The five Philanthropy Awards celebrate outstanding Ohio philanthropists who have made significant contributions to philanthropy in diversity, equity and inclusion; as an emerging leader; through innovation; public policy; or a lifetime of work. We celebrated the 2024 winners at the Philanthropy Forward ’24 conference on September 24 and are pleased to congratulate Adam Hodnichak, bi3 & Interact for Health, Ohio State Bar Foundation, Keith Burwell and Connie Hawk.
Emerging Philanthropist: Adam Hodnichak
The 2024 Emerging Ohio Philanthropist is Adam Hodnichak, executive director of the Union County Foundation, is the 2024 Emerging Ohio Philanthropist award winner.
Since taking the helm in 2022, Adam's leadership has been instrumental in transforming the foundation. He has overseen a substantial increase in the foundation's assets and grantmaking capacity, which has directly benefitted numerous local organizations and initiatives. His involvement with various civic and nonprofit organizations, including Philanthropy Ohio as a member of the Public Policy Committee and his attendance in numerous programs, exemplifies his commitment to continuous learning, community engagement and fostering regional unity. His dedication to making a positive difference in the community is inspiring.
Philanthropy Innovation: bi3 & Interact for Health
bi3 & Interact for Health received the 2024 Philanthropy Innovation Award for their leadership in Hopeful Empowered Youth, or HEY, Cincinnati.
HEY! Cincinnati is a diverse coalition of community groups, health care providers, educators, policymakers' families and most importantly, young people themselves, working collaboratively to create a community that supports the well-being of all youth. Its 10-year vision is to build a community where every young person in Greater Cincinnati enjoys optimal mental health, is free of stigma and is empowered to realize their fullest potential, now and into the future.
“We are delighted to recognize bi3 and Interact for Health for their innovative leadership in developing the HEY! Cincinnati program,” said Philanthropy Ohio Interim President & CEO Claudia Y.W. Herrold. “This initiative would not be possible without the leaders at bi3 and Interact for Health: Jill Miller and Kate Schroder. They are champions for building healthier and stronger communities through philanthropy and continue to lead efforts to find innovative solutions to our community's challenges.”
The Michael G. Shinn Award for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in Philanthropy: Ohio State Bar Foundation
The Michael G. Shinn Award recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a significant contribution to DEIB in philanthropy, and this year’s winner is the Ohio State Bar Foundation. In 2020, the Ohio State Bar Foundation established the Racial Justice Initiative, which has awarded over $1 million in grant funding to support projects that challenge systemic racism and promote justice for historically marginalized communities of color in Ohio. These grants empower grassroots organizations and foster community engagement, focusing on long-lasting impact and institutional change.
Through these and other efforts, like its Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Award and the 2023 Racial Inequities in the Justice System symposium, the Ohio State Bar Foundation promotes racial equity and demonstrates a profound commitment to building a better justice system for all Ohioans.
Public Policy Award: Keith Burwell
The Public Policy Award recognizes a champion in public policy or advocacy work in philanthropy in Ohio who uses their voice with courage to advocate for equity, building stronger communities, and building stronger philanthropy. The 2024 awardee is Keith Burwell. Keith recently retired after serving for 20 years as president of the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, and his contributions to the community will be felt for generations to come.
Keith is a longtime advocate for not only the Greater Toledo Community Foundation, but also philanthropic organizations sector wide. He has led many state and federal efforts to create lasting policy solutions to sustain, strengthen and grow philanthropy in our communities, state and nation. Because of Keith, our philanthropic sector is stronger locally, at the state and federal levels.
Ohio Philanthropy Award: Constance Hawk
This is the lifetime achievement award in philanthropy, and this year’s winner is Constance Hawk, Licking County Foundation strategic initiatives director and immediate past president.
“Over her 17-year tenure, Connie’s leadership has propelled the Licking County Foundation's growth from a $43 million community foundation to its current value of approximately $150 million, housing over 325 individual funds. Through Connie’s courage to take bold community positions; her tremendous skill at operational policies and governance; and her gift for building trusted relationships, Connie transformed and inspired philanthropy in our sector,” said Philanthropy Ohio Interim President & CEO Claudia Y.W. Herrold.
Connie has blazed trails in harnessing philanthropy as an instrument for creative problem-solving. Her instincts led the foundation to be among the earliest adopters of trust-based philanthropy, deepening its relationship with the nonprofit community and adding dimension to relationships with donors.
Connie created a culture of philanthropy at the foundation and throughout the community that invites everyone to be part of creating positive change. Her legacy of courage, inspiration and leadership has left a lasting impact on the sector.
Congratulations to this year’s philanthropy awardees! To learn more, visit philanthropyohio.org/awards.
Alyssa Donahey
Associate, Communications & Membership
Philanthropy Ohio
Philanthropy Ohio’s blog is meant purely for informative discussion of topics, practices and viewpoints in philanthropy. We collaborate with various members, funders, consultants, philanthropy-serving organizations and Professional Partners to bring you quality content. Guest authors are partners in our collective vision for a just and vibrant Ohio through impactful philanthropy. Statements on this blog reflect the author’s personal opinions and do not necessarily fully represent the opinions, policies, practices, values and mission of Philanthropy Ohio. This blog may contain testimonials, opinions and real-life experiences of members. However, the experiences are personal to those particular members, and may not necessarily be representative of all members or of Philanthropy Ohio.