2026 WSPN Philanthropy Awards (Thursday, August 27, 2026)

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Honorees Announced

The 24th Annual WSPN Philanthropy Awards will take place on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026 at College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn.

At the heart of the philanthropic community are people-organizers, communicators, mentors, and innovators, all who are willing to inspire, enlighten, feed, heal, shelter, educate, and nurture the people in our community. Each year, West Suburban Philanthropic Network recognizes these outstanding individuals, businesses, foundations, and corporations and the skilled, fundraising professionals who serve alongside them through our Annual Philanthropy Awards.

We invite you to help us celebrate the people, groups, businesses, and organizations that will be recognized in these categories:

Philanthropist of the Year: Laurie McMahon, nominated by Child’s Voice

Humanitarian of the Year: Erica Nelson, nominated by Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center
Young Philanthropist of the Year: Kendall Tai Nghiem, nominated by Kulchitt Toy Vilaichitt
Grantmaker of the Year: Nanette Silva of Community Memorial Foundation, nominated by DuPage Health Coalition and many others
Philanthropic Foundation of the Year: Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley, nominated by the City of Aurora
Philanthropic Service Club of the Year: The Clarendon Hills Lions Club, nominated by People's Resource Center
Philanthropic Business of the Year: Mesón Sabika, nominated by DuPagePads
Nonprofit Executive of the Year: Geri Kerger, CEO, NAMI DuPage nominated by NAMI DuPage and DuPagePads
Nonprofit Volunteer of the Year: Cindy Blaszak, nominated by Brookfield Zoo Chicago

We are able to provide networking and growth opportunities all year long thanks to our generous sponsors of our annual awards program.

We invite you to:

View SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION.
Download the SPONSORSHIP FORM.

We appreciate your support!

Learn more about our sponsors by visiting their websites

Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley

People's Resource Center

Ronald L. McDaniel Foundation

DuPage Foundation

Child's Voice

College of DuPage Foundation

NAMI DuPage

DuPagePads

Glen Ellyn Children's Resource Center (GECRC)

WSPN 3rd Thursday Education: Defining Your Culture of Philanthropy: Shared Ownership for Greater Impact Through Curiosity, Purpose and Partnership (Thursday, September 17, 2026)

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 13:30:00 GMT

A culture of philanthropy is an environment where fundraising is viewed as a shared responsibility, donors are treated as trusted partners, and generosity is woven into the core mission rather than left to a single department.

This interactive program will:

Start by grounding your work in your values and your organization’s “why”

Explore strategies to lead with curiosity to deepen and strengthen your relationships with programs and funders

Identify spaces in your work to intentionally elevate shared ownership of the work

Participants will have an opportunity for personal reflection, shared learning and action planning to boost their working relationships with their program partners and donors.

About Us Consulting Purposeful Facilitation

Is a practice driven model for guiding meaningful conversations to enhance engagement, shared ownership and positive outcomes and impact. Our model is grounded in extensive experience in systems change, coalition building, program development and professional development. As social workers, we are grounded in the vital partnership of people, their communities and the organizations supporting them.

Marjory Lewe-Brady, LCSW

Marjory has been in the field for over 40 years. She has clinical experience with families and systems of care. This foundation contributed to her recognition for successful collaboration development, which brings people together across sectors for effective system design work and program implementation. Fundraising and managing grant-based budgets were a key aspect of this work. She has a passion for coaching leaders to utilize their whole selves for rewarding careers.

Joie Frankovich, LCSW MPH

Joie has a proven track record in collective impact frameworks. With extensive experience in systems change, coalition building, and program development, her strengths-based facilitation encourages diverse stakeholders to collaborate for meaningful outcomes.

WSPN upcoming events

2026 WSPN Philanthropy Awards (Thursday, August 27, 2026)

Honorees Announced

WSPN 3rd Thursday Education: Defining Your Culture of Philanthropy: Shared Ownership for Greater Impact Through Curiosity, Purpose and Partnership (Thursday, September 17, 2026)