Meet the nonprofit communicators whose campaigns turned urgent missions into stories that moved people to act.
PR Daily is proud to announce the finalists for its 2026 Nonprofit Communications Awards. These organizations, teams and communicators represent the very best in mission-driven communications, using strategic storytelling, creative campaigns and purposeful outreach to inform communities, build trust and inspire action.
This year’s finalists demonstrated the many ways communications can advance important causes, from advocacy and awareness campaigns to fundraising, media relations, social media, visual storytelling and more. Their work helped elevate critical issues, engage key audiences and create meaningful impact for the communities they serve.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s finalists,” said Brendan Gannon, senior marketing manager for awards programs. “Their work shows the power of communications to move people, strengthen missions and support the organizations making a difference every day.”
Read on to discover the finalists across all categories. Then, join us for a celebration of excellence at the Nonprofit Communications Awards Luncheon on Sept. 30, 2026, at The Yale Club in New York City. Finalists and industry peers will gather to honor the year’s standout work, reveal the winners live and celebrate the communicators helping nonprofit missions reach further.
AWARDS OF DISTINCTION
Corporate/Nonprofit Partnership of the Year
Genesis Motor North America: Genesis Invitational — California Rises Initiative
Goodwill Industries of Upstate/Midlands South Carolina & LineZero: Transforming Workplace Culture Through Connection, Recognition and Belonging
Nicor Gas: Homes for Tomorrow: Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity Redefine Affordable, Energy-Efficient Living
Nonprofit Communications Campaign of the Year
Ágora: Campaña de Relaciones Públicas para Casa de la Amistad
Cleary Strategies & The Seeing Eye: Mission Critical: Recruiting Volunteer Puppy Raisers
Colorado Gives Foundation: Easily the Best Day to Give
Momentum Communications Group: Feeding New York in Crisis: Mobilizing Media and Advocacy During the SNAP Funding Lapse
Muscular Dystrophy Association: MDA 75th Anniversary: Legacy, Impact, Momentum
SELCO Community Credit Union: SELCO Steps Up
Starlight Children’s Foundation: Give Happiness 2026
UCI Health: Discover UCI Health — Irvine
UNICEF USA: UNICEF USA “We Won’t Stop Delivering What Matters Most”
Nonprofit Communications Team of the Year
ASPCA: ASPCA Communications Team
New Heights Communications
Nuclear Energy Institute: External Communications Team
Pence Media Group: National FFA Organization 2025 Strategic Public Relations Campaign
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty: Storytelling at the Supreme Court
The Huntington: Communications and Marketing Team
CAMPAIGNS AND COMMUNICATION
Advocacy or Awareness Campaign
5by5 Agency: charity: water Experience Lab
AARP: AARP Celebrates Social Security’s 90th Anniversary
American Society of Hematology and FleishmanHillard: Fight4Hematology
Arthritis Foundation: Green Heart Fridays: Turning a Community Symbol Into National Arthritis Awareness
Avoq on Behalf of PBS: Viewers Like Me
International Code Council: Building Safety Month
Penn State’s Office of Strategic Communications: Research or Regress: Transforming How People Understand Research
UFCW Local 832 (UFCW): Let’s Be Blunt
Annual Report
AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida: Spirit of Giving Magazine
International Women’s Forum: International Women’s Forum 2025 Annual Impact Report
Loyola Academy: Profiles of Generosity Loyola Academy Annual Report 2024–25
Suncoast Credit Union: Marketing Team
Article
American Academy of Physician Associates: External Affairs & Outreach
Northwell Foundation: Treating Patients Fully: Philanthropy Advances Mental Healthcare Across Northwell’s Community
Branding or Rebranding Campaign
Alloy Marketing: From Local to Leading: Repositioning NCH as the Region’s First Choice for Care
Coley Porter Bell: The SCAN Foundation
French/West/Vaughan: FWV Works Behind the Scenes to Reveal Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital
Hyundai Hope on Wheels: Hope, Love and Recovery: Hyundai Hope on Wheels’ Global Rebrand
International Coaching Federation: ICF Rebranding
OCCH: OCCH Rebranding Campaign
Pugh & Tiller: Modernizing the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners
The Huntington: The Huntington Rebrand
United Way of Greater Newark & Global Strategy Group: Branding The Hub
Community Impact Report
