1994 - Sheila Nelson | Kevin Barrett
The Lester M. Salamon Memorial Award for Promising PhD Proposal in Nonprofit and Voluntary Action Research
This award, endowed in memory of pioneer researcher Lester Salamon, is given annually for a Ph.D. dissertation proposal successfully defended during the calendar year preceding the award. Proposals that are deemed likely to advance the study of the philanthropic and nonprofit sector in innovative ways that promise to have a theoretical and practical impact on the field are eligible.
AWARD AMOUNT: $500 USD
Nominations are especially invited in the issue areas where Lester Salamon made significant research contributions during his lifetime:
- Economic impact of the nonprofit sector;
- Variations in the civil society sector across the globe;
- Government and nonprofit sector partnerships;
- Interplay between the nonprofit sector in the U.S. and elsewhere
The author's advisor normally submits nominations.
Submission Requirements
- Letter from Advisor explaining the nature of the work and how it is expected to advance our understanding of the field
- An Extended Abstract, approximately five (5) pages
- All proposals must be submitted electronically in a single PDF formatted file to assure their integrity. Word documents will not be considered.
Additional notes
- Applicants need to be active members of ARNOVA prior to the notification date
- The award prize will be paid to the awardee(s) electronically after the conference. The Award winner(s) should provide all the information required for ARNOVA to process the payment
- The award recipient is expected to pay and register for the Annual Conference as condition of acceptance of the award. Exceptions may apply and be considered by the ARNOVA staff case by case
- Award recipient is responsible for booking and paying their accommodations during conference
- The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year
IMPORTANT DATES
2024 dates to be confirmed.
Best Conference Paper Award - NOMINATIONS OPEN
Papers presented at the ARNOVA Annual Conference can be nominated for this award. Nominations can be submitted by the paper authors or any ARNOVA member.
Papers presented at the Annual ARNOVA Conference may be nominated for anonymized review through the online platform.
Authors can self-nominate their papers on the submission platform; nominations will also be collected during and after the Annual Conference through this online platform. Papers nominated should be uploaded to the submission’s platform between October 24, 2023, and May 30, 2024, at 11:59 PM EST.
All papers will be adjudicated for anonymized review in the spring of 2024 and announced during the summer of 2024.
Any papers that have not removed all identifying information will not be considered for the award.
Eligibility Requirements
- At least one of the paper authors need to be active member of ARNOVA prior to the notification date
- The paper submitted for award consideration should be the same version presented at the conference
- Nominators are not required to be active members of ARNOVA
- The award recipient is required to pay and register for the Annual Conference as condition of acceptance of the award. Exceptions may apply and be considered by the ARNOVA staff case by case
- Award recipient is responsible for booking and paying their accommodations during conference
- The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year
IMPORTANT DATES
2024 to be confirmed.
AWARD AMOUNT: Award Plaque
2023 - Shuyi Deng, University of Minnesota, “The Cost of Color? Race-conscious Mission Statements and Nonprofit Funding”
2022 - Kelly LeRoux, University of Illinois Chicago, Julie Langer, Northern Illinois University, and Samantha Plotner, University of Illinois Chicago, "Nonprofit Messaging and the 2020 Election: Findings from a Nonpartisan Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) Field experiment" | Honorable mention: "What Makes the Chinese Nonprofit Sector Grow? A Cross-Province Configurational Analysis", Jiahuan Lu, Rutgers University - Newark, Bin Chen, Baruch College CUNY, Qiang Dong, China Agricultural University
2021 - Yuan Cheng, Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota, Jodi Sandfort, Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington Seattle, "Administrative Reform to Overcome Institutional Racism: Exploring Government’s Trust Building Tactics to Renew Relationships with Community-based Organizations"
2020 - Tyrone Freeman, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, "More Hands than We Originally Thought: W.E.B. DuBois, the Atlanta Conferences, and the Overlooked "Origins of the Serious Study of Philanthropy."
2019 - Mark Ottoni-Wilhelm, Indiana University - Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Sarah Smith, University of Bristol, Kimberley Scharf, University of Birmingham, "Lift and shift: The effect of fundraising interventions in charity space and time"
2018 - Chiu-Sik (Viviana) Wu, University of Pennsylvania, Weiai Xu, University of Massachusetts, Chao Guo, University of Pennsylvania, “The Place Dilemma of Community Foundations: ‘Equalizing’ the Inequality?”
