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Elevate Excellence: Recognizing Leadership in Association Management

NOMINATIONS DUE BY FEB. 6, 2026 AT 11:59 PM CT

Nominations are now open for the Association Forum Honors Awards program—our opportunity to celebrate individuals and partner members who have made a significant impact on the association community. These awards honor those who exemplify innovation, leadership, and dedication to advancing the profession.

Award recipients will be recognized at the Honors Gala™, an evening dedicated to celebrating achievement and leadership within our industry.

NEW! The Awards & Scholarship Committee has updated criteria and eligibility for this year's application cycle. Please review these carefully as some items have changed. For questions, contact awards@associationforum.org.

Learn more about all the awards, including criteria and eligibility, here.

Nominations are required for the following awards:

  • Samuel B. Shapiro Award for Chief Staff Executive Achievement
  • John C. Thiel Distinguished Service Award
  • Chirs Mahaffey Inspiring Leader Award
  • Association Professional Achievement Award

SUBMIT A NOMINATION

Welcoming Environment Organizational Award

If you are interested in the Welcoming Environment Organizational Award, this form will serve as both your nomination and application. Learn more about criteria and eligibility here. Fill out the form by Feb. 6, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. CT to be considered.

SUBMIT AN APPLICATION 

Awards Purpose Statement

The purpose of Association Forum’s awards program is to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement, leadership, and service within the association management and nonprofit community.

Guiding Principles

  • Transparency in Evaluation: Clearly communicate to applicants how selection criteria are weighted, ensuring a fair and open process.
  • Eligibility Screening: Applicants must meet all eligibility requirements, which are assessed prior to scoring. Only eligible candidates proceed to the evaluation stage, where criteria are used to distinguish among nominees.
  • Criteria and Eligibility: While nominees are not required to meet every criterion, they must satisfy all eligibility requirements to be considered.
  • Membership: Applicants will be required to select their membership type (including non-member) on each application. This will be verified by Association Forum staff and give the committee more clarity when judging submissions.
  • Nomination and Presentation: Nominees and applicants must be living at the time of nomination; however, awards may be presented posthumously in recognition of lifetime achievement.
  • Award Categorization: Each award will be tagged according to its focus, such as “Career Achievement” or “Leadership,” to reflect the nature of the recognition.
  • Organizational Awards: Organizational awards should be prioritized and presented first during Honors Gala to highlight collective achievement.
  • Conflict of Interest: Employees of partner organizations or award sponsors are not eligible for nomination to maintain impartiality and integrity in the selection process.

Rules

Recommendations for Association Forum’s Honors Awards recipients (with the exception of the Woman of Influence Award) will be made by Association Forum’s Awards & Scholarship Committee and ultimately approved by Association Forum’s Board of Directors. The Woman of Influence Award will be selected by the Women's Executive Forum's Program Advisory Group. The Awards & Scholarship Committee/Women's Executive Forum Program Advisory Group will conduct an extensive review of the nomination forms, application forms, and supporting information. Applicants will be rated on their responses, nominations, letters of support, and/or other documentation, based on the criteria and eligibility requirements for each of the awards as described below. Members of the Association Forum Board are not eligible to apply for Honors Awards or the Welcoming Environment Organizational Award.