OneSchool Global: From Local Action to Collective Impact
University of California Health: Evolving UC Health’s Community Engagement Narrative
Community-Nonprofit Partnership
50th Parallel Public Relations: Preparing Our People: Te’mexw’s Treaty Communications Partnership
AstraZeneca Foundation: Creating Health Access for Next Generation Equity (CHANGE)
Genesis Inspiration Foundation: Where Healing Meets Creativity: California Rises and the Power of Youth Arts
The Abbi Agency: The Life You Can Save & Founders Pledge Rapid Response Fund
Content Marketing Strategy
Air Force Museum Foundation: Runway to Reach: Expanding Mission Awareness and Impact Through Deep Audience Understanding
Asbury Communities: Ask Asbury
The Dairy Alliance: Milk’s Got Game
Corporate-Nonprofit Partnership
National 4-H Council: 4-H Signing Season
Nicor Gas: Homes for Tomorrow: Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity Redefine Affordable, Energy-Efficient Living
Providence Swedish: Seattle Sounders Sports Partnership
Suncoast Credit Union: Marketing Team
Susan G. Komen: J.Crew Group
The PepsiCo Foundation: The PepsiCo Foundation and WaterAid Nigeria
Crisis Communications
Food Bank For New York City: Marketing & Communications Team
Planned Parenthood Federation of America: Planned Parenthood Action Fund, I’m For Planned Parenthood, I Fight For Planned Parenthood
Employee Communications
City of Hope Orange County: Marathon Toward Day One
Compass Health: Compass Health’s The HUB
Hyundai Motor America: Hyundai and Genesis: Progress with Purpose Corporate Social Responsibility Newsletter
UC San Diego Health — Office of Experience Transformation: Leading the Way: Quiet, Restful and Healing
Event PR and Marketing
All Points Public Relations: Chicago Coalition for Family Building Annual 5K & Fun Run
American Gaming Association: G2E
City of Hope: This is Hope: Opening Orange County’s Only Cancer Specialty Hospital
KCSA Strategic Communications: KCSA Strategic Communications x Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
Pence Media Group: 25th Anniversary Safe Haven Law Celebration in Indiana
Penn State THON: THON 2026
Executive Visibility Campaign
FleishmanHillard and The White House Historical Association: Elevating the Voice of White House History for America 250 and Beyond
Providence: Providence CEO Executive Visibility Campaign
Fundraising Campaign
Guide Dogs for the Blind: Guide Dogs for the Blind’s Day of Giving (DOG)
Make-A-Wish America: Make-A-Wish “WishMakers Wanted” Campaign for World Wish Month
The Source LGBT+ Center: Build to Belong
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer
Grassroots Campaign
AARP: AARP Celebrates Social Security’s 90th Anniversary
National 4-H Council: Beyond Ready: How 4-H Mobilized Communities Nationwide From Signing Season to State Fairs
Nuclear Matters
Influencer Communications
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): Lifesaver Ambassadors
UPMC: UPMC Influencer Marketing Patient Stories
Marketing Campaign
Advocate Health: Friends Tell Friends About Our OB-GYNs
AIA: Membership Marketing
Broward County Library: Freegal Quest
Call of Duty Endowment: (C.O.D.E.) Legacy: Tracer Pack (#CODELegacy)
Kesem: Joy Out Loud: Children Facing a Parent’s Cancer Awareness Month
LeadingAge PA: Careers to Love
OpAD Media Solutions: Open Enrollment by OpAD Media Solutions For NY State of Health
Starlight Children’s Foundation: Give Happiness 2026
Vibrant Brands: NYS OPWDD #MoreThanWork Campaign
Media Relations Campaign
APCO: “It’s On Us” 2025-2026 Respiratory Season Campaign
Children’s Health: Protecting Texas Families: Children’s Health Leads Measles Education Effort
Momentum Communications Group: Feeding New York in Crisis: Mobilizing Media and Advocacy During the SNAP Funding Lapse
Nationwide Children’s Hospital & The Kids Mental Health Foundation With MediaSource: 2025 Back to School Campaign
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: Media Relations: Highlighting Breakthrough for Cancer Research and Treatment
Member & Volunteer Communications
Cleary Strategies & The Seeing Eye: Mission Critical: Recruiting Volunteer Puppy Raisers
SMACNA: Member Email Communication
SMACNA: SMACNews
The American Board of Anesthesiology: 2025 MOCA Communications Campaign
Multi-channel Campaign
5by5 Agency: charity: water Experience Lab
AARP: AARP Celebrates Social Security’s 90th Anniversary
City of San Antonio: FY2026 City Budget Town Halls
Clarion Housing Group: Celebrating 125 Years of Clarion Housing Group
French/West/Vaughan: FWV Works Behind the Scenes to Reveal Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital
National 4-H Council: Wicked For Good
