GiveSmart Loves Its Community Award Winners

GiveSmart's third annual class of Community Award winners came out on top in support of their missions

OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill., Feb. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GiveSmart by Community Brands proudly announces the 2022 class of Community Award winners. Each of these individuals or nonprofit organizations stood out among thousands of finalists in 2022. The winners got creative, sought out new ways to raise money, and added campaigns to accelerate their fundraising. And because of their tenacity, each deserving mission is one step closer to being realized.

"We're honored to be able to work with the thousands of nonprofits that trust us to power their fundraising and donor management," remarked Steve Greanias, GiveSmart General Manager. "Our Community Awards celebrate select winners' deserving work, and we are thrilled to honor their efforts and dedication. We look forward to seeing what all of our partners accomplish in 2023!"

Each of these organizations is a part of the GiveSmart Community which brings together nonprofit leaders who aim to accelerate their fundraising through peer examples, industry insights, and relationship building.

See how GiveSmart can make your fundraising event management functions quicker and easier with a demo at givesmart.com/demo/. To stay up to date on GiveSmart, visit and subscribe to GiveSmart's blog and follow the company on LinkedIn.

The five winners of this awards class are:

Networker of the Year – Kaya Nielsen from the Humane Society of Utah (Murray, Utah)

The Humane Society of Utah is dedicated to the elimination of pain, fear, and suffering in all animals, especially those in Utah.GiveSmart is proud to award Kaya the Networker of the Year award, given to the individual who made the most peer connections via the GiveSmart Community.

"Connecting with others in the nonprofit arena is so valuable, because they may have tried similar ideas that did or didn't work. We can discuss challenges, successes, and learning lessons as well. The GiveSmart Community is an incredible group with a wealth of knowledge, and I feel so fortunate to be a part of it," shared Nielsen on her win.

Researcher of the Year – Jamie McDougall from Holy Rosary School (Detroit Lakes, Minn.)

Holy Rosary Parish School builds Gospel values and promotes academic excellence by providing opportunities that develop and nurture the overall well-being and potential of each student within the Catholic tradition. GiveSmart is proud to award Jamie the Researcher of the Year award, given to the individual who dove into more GiveSmart resources than anyone else.

"I'm new to fundraising and development as a career, so the ideas and feedback I've been able to glean from all the various opportunities GiveSmart provides have been helpful as I learn and grow in my position. There's a lot of thinking outside the box, which generates fresh ideas and new ways to reach and engage donors and volunteers to support a cause," said McDougall on her achievement. 

Early Adopter of the Year – Dick Vitale Gala, benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research (Cary, N.C.)

GiveSmart is proud to award the Dick Vitale Gala benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research the Early Adopter Award, which is given to the organization that raised the most across all solutions of the GiveSmart platform in 2022. The V Foundation funds game-changing research and all-star scientists to accelerate victory over cancer and save lives and the Dick Vitale Fund for Pediatric Cancer specifically champions pediatric cancer research efforts.

On their success, The V Foundation commented, "Our success is achieved by a year-round effort to raise funds beginning even before the previous year's event has occurred.  We do not pause after an event. It is a day-in, day-out effort to increase awareness, solicit funds, market and promote the event, and leverage digital tools like GiveSmart to be efficient and effective in our outreach." 

Rookie of the Year – San Jose Earthquakes Foundation (San Jose, Calif.)

Out of the thousands of nonprofits who joined GiveSmart in 2022, the San Jose Earthquakes Foundation had the most success! Due to the unwavering support of their supporters, they can continue to promote unity through sport, improve health and fitness outcomes for local youth, and combat food insecurity in their community.

The San Jose Earthquakes Foundation remarked, "We have an awesome fanbase that is extremely supportive of the club and its initiatives! With GiveSmart, we were able to reach supporters across the country that we haven't interacted with in the past.

Thanks to the fundraising we did with GiveSmart during 2022, we were able to contribute to multiple initiatives including food insecurity, homelessness, LGBTQ+ organizations, health and wellness, and youth soccer."

Super User of the Year – Emergency Assistance Foundation (West Palm Beach, Fla.)

The Emergency Assistance Foundation (EAF) is the oldest and largest standalone charity designed solely to administer global disaster and hardship relief funds to individuals in need around the world. GiveSmart is proud to award the Emergency Assistance Foundation the Super User of the Year, given to the organization that hosted the most fundraising campaigns.

The EAF shared this advice for those who aspire to be Super Users, "Always keep your mission in mind and communicate the need for donations to support this mission through various channels to as many people as possible. Plan fundraising campaigns throughout the year, especially during times like giving season when people are more likely to give. And partner with organizations, like GiveSmart, that can provide professional advice and offer user-friendly donation capabilities."

About GiveSmart
GiveSmart is a mobile bidding, fundraising, event management, and donor management software. Our mission is to help nonprofits, schools, and foundations reach their fundraising goals while creating an engaging, exciting, and easy giving experience for their donors. All. Year. Round. GiveSmart has helped our partners raise over $5.7 billion. Learn more at givesmart.com.

Contact: Karen Wright, [email protected]

SOURCE Community Brands