Baltimore, MD – At the Standards for Excellence Version 2.0 Forum on May 28, over 60 representatives from Maryland’s nonprofit community gathered to celebrate the re-launch of the Institute's signature resource, Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector®. The event was held at Maryland Nonprofits’ headquarters at the Union Mill Building, 1500 Union Avenue in Baltimore. It included presentations from several nonprofit experts in the region including Michael Daigneault of Quantum Governance, LC3, Brigette Rouson of Rouson Associates, Don Tebbe of LifeAfterLeadership.com, and Vernetta Walker of BoardSource. Greg Cantori, President & CEO of Maryland Nonprofits, hosted and spoke at the forum. The event was also attended by executive directors of organizations accredited under the Code of Excellence, such as Hillary Lindeman of the Human Services Coalition of Prince George’s County, Dan Puskar of Association of Partners for Public Lands, and Tom Bonderenko of Moveable Feast. Attendees had the opportunity to network with other nonprofit professionals involved with Maryland's Standards for Excellence program, including Licensed Consultants, volunteers, and Sealholders. After a courtyard breakfast, guests participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony to usher in the program enhancements. The forum then offered presentations on new resources and tools developed to compliment the Code, results of comprehensive research on the impact of the Standards for Excellence program, and in-depth discussions on nonprofit topics such as succession planning and cultural competency.

Stephen H. Morgan, Executive Director of The Arc Baltimore said “Attending the Maryland Nonprofits Standards for Excellence Forum provided an exciting opportunity to learn what the new Standards will mean for nonprofits like ours that voluntarily live by the Standards for Excellence code and have earned the Seal of Excellence. It was impressive to learn about the care, effort and diligence that the task force invested in the creation of SFX 2.0 – taking attainment of SFX Accreditation to an even higher plane. We are already planning how we can incorporate the enhancements in the months and years to come.”

"The revised Standards for Excellence are reflective of the evolution of today's nonprofit sector. The six guiding principles and 67 standards provide a guide for responsible and ethical nonprofit management and governance that demonstrate best practices at every level," said E. Kim Rhim, Executive Director of The Training Source, Inc. About the Standards for Excellence Program The Standards for Excellence originated as a special initiative of Maryland Nonprofits in 1998 and has since expanded into a national program to help nonprofit organizations achieve the highest benchmarks of ethics and accountability in nonprofit governance, management and operations. The program has been formally adopted by twelve state, regional and national affiliate organizations, and is supported by 66 Licensed Consultants and over 100 volunteers with professional experience in nonprofit governance and administration. Since its inception, the program has accredited over 200 individual nonprofit organizations that completed a rigorous application and review process to demonstrate adherence to the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for the Nonprofit Sector. In 2008, BoardSource named the Standards for Excellence code as “one of the most important milestones in the field of nonprofit governance in the last 20 years.” The Institute’s program has been cited as exemplary at hearings and roundtables before the US Senate Committee on Finance and the American Society of Association Executives. About Maryland Nonprofits Maryland Nonprofits is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit associations and serves as the collective voice for over 28,000 nonprofit organizations in Maryland. Maryland Nonprofits helps develop and support a nonprofit’s ability to engage communities by educating their boards, staff, and volunteers through professional development opportunities; group savings on services; the Sector Connector newsletter; addressing government and legislative issues; and providing key information on how to start and operate a nonprofit. With over 1,400 members and 300 associate members across the state, Maryland Nonprofits promotes the Standards for Excellence Institute, a nationally-replicated accreditation program that enhances governance, management and the public’s trust in the nonprofit sector. If you would like to learn more about the enhancements to the Standards for Excellence program, the national taskforce, details about the accreditation process, or general information about the program, visit the Standards for Excellence page at marylandnonprofits.org, or contact Amy Coates Madsen, Standards for Excellence Program Director, at 443-438-2314 or acmadsen@mdnonprofit.org. Click here for a list of organizations within Maryland that are tier-recognized or fully accredited with the Standards for Excellence program.