Boston-based nonprofits named finalists for award recognizing excellence in nonprofit innovation

BOSTON, MA (May 28, 2020) The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) announced that Boston-based nonprofits the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI), English for New Bostonians (ENB), and the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) have been selected as finalists for the 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Innovation category.

The winners of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be announced at a virtual awards ceremony, Nonprofit Awareness Day: A Celebration of Nonprofit Excellence on Wednesday, June 24 at 10:00 am. The awards ceremony is presented by Citizens Bank.

“We are thrilled to recognize DSNI, ENB, and PAARI for their invaluable contributions to the Commonwealth,” said Jim Klocke, CEO of MNN. “We look forward to recognizing these organizations and the other award finalists on Nonprofit Awareness Day on June 24.”

“We are honored to be recognized alongside these amazing organizations,” said John D. Lloyd, Executive Director of DSNI. “Our work leading the creation and implementation of an Arts & Innovation District in Upham’s Corner, Dorchester in partnership with the City of Boston, is not only innovative for our community, but a blueprint for developing arts and culture districts throughout the Commonwealth without displacing the residents. We want to thank the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network for uniting nonprofits across Massachusetts.”

“Immigrant-owned businesses are the backbone of Boston’s economy, serving as employers and the glue that keeps neighborhoods vibrant and residents connected,” said Claudia Green, Executive Director of ENB. “For some, though, a lack of English language skills can get in the way of business diversification and expansion. With our partners, English for New Bostonians is proud to have developed a solution that’s tailored to the unique needs of immigrant owners. With new confidence, English vocabulary and business knowledge, these entrepreneurs communicate more freely with customers and vendors; connect with resources; and flourish.”

“We are thrilled to be a finalist for this incredible distinction,” PAARI Executive Director Allie Hunter said. “Our innovative work with public health and public safety agencies has saved thousands of lives and this nomination is a testament to our partners’ steadfast commitment to helping those with substance use disorders enter into recovery.”

The Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Innovation category recognizes an organization that has utilized new models, solutions, or strategies to adapt to a changing environment or to find new ways of solving problems faced by the organization.

In addition to the Boston-based nonprofits, the Gloucester-based Ocean Alliance and the Marlborough-based Thrive Support & Advocacy were also announced as finalists for the 2020 Nonprofit Excellence Award in the Innovation category.

During the virtual Nonprofit Awareness Day on June 24, Nonprofit Excellence Awards will be presented to one finalist in each of the following six categories: Advocacy, Collaboration, Innovation, Leadership, Small Nonprofit, and Young Professional.

This year, an independent panel of judges reviewed over 130 nominations for the Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The 27 finalists range from large education providers to small arts organizations, and represent different regions of Massachusetts.

In the weeks leading up to Nonprofit Awareness Day, nonprofits across the state are engaging in a social media campaign with the hashtag #MAkingadifference to raise public awareness of nonprofits’ important contributions to Massachusetts.

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About the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network

The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) brings together nonprofits, funders, business leaders, and elected officials to strengthen nonprofits and raise the sector’s voice on critical issues. MNN’s mission is to strengthen the Massachusetts nonprofit sector through advocacy, public awareness, and capacity building. The network has more than 750 nonprofit member organizations and more than 150 business affiliate partners. massnonprofitnet.org

About the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative

Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative’s (DSNI) mission is to empower Dudley residents to organize, plan for, create and control a vibrant, diverse and high-quality neighborhood in collaboration with community partners. DSNI is nationally recognized for its community land trust (CLT), which is the largest urban CLT in the country and was established as a tool for community control and the creation of permanently affordable housing. Today, DSNI’s strategies are: Development without Displacement, Youth Voice, Resident Empowerment and Neighborhood Development. DSNI’s latest initiative is leading the implementation of an Arts and Innovation District in Boston’s community of Upham’s Corner. dsni.org

About English for New Bostonians

English for New Bostonians’s (ENB) mission is to invest in the future of the region by fostering a high-quality English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) system that prepares immigrants to pursue their educational, economic, and civic aspirations. ENB provides funding, teacher-training, and technical assistance to ESOL programs. ENB’s English for Immigrant Entrepreneurs initiative proves the English skills of immigrant small business owners to enable them to expand markets, access business assistance, and help invigorate local economies. englishfornewbostonians.org

About the Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI)

The Police Assisted Addiction & Recovery Initiative (PAARI) provides training, technical assistance, and strategic guidance to police to help create non-arrest pathways to treatment and recovery. They work with more than 130 law enforcement agencies in Massachusetts alone and a total of 560 police departments nationwide. PAARI and their law enforcement partners are working towards a collective vision where non-arrest diversion programs become a standard policing practice across the country, thereby reducing overdose deaths, expanding access to treatment, improving public safety, reducing crime, diverting people away from the criminal justice system, and increasing trust between law enforcement and their communities. Their programs and partners have saved thousands of lives, changed police culture, reshaped the national conversation about the opioid epidemic and have placed over 26,000 people into treatment since its founding in June 2015. paariusa.org