Kendall stressed that HPCG demonstrates exemplary stewardship of its mission in these three major ways:

1. By reaching out to the entire community. For example, African Americans are underserved by most hospice programs across the country, but HPCG decided this would not be true in Greensboro. It launched an awareness campaign and reached out through Black churches. Now it has over twice the national rate of African American participation and almost 25 percent more than the average North Carolina rate.

2. By thoroughly evaluating its results and making continuous improvements. HPCG does extensive assessments of all its work and meets or exceeds all national standards for the quality of care it provides. And because the board of any nonprofit is the community’s overseer of the organization’s accountability, HPCG’s Board of Directors is actively involved in ensuring that HPCG assesses its performance and consistency of service.

3. By acting quickly on opportunities to educate the public on issues related to its mission. For example, when the Terry Schiavo case hit the national headlines, HPCG’s Barrett wrote an editorial in local newspapers urging people to learn about Advanced Directives. This is one way individuals can clarify their wishes for care and treatment options at the end of life or in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as a car accident resulting in an incurable condition. Kendall says, “Like any excellent nonprofit, HPCG understands that part of its job is to educate the public on issues, not only to provide services.”

The other nonprofits receiving the 2005 awards are the Life Enrichment Center of Cleveland County in Shelby and the North Carolina Coastal Federation in Newport. Each of the winners receives recognition from nonprofit leaders across the state and from its own elected officials, $500 to invest in professional development for its board of directors and staff, and a work of art by Durham artist Galia Goodman to commemorate this statewide honor.

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Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro Honored for Nonprofit Stewardship

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro (HPCG) received statewide honors October 6, 2005 when the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits selected it for one of three 2005 Nonprofit Sector Stewardship Awards. The groups were recognized for their exemplary stewardship of the resources entrusted to them. The Center announced the 2005 Awards at its annual conference in Charlotte with more than 800 community leaders from across the state participating. Founded in 1990, the N.C. Center for Nonprofits helps nonprofit organizations lead and manage their organizations effectively, save time and money, and collaborate with others to achieve their mission. The Center is a coalition of some 1,600 nonprofit organizations of all sizes and types in all 100 counties across North Carolina. It created the annual Nonprofit Sector Stewardship Awards in 1995 to recognize nonprofit organizations that demonstrate exemplary stewardship of the accountability and ethics that the public expects of them as tax-exempt organizations. The Center’s statewide Board of Directors serves as the selection committee. Board member Richard T. “Stick” Williams, a vice president of Duke Energy, announced the winners. Accepting the award on behalf of HPCG were 2004-05 Board of Directors Chair John K. Cohen, 2005-06 Board Chair James R. Whiting, President and CEO Pamela M. Barrett, Vice President for Clinical Services Ursula Robinson, and Director of Resource Development Paul Russ.

"We are honoring Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro for its commitment to serving all groups within the community, to assessing the effectiveness of its programs, and to educating the public on issues related to its mission. All three of these are hallmarks of nonprofit organizations that are determined to make a lasting difference in the community,” said Jane Kendall, president of the N.C. Center for Nonprofits.

Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro is celebrating its 25th anniversary of providing compassionate, quality care for persons who are living with a progressive and life-limiting illness and their families. Once a little-known philosophy of care for the dying, today hospice care is widely accepted as the most appropriate and compassionate care alternative for those with lifethreatening or incurable illnesses. In the past five years, demand for HPCG services increased an average of 7 percent a year so that it now serves an average of 260 patients and families daily. “Hospice and Palliative Care of Greensboro has been a leader for social change in our community. It was among the first to recognize the need for care for people with AIDS and has been a major leader for services for children with life-threatening illnesses and those grieving,” said Carole W. Bruce, former board chair and a Greensboro attorney.

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