Announcing the Top Nominees for the 5th Annual CLASSY Awards

San Diego, CA – The CLASSY Awards, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, is proud to announce the Top Nominees for the 5^th Annual CLASSY Awards. The 8 Winners will be announced onstage at the CLASSY Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 3^rd in San Diego, California.

“We are excited to play a part in recognizing some of the most significant achievements in the social sector worldwide,” said Pat Walsh, co-founder of the CLASSY Awards. “These organizations are driving significant progress against our most challenging social issues, and we are honored to share their success.”

The CLASSY Awards is the largest social impact awards ceremony in the country, celebrating the greatest champions of social progress. More than 3,600 organizations worldwide were evaluated as part of the comprehensive, yearlong discovery process. The Awards Leadership Council, a 100-person board comprised of top leaders and cause experts from around the world, has reviewed the Top Nominees to determine the Winners. Their unique perspective and valuable insight establishes this recognition as one of the most prestigious honors in the social sector.

“We believe that everyone has a role to play in building a better world for all people,” said Elizabeth Gore, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the UN Foundation. “The CLASSY Awards brings together the best leaders in the social sector. The collective work of these organizations helps advance the United Nations’ humanitarian goals, and we are proud to help honor these nominees.”

This year’s Top Nominees include:

ACTIVE DUTY & VETERAN SERVICES

• Blue Star Families, Inc.
• Camp Better America
• Easter Seals Dixon Center
• Fisher House Foundation
• Give an Hour
• Justice for Vets
• Soldier On, Inc.
• The Mission Continues
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS)
• VeteransPlus

ANIMAL & WILDLIFE WELFARE

• Best Friends Animal Society
• Halifax Humane Society
• People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
• The Wild Animal Sanctuary
• World Vets

DISASTER RELIEF & PUBLIC SAFETY

• International Medical Corps
• Liter of Light USA
• Medair
• NYCMedics
• RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

EDUCATION ADVANCEMENT

• Achieving the Dream
• Blue Engine
• buildOn
• DC Action for Children
• Diplomas Now
• Friends of the Children
• Higher Achievement
• Moneythink
• Project Lead The Way, Inc.
• Right To Play
• Room to Read
• Team4Tech
• The After-School Corporation
• Turnaround for Children, Inc.
• UClass

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

• Acterra
• Amazon Watch
• American Rivers
• Bonneville Environmental Foundation
• Center for Biological Diversity
• Climate Action Reserve
• Conservation International Foundation
• Ecotrust
• Endangered Species International
• Health in Harmony
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch
• Sustainable Harvest International
• The Paradigm Project
• The Xerces Society
• World Wildlife Fund, Inc.

HEALTH SERVICES

• A Home Within
• APOPO Hero Rats
• Blood:Water Mission
• Cancer Research Institute
• DKT International
• Family Health Centers of San Diego
• Global Birthing Home Foundation
• Hearing Health Foundation
• Himalayan Cataract Project
• Invest in Kids
• Jacaranda Health
• Jhpiego
• Lazarex Cancer Foundation
• Marley’s Mission
• Network Against Malaria
• Noah’s Light Foundation
• Solar Cookers International
• St. Baldrick’s Foundation
• The Creative Center at University Settlement
• The Translational Genomics Research Institute
• Unite for Sight
• Unitio, Inc.
• Verbal Applications, Inc.

HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE

• Centro De Los Derechoes Del Migrante, Inc.
• Darkness to Light
• Defy Ventures, Inc.
• Free the Slaves
• Games for Change
• Good World Solutions
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation
• Immigration Equality
• Just Like My Child Foundation
• Justice for Families
• Kids in Need of Defense
• Made in a Free World
• One Colorado Education Fund
• PCI Global (Project Concern International)
• Polaris Project
• Prevent Child Abuse America
• Prison Entrepreneurship Program
• Restaurant Opportunities Centers United
• Sanlaap North America
• Scouts for Equality
• Services & Advocacy for GLBT Elders (SAGE)
• Truckers Against Trafficking
• WITNESS

POVERTY & HUNGER RELIEF

• Action Against Hunger
• Adventure Project
• BRAC
• City Harvest
• Community Solutions
• Convoy of Hope
• Design Impact
• FINCA International
• Interise
• Medical Teams International
• MEND
• Mercy Housing
• Namati
• Oxfam America
• Plant With Purpose
• Project Healthy Children
• Pure Water for the World
• Root Capital
• TechnoServe
• Ubuntu Education Fund
• Vittana Foundation
• Water Missions International
• WaterAid
• Wholesome Wave

More information about the CLASSY Awards Top Nominees can be found at: http://www.classyawards.org/classy-awards/nomineesor email tloubier@stayclassy.org.

Tweet this: Join the top social innovators & @classyawards Nominees driving global #socialprogress at the #CLASSY14 weekend! http://ow.ly/vRIEy

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About the CLASSY Awards

The CLASSY Awards, in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, is the largest social impact awards ceremony of its kind, celebrating the greatest champions of social progress. The yearlong initiative identifies and evaluates organizations in eight major cause categories, including Active Duty & Veteran Services, Animal & Wildlife Welfare, Education Advancement, Environmental Protection, Health Services, Human Rights & Social Justice, Poverty & Hunger Relief, Disaster Relief & Public Safety. The winners are determined by the CLASSY Awards Leadership Council, an honorary board of leaders and experts whose unique perspective and valuable insight establishes this recognition as one of the highest honors in the social sector. For more information, visit www.classyawards.org.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. Through innovative campaigns and initiatives, the Foundation connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by global corporations, foundations, governments, and individuals. For more information, visit www.unfoundation.org.