Osage County Historical Museum a finalist at ONE Awards

The Osage County Historical Museum in Pawhuska was among honorees at Saturday night’s Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence Awards in Tulsa. Hosted by the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, twenty-four organizations from throughout the state were recognized for superior leadership and exceptional service to their constituents and communities.

The Osage County Historical Museum was a finalist in the arts and humanities category. Winners in each category were awarded $7,500, while the two finalists in each category receive $5,000 each. Out of nearly 70 organizations nominated for this year’s awards, 24 were selected as finalists.

Jeff Moen, board chair of the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, congratulated all the winners and finalists, saying, “All 24 of the nonprofits honored tonight have demonstrated excellence in their approach to serving the community. Since its inception, the ONE Awards have been transformational to build capacity for more than 200 organizations in Oklahoma through the recognition and grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. We are truly thankful to the visionary philanthropists who have made these awards possible.”

The United Way of Central Oklahoma was selected as the overall winner, receiving the 2016 Charles Schusterman Award for Excellence, as well as a grand prize of $10,000.

The ONE Awards honors a total of 24 organizations in eight categories: arts and humanities, community, education, health services, open services, self-sufficiency, seniors, and youth development.

Other area finalists included the OK Mozart International Music Festival, which won the arts and humanities category, and Paths to Independence autism school, which won the education category.

This year’s grants bring the total awards for Oklahoma Nonprofit Excellence to $1,357,500. Nonprofits may use the prize money as they see fit to aid current programs or make transformational changes for their organizations.