WEST PALM BEACH, FL. — Palm Beach County is home to more than 8,500 nonprofits, and Nonprofits First brought the community together to celebrate the people behind them at its annual Hats Off Awards, the event the organization calls its only fundraiser of the year.
The sold-out ceremony was held Thursday, October 15, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
Ahead of the event, Nonprofits First President and CEO Trudy Crowetz joined West Palm Beach personal injury attorney Bill Bone, a committee member and emcee for the awards, to talk about the organization’s mission and the people it serves. Crowetz described that mission as capacity building: “We actually help the helpers,” she said.
The group provides education and training, runs leadership development programs, and accredits nonprofits across the county, aiming to reach every cause, from arts and culture to education to health and human services.
The work comes at a demanding moment for the sector. Crowetz said many organizations are being squeezed from both directions, as funding tightens at the federal, state, and local levels and philanthropy slows under the rising cost of living.
“The money’s not coming in as much, but the costs are going up,” she said, calling that gap the biggest challenge nonprofits face today. She pointed to one encouraging trend. Even as dollars grow tighter, volunteerism is climbing.
“More people are doing more,” Crowetz said. The Hats Off Awards honor the volunteers, leaders, and staff who carry out that work. Crowetz knows the recognition firsthand.
She was named Nonprofit Professional of the Year at the 2022 ceremony. Bill Bone highlighted the evening’s People’s Choice Award, which is decided by the public. Anyone can vote for a favorite organization through Nonprofits First, and the winner is announced live at the ceremony.
Because Nonprofits First exists to strengthen other nonprofits, it keeps the Hats Off Awards as its single annual fundraiser so it does not compete with the organizations it serves. Community members who want to help can donate directly at nonprofitsfirst.org, where contributions support the education, training, and accreditation the group provides year-round.
Bill Bone Law Group, a West Palm Beach personal injury firm led by Bill Bone, who is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law by The Florida Bar, supports Nonprofits First and the local causes it champions.
