The 7th Annual Long Island Imagine Awards was held Tuesday, April 30, 2019, 6:00-9:30pm at the Crest Hollow Country Club, Woodbury, NY. Over 450 of the region's top nonprofit executives, volunteers and corporate sponsors attended this gala event which was created to offer formal acknowledgement to some of Long Island's most effective and innovative nonprofit organizations.
Over 170 nonprofit applications were submitted to win $5,000 grants in each of five categories: Innovation, Leadership Excellence, Rising Star, Social Impact and Arts and Culture. Of this pool of worthy applicants, 20 were selected as finalists and one in each category as well as a Fan Favorite was awarded the grant LIVE at the awards ceremony. The winners are:
Cerini & Associates Social Impact Award
The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation Arts & Culture Award
Certilman Balin Leadership Excellence Award
* Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman, Executive Director & CEO, Tiegerman
Empire National Bank Innovation Award
Vanguard Insurance Agency Rising Star Award
Nerds That Care Fan Favorite Award
In its seventh year, the Imagine Awards are the premiere awards program on Long Island for the nonprofit sector. "Tonight, was all about the nonprofit sector, honoring those that truly make a difference on Long Island," said Kenneth Cerini, Managing Partner of Cerini & Associates, LLP, the Awards' founders. "This year's finalists and winners were all amazing ... they truly exemplify some of the best the nonprofit sector has to offer."
The Long Island Imagine Awards recognizes the following major sponsors:Cerini & Associates, LLP, Certilman Balin, The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation,Empire National Bank, Vanguard Insurance Agency, Digital Waterworx, Long Island Business News and MAGII Pension Services. For more information visit www.imagineawardsli.com
2019 Imagine Award Winners (L-R) Master of Ceremonies, Doug Geed, News12 Long Island, Certilman Balin Leadership Excellence Award winner, Dr. Ellenmorris Tiegerman, Tiegerman, Imagine Awards founder Kenneth Cerini, Managing Partner of Cerini & Associates, LLP, Vanguard Insurance Agency Rising Star Award & Nerds That Care Fan Favorite Award winner, Keith Caputo, Helping Makes U Happy and Empire National Bank Innovation Award winner Dori Scofield, Paws of War. Not pictured Cerini & Associates Social Impact winner Island Harvest and The Claire Friedlander Family Foundation Arts & Culture winner Bay Street Theater.
About The Long Island Imagine Awards:
The Long Island Imagine Awards, hailed as the "Academy Awards for Nonprofits" is the leading awards program recognizing innovation and leadership in the nonprofit sector on Long Island. This grant competition was established in 2012 by Ken Cerini, CPA, Managing Partner of Cerini and Associates, LLP. The Long Island Imagine Awards receives hundreds of applications each year from Long Island-based nonprofits who want to spotlight their innovation in programming, social impact and overall excellence. Winners are announced LIVE at the event after their video is premiered in front of an audience filled with over 400 supporters of the sector. Each finalist receives a complimentary video, and the winners receive a $5,000 grant to further fund their missions. Nearly $200,000 has been distributed since inception.