2017 - Elizabeth Dale, Seattle University, Jacqueline Ackerman, IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Debra J. Mesch, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Una Okonkwo Osili, Indiana University, Silvia Garcia, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, “Giving to Women and Girls: An Unexamined Field of Philanthropy”
2016 - Beth Gazley, Indiana University, Chao Guo, University of Pennsylvania, "What do We Know about Nonprofit Collaboration A Comprehensive Systematic Review of the Literature"
2015 - Ming Hu, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jiangang Zhu, Sun Yat-Sen University, "Community Reconstruction after the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake: Reflections on Participatory Development Theories"
2014 -Chao Guo, University of Pennsylvania, Gregory D. Saxton, University at Buffalo, SUNY, "Speaking and Being Heard: How Advocacy Organizations Gain Attention in the Social Media World"
2013 - Roseanne Mirabella, Seton Hall University, “Towards a More Perfect Nonprofit: The Performance Mindset and the ‘Gift’”
2012 - Laurie Paarlberg, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Richard Clerkin, North Carolina State University, Darlene Rodriguez, Salem College, “Place, Time and Philanthropy: Exploring Geographic Mobility and Philanthropic Engagement”
Outstanding Article in Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly (NVSQ)
All articles published in the previous year’s volume of NVSQ are considered for this award. No nominations required.
AWARD AMOUNT: $500 USD
2023 - Tracey M. Coule, Sheffield Hallam University, Jennifer Dodge, University at Albany–SUNY and Angela M. Eikenberry, University of Nebraska at Omaha, “Toward a Typology of Critical Nonprofit Studies: A Literature Review” Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 51(3), 478–506.
2022 - Brad R. Fulton, O’Neill School at Indiana University, "Bridging and bonding: Disentangling two mechanisms underlying the diversity–performance relationship" - NVSQ Vol 50(1), 54-76
2021 - Per G. Svensson, Louisiana State University, Tara Q. Mahoney, SUNY Cortland, and Marion E. Hambrick, University of Louisville, "What Does Innovation Mean to Nonprofit Practitioners? International Insights From Development and Peace-Building Nonprofits" ❘ Watch Acceptance Video
2020 - Ruth Simsa, University of Economics and Business-Vienna, Paul Rameder, WU Vienna, Anahid Aghamanoukjan, Distance Learning University of Applied Sciences Vienna and Marion Totter, University of Economics and Business-Vienna, "Spontaneous volunteering in social crises: Self-organization and coordination"
2019 - Avner Ben-Ner, University of Minnesota, Darla J. Hamann, St. Cloud State University and Ting Ren, Peking University HSBC Business School, "Does Ownership Matter in the Selection of Service Providers? Evidence From Nursing Home Consumer Surveys"
2018 - Humphrey Bourne, University of Bristol, UK, and Zoe Lee: University of Bath, UK, Managing Dual Identities in Nonprofit Rebranding: An Exploratory Study | AND | Mirae Kim, Georgia State University, "The Relationship of Nonprofits' Financial Health to Program Outcomes: Empirical Evidence from Nonprofit Arts Organizations"
2017 - Floris Vermeulen, Debra Minkoff and Tom van der Meer, "The Local Embedding of Community Based Organizations" - NVSQ Vol. 45, No. 1
2016 - Lehn Benjamin, Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, and David Campbell, University of California Davis, "Nonprofit Performance: Accounting for the Agency of Clients" - NVSQ, 44(5)
2015 - Kelly LeRoux, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Kelly Krawczyk, Auburn University, "Can Nonprofit Organizations Increase Voter Turnout? Finds From an Agency-Based Voter Mobilization Experiment"
2014 - Gerhard Speckbacher, "The Use of Incentives in Nonprofit Organizations"
2013 - Anaïs Périlleux, Marek Hudon, and Eddy Bloy, "Surplus Distribution in Microfinance: Differences Among Cooperative, Nonprofit, and Shareholder Forms of Ownership" (Vol. 41, Issue 3)
2012 - Sarah Busse Spencer, "Culture as Structure in Emerging Civic Organizations in Russia"
2011 - Angela Bies, "Evolution of Nonprofit Self-Regulation in Europe"
2010 - Nuno Da Silva Themudo, "Gender and the Nonprofit Sector"
2009 - Lehn Benjamin, "Account Space: How Accountability Requirements Shape Nonprofit Practice"
2007 - W. Richard Scott, Sarah Deschenes, Kathryn Hopkins, Anne Newman and Milbrey McLaughlin, "Advocacy Organizations and the Field of Youth Services: Ongoing Efforts to Restructure a Field"
2006 - Judith Y. Weisinger and Paul F. Salipante, "A Grounded Theory for Building Ethnically Bridging Social Capital in Voluntary Organizations"
2005 - Mary Alice Haddad, "Community Determinates of Volunteer Participation and the Promotion of Civic Health: The Case of Japan" | Honorable Mention: Mark Schlesinger, Shannon Mitchell and Bradford H. Gray, "Restoring Public Legitimacy to the Nonprofit Sector: A Survey Experiment Using Descriptions of Nonprofit Ownership"
2004 - Marc Hooghe, "Participation in Voluntary Associations and Value Indicators: The Effect of Current and Previous Participation Experiences"
2003 - Dag Wollebaek and Per Selle, "Does Participation in Voluntary Associations Contribute to Social Capital? The Impact of Intensity, Scope, and Type" | AND | Alnoor Ebrahim, "Information Struggles: The Role of Information in the Reproduction of NGO-Funder Relationships"
2002 - Mark Chaves and William Tsitsos, "Congregations and Social Services: What They Do, How They Do It, and With Whom"
2001 - Mark Chaves and William Tsitsos, "Congregations and Social Services: What They Do, How They Do It, and With Whom"
2000 - Mark Chaves and William Tsitsos, "Congregations and Social Services: What They Do, How They Do It, and With Whom"
1999 - Mark Chaves and William Tsitsos, "Congregations and Social Services: What They Do, How They Do It, and With Whom" | Honorable Mention: Janet S. Greenlee and Theresa P. Gordon, "The Impact of Professional Solicitors on Fund-Raising in Charitable Organizations"
1998 - Susan M. Chambre, "Civil Society, Differential Resources, and Organizational Development: HIV/AIDS Organizations"
1997 - Susan M. Chambre, "Civil Society, Differential Resources, and Organizational Development: HIV/AIDS Organizations"
1996 - Susan M. Chambre, "Civil Society, Differential Resources, and Organizational Development: HIV/AIDS Organizations"
1995 - Sheila Nelson, "Catholic Elementary Schools in Chicago’s Black Inner City: Four Modes of Adaptations to Environmental Change"
1994 - Javier Diaz-Albertini, "Nonprofit Advocacy in Weakly Institutionalized Political Systems: NGDO’s in Lima Peru"
Best Reviewer for NVSQ
The Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly is the official journal of ARNOVA. All active reviewers for the previous year’s volumes of NVSQ are considered for this award. No nominations required.