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Philly Gives
UNICEF USA: UNICEF USA “We Won’t Stop Delivering What Matters Most”
Podcast
Code for America: The Government Fix Podcast
Impact Florida & De LeCourt: What Counts: An Audio-First Intervention for Reframing Math Education
PR Campaign
3rd3rd Marketing: Raising Simpson’s Visibility Through Strategic Public Relations
The Harris Agency: Bridging the Gap Between Ambition and Opportunity
The Plasma Protein Therapeutics Association With MediaSource: IPAW 2025
PR or Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
American Academy of Physician Associates: External Affairs & Outreach
City of San Antonio: River Walk Survey
Nacha: Zero Budget, Real Impact: Promoting Nacha’s 15 Under 40 Awards
The Huntington: Keisha Raines
University of California Health: Grow Grants: Advancing Innovation in Medical Education
Public Affairs Campaign
California YIMBY: Abundant and Affordable Homes Near Transit Act
City of San Antonio: Sports & Entertainment District
Groundwork Collaborative: Consumer Reports, and More Perfect Union, Same Cart, Different Price: Instacart’s Price Experiments Cost Families at Checkout
National Confectioners Association: Sweet Land of Liberty
Publication
American Physiological Society: The Physiologist Magazine
Grand Street Settlement: My First Day The Grand Street Way
Texas Tech University System: Impact
Purpose-Driven Communication
Arthritis Foundation: Green Heart Fridays: Turning a Community Symbol Into National Arthritis Awareness
Food Bank For New York City: Marketing & Communications Team
Hyundai Motor America: Hyundai and Genesis: Progress With Purpose Corporate Social Responsibility Newsletter
Nardi Media: Strategic Communications Campaign: Armed Services YMCA Government Shutdown Response
Wilder: Gratitude
Research, Measurement & Insights
American Gaming Association: Illegal Market Gaming
Life Enriching Communities: Mining Data for Effective Advertising
Milken Institute: Best-Performing Cities 2026: Resilience in a Cooling Economy
Mission Partners, Benefit: 2026 Insights on Purpose Report
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty: Data Behind the Debate: Insights From Becket’s Religious Freedom Index
Social Media Campaign
AARP: AARP Celebrates Social Security’s 90th Anniversary
AltaMed Health Services: Breast Cancer Awareness
Cornerstone Government Affairs: Coming Together as One Voice to Save Lives: OVAC’s Social Campaign to Strengthen Federal Funding for Cancer Research & Prevention
MKC Strategies & ECNL: ECNL “A Day in the League”: Inspiring, Showcasing, Celebrating the Commitment of Top Youth Athletes
Pipitone: Pressley Ridge: Home is Where Hope Grows
Video
Adventist Health: I Am More Than Breast Cancer
Advocate Health: GATHER Video for Project Equinox
AltaMed Health Services: Women’s Wellness: Fibroids & PCOS
American Dairy Association Mideast With MediaSource: 2025 Butter Cow Campaign
Beech Acres Parenting Center: Love Grows Here — Nico’s Story
Bethany Children’s Health Center: Mattie Homes — The Dewayne Model
Jurupa Community Services District: JCSD Picnic in the Park 20th Anniversary
Northwell Foundation: Philanthropy Advances Mental Healthcare at Northwell: Austin’s Story
Phoenix Children’s Foundation: A Robot for Gabriel
Providence: Faces of Providence Video Series
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer
Tulane University: “On the Rise: Our Downtown” Video
University of California Health: Educating Legislative Audiences About the Power of UC PRIME
Vibrant Brands: NYS OPWDD #MoreThanWork Campaign
Visual Storytelling
AdventHealth Foundation Central Florida: Spirit of Giving Magazine
Helios Education Foundation: 20 Year Anniversary
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty: From Storybooks to the Supreme Court: Visualizing Mahmoud v. Taylor
Website
AIA: From Complexity to Clarity: An Audience-Driven UX Transformation of AIA.org
American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy: ASGCT Website
Children’s Health: Modernizing Childrens.com: Building a Future‑Ready Digital Front Door
Grand St. Settlement: www.grandsettlement.org
International Coaching Federation (ICF): From Silos to Seamless: How the ICF Built a Website Experience Around People, Not Products
Pacers Sports & Entertainment/Pacers Foundation: Digital Marketing Web/UX
Pugh & Tiller: Modernizing the National Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners
Southcoast Health: Southcoast Health Website Redesign
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center: Only Possible Here, The Campaign to End Cancer
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