AgeWell Cincinnati team members and other nonprofit leaders from around the state gathered in Columbus on November 8 to be recognized for their achievements at the Ohio Association of Nonprofit Organizations’ (OANO) Nonprofit Excellence Awards. After an extensive nomination review process, AgeWell Cincinnati was named among the top three nonprofit programs in the state. The Excellence Awards recognize creativity, execution, achievement, and overall quality of a specific project or program completed by an Ohio nonprofit.
“I am proud of the AgeWell Cincinnati team for their efforts to provide ease of mind to older adults and their caregivers in our community,” said Jewish Family Service CEO Liz Vogel. “They are dedicated to removing some of the challenges older adults have to finding the services they need, and the team does it with compassion and expertise.”
AgeWell Cincinnati, which was launched in October 2017, is led by Jewish Family Service in partnership with Cedar Village, JVS Career Services, and the Mayerson JCC. Funding is provided by The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati.
Beth Guttman, who was President of The Jewish Foundation when AgeWell Cincinnati was launched, was instrumental to stewarding the project.
“We know that the needs of each older adult in Jewish Cincinnati are unique, and that finding the right solution can be challenging,” Guttman said. “Just knowing where to start can be daunting. AgeWell Cincinnati was created to be that first call—to take the guesswork out of knowing where to turn.
“But the team goes ever farther. After that first call, they coordinate a warm handoff to the organization that can best fit the caller’s needs, and then follow up. We are proud that in one year, the program has truly become the first stop on the journey to aging well in Jewish Cincinnati.”
Other finalists from Southern Ohio included Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland and Marietta Main Street’s Build Up Marietta programs. Organizations completed a nomination process that included an extensive application and review by a committee of nonprofit leaders from around the state. OANO is a statewide membership organization of more than 550 nonprofit organizations representing the breadth and diversity of Ohio’s charitable nonprofit sector.
“We focus on programs because that is where the impact is,” said OANO Executive Director Marcy Williams. “Nonprofits have lots of challenges, so just looking at the size of an organization doesn’t give you the full picture of their quality. Looking at programs puts the organizations on a more even playing field.
“We were so pleased with this year’s nominations. There were some truly outstanding programs.”