ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Nov. 09, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Momentive Software, the leading technology partner accelerating innovation and powering the future for mission-driven organizations, today announced the winners of the 2026 Bring on Better™ Awards. Now in its second year, the program recognizes organizations and leaders across the nonprofit and association sectors who push boundaries, inspire change, and make a lasting difference in their communities.
This year's program expanded to nine categories, adding Volunteer of the Year, Total Impact, Rising Star, and separating nonprofit and association awards by organization size. Winners were selected for their history of creating impact, innovating fearlessly, and leading with purpose.
“Our clients do some of the hardest work there is, often with small teams and tight budgets. The Bring on Better™ Awards exist to recognize that work,” said Ravi Venkatesan, CEO at Momentive Software. “We doubled the categories this year because the people and organizations worth celebrating show up in so many forms: a volunteer who stays beside children in foster care, an association opening engineering careers to students who rarely see them, a hospice that drives mountain roads other providers won’t. That is what it means to bring on better.”
2026 Bring on Better™ Award Winners
- Bring on Better™ Leader of the Year: Caleb Kimmel, World Baseball Academy
As CEO and Founder of World Baseball Academy, Caleb Kimmel transformed a private youth tournament business into a community-centered nonprofit. By leading a consolidation of local organizations, he grew the academy's net worth by more than $7.8 million. Today, WBA serves over 1,800 local, at-risk youth annually and extends its outreach to young people in numerous countries worldwide. - Bring on Better™ Innovator of the Year: Katy Bone, Blessings for Barrett
Katy Bone, Co-Founder of Blessings for Barrett, built a nonprofit that supports grieving siblings, then taught herself automation and AI to handle the administrative work. Her connected workflow built on GiveSmart, along with Zapier, Wix, and Shippo, ships Sibling Comfort Boxes with no manual data entry, so a small team can serve more children without losing the personal touch. - Bring on Better™ Volunteer of the Year: Debbie Hedgepeth, CASA of South Central Missouri
For nearly five years, Debbie Hedgepeth has been the consistent, caring adult in the corner of children in foster care, never looking for recognition along the way. She mentors new advocates and steps in wherever CASA of South Central Missouri needs help, and although she gives her time to many organizations in her community, she always makes CASA and its children a priority. - Bring on Better™ Rising Star: Elizabeth Sanchez, AHEPPP: Family Engagement in Higher Education
Elizabeth Sanchez, Director of Operations, Marketing, and Membership at AHEPPP, is leading the association through the implementation of a new association management system, enhancements to its membership model and organizational structure, leadership transitions, and operational improvements, all with a focus on strengthening the association and enhancing the membership experience. - Bring on Better™ Nonprofit of the Year, Small to Mid-Size: Mount Evans Home Health Care & Hospice
For 46 years, Mount Evans has brought care to remote homes across more than 3,500 square miles of Colorado's foothills and mountains. It is one of only three 5-star hospices in the state, and its free Camp Comfort grief camp for children recently completed its 32nd season. - Bring on Better™ Nonprofit of the Year, Large: Strategies to End Homelessness
As the lead agency for Cincinnati and Hamilton County's homeless response system, Strategies to End Homelessness coordinates the work of more than 30 partner organizations serving about 12,000 people a year. And it's redefining how communities keep people housed, building a system that uses data to predict risk, target interventions, and stabilize housing before a crisis begins. - Bring on Better™ Association of the Year, Small to Mid-Size: The Engineering Society of Detroit
The Engineering Society of Detroit runs year-round Girls in Engineering and Boys in Engineering Academies that follow students from sixth grade through high school. All 17 girls in the first graduating class went on to college, and the academies now serve more than 200 students. - Bring on Better Association of the Year, Large: American Nurses Association
As the preeminent organization representing more than 5 million nurses, the American Nurses Association stands at the forefront of advancing nursing excellence. The association harnesses The Power of Nurses® to champion the profession and drive transformation in healthcare, including the rapidly evolving use of artificial intelligence. Through advocacy, educational services, and the profession’s leading Code of Ethics and Scope and Standards, the association empowers nurses across specialties and practice settings. The association is committed to ensuring healthy work environments, shaping policies, and cultivating partnerships that enhance the nursing profession and healthcare experience. - Bring on Better™ Total Impact: Partnership with Native Americans
Founded in 1990, Partnership With Native Americans is one of the largest Native-led and Native-serving nonprofits in the United States. In 2025, PWNA partnered with 379 Tribal Program Partners across 46 reservations, delivering support shaped by each community's own priorities. Its dual-impact approach starts with urgent basic needs — such as food, water and winter fuel for Elders — and supports long-term transformative change through investing in higher education access through scholarships, leadership development, emergency preparedness, food sovereignty and other drivers of self-sufficiency and resilience that reduce the need for emergency support over time.
“Congratulations to all nine honorees,” added Venkatesan. “Thank you for the work you do every day and for letting us recognize the difference you’re making in your communities. We are proud to serve organizations like yours and we will keep building technology that gives your teams more time for your mission.”
The Momentive Bring on Better™ Awards are held annually to shine a light on leaders and organizations driving meaningful change. Learn more about the program and this year's winners by visiting the Momentive website.
About Momentive Software
Momentive Software amplifies the impact of more than 37,000 mission-driven organizations across 30+ countries, supporting over $14 billion raised and 287 million members served annually. Nonprofits and associations rely on Momentive’s AI-powered software and services to engage their communities, simplify operations, and grow revenue. Designed to help organizations connect more, manage more, and expect more, Momentive’s solutions span fundraising, learning, events, careers, volunteering, accounting, certification, and association management. Momentive partners with organizations that believe “good enough” is never enough—so they can bring on better outcomes for everyone they serve. Learn more at momentivesoftware.com.
Media Contact
Momentive Software | Heather Noll | heather.noll@momentivesoftware.com
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