The Frist Foundation Awards of Achievement recognizes excellence in Middle Tennessee nonprofit organizations in three categories: Innovation in Action, Making a Difference, and Team Building.

• Finalists in the 2010 Innovation in Action category are: Mercy Children’s Clinic, Rooftop, and Tennessee Wildlife Federation.

• Finalists in the 2010 Making a Difference category are: Books from Birth of Middle Tennessee, Hands On Nashville, Inc., and Middle Tennessee Council, Boy Scouts of America, Inc.

• Finalists in the 2010 Team Building category are: Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

Baptist Healing Trust and Erie Chapman Foundation Servant’s Heart Award recognizes individuals who are providing care and/or assistance to the clients of a nonprofit agency and who are on the “front lines” of the service profession.

• Finalists for the 2010 Servant’s Heart Award are: Sandra Roberts of the Center for Family and Development, Laz O’Leary of Monroe Harding, inc. and Paula Markham of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville.

Baptist Healing Trust Healing Charity Award recognizes a nonprofit where love and compassion characterize its delivery of service.

• Finalists for the 2010 Healing Charity Award are: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee, Hope House, Maury County Center Against Domestic Violence, and Interfaith Dental Clinic.

The Bank of America Chief Executive Officer of the Year Award highlights the importance of executive leadership in an organization’s achievement of mission-related results.

• Finalists for the 2010 CEO of the Year Award are: Melba Marcrum of McNeilly Center for Children, William J. Burleigh of Operation Stand Down Nashville and Jude White of Renewal House.

The KraftCPAs Board Member of the Year Award recognizes board members who go the extra mile for their organizations.

• Finalists for the 2010 Board Member of the Year Award are: Dr. Eugene Regen of Disciples Divinity House at Vanderbilt, Randy Laszewski of Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity, and Tim Garrett of Tennessee Kidney Foundation, Inc.

The Marvin Runyon Leadership Award is presented to a nonprofit agency that has demonstrated sound management strategy in the heat of crisis.

• Finalists for the 2010 Marvin Runyon Leadership Award are: BrightStone, Nashville Safe Haven Family Shelter, Inc., and YWCA of Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

The Ford Motor Company Excellence in Communications Award is presented to the organization that exemplifies the best strategies for planning and executing a communications program designed to advance the mission of the organization.

• Finalists for the 2010 Excellence in Communications Award are: Cumberland Heights, Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee, and Sexual Assault Center.

Salute to Excellence 2010 will be held at the Nashville Renaissance Hotel on September 21, 2010. Nine awards and over $160,000 in grants will be awarded. The awards recognize nonprofits for a job well done and reinforce the importance of effective leadership in the nonprofit sector. The breadth of the awards extends not only to the work of organizations, but includes individual honors for deserving executives and board members. For more information on Salute to Excellence, or to purchase a table, contact Corinne Ciocia at Corinne@cnm.org.