The Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence (SIAE) is an awards event that is our opportunity to honor individuals in Indiana communities that volunteer or serve. The goal of the Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence is to recognize outstanding and extraordinary volunteer service efforts.
Register to attend the Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Ceremony: Click Here
The awards ceremony will take place at the Indiana Historical Society
Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 5:00 PM EST
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Corporate Volunteerism Award - Any business with a significant presence in Indiana that has made a substantial positive impact in Hoosier communities through contributions of time and talent is eligible for this award. The nomination must demonstrate an ongoing community or statewide impact through corporate volunteerism and/or philanthropy.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Government Entity Volunteerism Award - This category recognizes any local or state government entity that has made a substantial positive impact in Hoosier communities through contributions of time and talent during the 2022 calendar year. The nomination must demonstrate an ongoing community or statewide impact through volunteerism and/or philanthropy. We highly encourage you to reach out to the nominee to help gather information for the application. This will ensure the selection committee has a full picture of their service.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Lifetime Achievement Award - Any individual who has exhibited a lifetime commitment to service in their communities, primarily in Indiana, is eligible for this award. While there is no minimum age or years of service requirement, most nominees have contributed a minimum of 25 years of service to their community through volunteer positions. This should not include employment in a public service position.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence National Service Member Award - Any National Service member serving in a position supported by the AmeriCorps HQ at the time of nomination is eligible for this award. This includes AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, Senior Corps. This award is NOT intended for supervisors or directors of programs.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Outstanding AmeriCorps Alum Award - Any former National Service member who served in a position supported by the AmeriCorps HQ prior to 2023 is eligible for this award. This includes AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America participants. This award is not intended for non-Indiana residents currently. These alums should exhibit a continued commitment to serving their community beyond their term(s) of service.
2023 Awards for Excellence Program Director of the Year Award - the Program Director of the Year must be an individual that was acting in the Program Director role for their program at least half of the 22-23 program year and will continue to be a program director for the forseable 23-24 program year in the Servei Indiana portfolio. (Only active program directors can participate in the voting for this particular category. And Winner will be announced at the priviate Serve Indiana Day of Training during the second day of the conference.)
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Volunteer Program Award - Any schools, faith-based organizations, mentoring programs, nonprofit organizations, and service clubs are all potential nominees for this award. The extraordinary work volunteers accomplish in communities is often driven by an organization or club. This award acknowledges the importance this support can make in community life. The nominated program should strive to make communities better places to live through a variety of activities or by focusing on one issue of primary importance in their community.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Volunteerism Award - Any individual 18 years or over by October 1, 2022 is eligible for this award. Minimum of 5 hours per month or equivalent of 60 hours per year.
2023 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Youth Volunteer of the Year Award - Any individual who is under the age of 18 by October 1, 2023 is eligible for this award. Minimum of 5 hours per month or equivalent of 60 hours per year.
Attention: Your response is required within 72 hours of receiveing that email, in order for your nominee to continue to be considered for an award. The nomination submission period has now closed. All nominations are now going through an extensive review process that involves a volunteer Peer Review Panel and the internal review by the Serve Indiana staff. All nomination forms and supplementary information become the property of the Serve Indiana and the respective selection committee and cannot be returned. All questions and concerns should be sent to Kim Woods, Serve Indiana Training & Communcations Manager.
2022 AWARD WINNERS
- National Service Member Award Winner, Rachel Biddle
- Volunteerism Award Winner, Dr. Barbara Haehner
- Youth Volunteerism Award Winner, Isaac Hertenstein
- Volunteer Program Award Winner, Ready2BSocial Program
- Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, James (JB) Boyd
- Outstanding AmeriCorps Alum Award Winner, Nicole Messmore
- Corporate Volunteerism Award Winner, SuperATV (not pictured)
November 3, 2022, Serve Indiana hosted the 2022 Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Ceremony at the Indiana Historical Society. We honored amazing Hoosier working diligently in their communities better.
View the 2022 ceremony: Serve Indiana Awards for Excellence Ceremony.
PAST AWARD WINNERS
2021
- Corporate Volunteerism Award Winner, OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc.
- Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Cordelia Lewis Burks
- Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Bruce Bender
- National Service Member Award Winner, Alena Finnell
- Volunteer Program Award Winner, ProAct Indy
- Volunteerism Award Winner, Maggie Sikora-Black
- Youth Volunteerism Award Winner, Vani Sharma
2018
- National Service Member Award - Katie Sutton for Immigrant & Refugee Service Corps, Indianapolis, IN
- Youth Volunteerism Award - Abigail Naumann, Thomas A. Edison Jr./Sr. High School, Lake Station, IN
- Corporate Volunteerism Award - Starbucks Foundation, DeShonne Jackson, Regional Director of Operations, Indianapolis, IN
- Volunteer Program Award - Volunteer University of Southern Indiana, Evansville, IN
- Lifetime Achievement Award - Neil Winn, Howard County Emergency Management Agency, Kokomo, IN
- Government Entity Volunteer Award - Department of Revenue, Indianapolis, IN
- Volunteerism Award - Stephen Long, Science Central, Fort Wayne, IN
2017
- Service Learning Award – DJ Center for Youth, Inc., Indianapolis, IN
- Corporate Service Award – Old National, Terre Haute, IN
- Nonprofit Volunteer Program – Bloomington Meals on Wheels, Bloomington, IN
- Faith-Based Volunteer – Reova Meredith, Bloomington, IN
- Lifetime Achievement – Trena Roudebush, Indianapolis, IN
- National Service – Carlee LaRue, Bloomington, IN
- Individual Volunteer – Alex Rowan, Indianapolis, IN
- Youth Volunteer - Joy Sera Bhattacharya, Bloomington, IN
2016
- Service Learning Award – Take Ten-Robinson Community Learning Center, South Bend, IN
- Corporate Service Award – Finish Line Youth Foundation, Indianapolis, IN
- Nonprofit Volunteer Program – The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Northwest Indiana, Valparaiso, IN
- Faith-Based Volunteer – Matthew Pope, Greenfield, IN
- Lifetime Achievement – Kenneth Yahne, Fort Wayne, IN
- National Service – Brandon Million, Greensburg, IN
- Individual Volunteer – Natalia Rekhter, Carmel, IN
- Youth Volunteer - Olivia Keith, Fishers, IN
2015
- Service Learning Award – Navari Student Outreach Clinic, South Bend, IN
- Nonprofit Volunteer Program – Study Connection, Franklin, IN
- Faith-Based Volunteer – Arletha Dabney, Bloomington, IN
- Lifetime Achievement – George Flowers, Sr., Evansville, IN
- National Service – Pamela Weiss, Columbus, IN
- Individual Volunteer – Kroi Brown, Bunker Hill, IN
- Youth Volunteer - Drake Abramson, Lake Station, IN