On February 23, 2011, YorkArts won the “Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign” award at the 12th Annual Nonprofit Innovation Awards in recognition of the Creative York intiative. The Nonprofit Innovation Awards recognize nonprofit organizations that are innovative in using a new marketing concept to attract financial support, volunteers and/or clients. As the winner, YorkArts took home a check for $2,000 to continue its valuable work in the community.

Nearly 400 people gathered at the Lancaster County Convention Center to celebrate the good works of the 35 organizations and nonprofit leaders being honored. YorkArts was named the winner among six organizations recognized in the category. Three other local organizations and one nonprofit executive were also named winners in their categories and received monetary awards.

An independent panel of judges evaluated qualified nominees and determined the finalists. YorkArts was the top-scorer among the nominees in the “Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign” category. The scores were calculated based on the program’s originality, effectiveness, measurability and the potential for the innovation to be used as a model for other organizations.

“Creative York is a successful collaboration that would not have been possible without our partners and supporters,” states Kevin Lenkner, Executive Director of YorkArts. “YorkArts welcomes all creative organizations and companies to participate in future editions of Creative York.”
This awards program was developed by the Central Penn Business Journal in partnership with the Lancaster County Community Foundation, the York County Community Foundation and The Foundation for Enhancing Communities in order to reward operational ingenuity with both monetary prizes and public acknowledgement of the good work these organizations do for midstate communities.

The 2011 Nonprofit Innovation Awards were presented by Highmark Blue Shield, were a program of the Central Penn Business Journal and were sponsored by: Brown Schultz Sheridan & Fritz; Metro Bank; Philadelphia Insurance Companies; Suasion LLC; Temple University Harrisburg NEST; Netrepid, Inc.; Schaedler Yesco Distribution; Harsco Corporation; and Rutan Productions. The awards were given in cooperation with: The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, the Lancaster County Community Foundation and the York County Community Foundation.