AWARD AMOUNT: $500 USD
2023 - Young-joo Lee, University of Central Florida
2022 - Debbie Haski-Leventhal, Macquarie Business School AND Weiai (Wayne) XU, University of Massachusetts Amherst
2021 - Marcus Lam, University of San Diego ❘ Watch Acceptance Video
2020 - Dyana Mason, University of Oregon
2019 - Per G. Svensson, Louisiana State University
2018 - Christopher Einolf, Northern Illinois University
2017 - Marc Jegers, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
2016 - Ram Cnaan, University of Pennsylvania
2015 - Michael L. Shier, University of Toronto
2014 - Woods Bowman, DePaul University
2013 - Kyu-Nahm Jun, Wayne State University
2012 - Thad Calabrese, New York University
2011 - Mark Hager, Arizona State University
Best Poster Award
All posters presented at the ARNOVA Annual Conference are considered for this award. No nominations required.
At each ARNOVA Annual Conference this award is given for the best poster presentation. Posters are judged by a group of ARNOVA members that volunteer each year to be part of the selection committee. Consideration is given to the contribution to the field, relevance to the conference theme and overall presentation.
- All posters presented at the ARNOVA Annual Conference are considered for this award. To submit a poster, check out the submissions page.
Additional Notes
- You do not need to be a member of ARNOVA to submit a poster, but you must be an ARNOVA member to present and attend the conference.
- All accepted presenters are expected to join ARNOVA and pay the conference registration fee. The award recipient is required to register for and attend the ARNOVA Awards Luncheon as a condition of acceptance of the award.
- Award recipient is responsible for booking and paying for their accommodations during the conference.
- The award recipient may be asked to serve on the committee in the following year.
IMPORTANT DATES
2024 dates to be confirmed.
2023 - Kotomi Yokokura, University of Kentucky, Saerim Kim, Suffolk University, Boston, Dr. Andrew Sullivan, University of Central Florida, Hyokyung Kwak, College of Charleston and Emily Nwakpuda, University of Texas at Arlington, “What are communities doing to address racial disparities in homelessness?”
2022 - Sungeun Kim, Oakland University, “The effects of nonprofit collaboration on equity in service delivery after COVID-19”
2021 - Dr. Michelle Abraczinskas, Gabriella Alexis, Dr. Jenee’ Duncan, Zoe Flowers, Chandler LeBlanc, Alina McCloud, and Dr. Kimberly Wiley, University of Florida, “Centralizing Black Students’ Voices: University and Community Crisis Responses to COVID-19 and the BLM Movement”
2020 - Eugena Anderson, “The intersection of black philanthropy and Sports Philanthropy”
Runner ups:
Misun Lee’s, “We produce public goods: Classifying social enterprises through public goods theory”
Jonathan Oxley’s “Does additional mandatory reporting alter charity or donor behavior? Examining the 2006 pension protection act”
2019 - Bok Jeong, Min-Chung Han, Megan Winnicker and Jessie Coronel, Kean University, "Does Social Media Marketing Enhance Online Users’ Positive Attitude and Behavior Towards Non-Profit Organizations"
2018 - Seth Meyersand and Rebecca Pena, Rutgers University
2017 -Daniela Schroete, Western Michigan University
2016 -
2015 -
2014 - Kathleen Gallagher, Southern Methodist University and Matthew Ehlman, The Numad Group
2013 -
2012 -
2011 - Steffen Bethmann, Sibylle Studer and Georg Von Schnurbein, CEPS - Centre for Philanthropy Studies University of Basel
2010 - Isabella M. Nolte, University of Hamburg