4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Awards

Volunteers are, undeniably, the "heart and soul" of 4-H, and in an age when time is at a premium, Salute to Excellence serves as an opportunity to acknowledge our volunteers' unwavering dedication to the 4-H Youth Development movement.

Each year, state 4-H programs are invited to nominate two outstanding individual volunteers, one in each of two categories.  The Lifetime Volunteer Award is given to an individual who has spent 10 or more years volunteering for 4-H.  The Volunteer of the Year Award is given to an individual who has volunteered for 4-H less than 10 years.  Recipients of the 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Awards are chosen from nominees submitted by state 4-H offices.

In 2009, regional honorees will be selected.  Each region will have its own Outstanding Lifetime Volunteer and Volunteer of the Year.  The eight regional winners become nominees for the national award, and one volunteer from each category will be named the national winner.

Recipients will be presented with a monetary award (to be donated to a local 4-H program of the recipient's choosing).  National awardees will also have their name engraved on the Salute to Excellence Perpetual Plaque located at the National 4-H Conference Center.

For further information about the 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Awards, contact Pat Smith, National 4-H Council, at psmith@fourhcouncil.edu or 301-961-2819.

Click here to download your
Salute to Excellence 2009 Volunteer Recognition Awards Nomination Form

Program Deadlines:

• March - October 2009 - Regional winners recognized at Regional Volunteer Leader Forums
• August 2009 - 2010 Nomination Form released
• October 10, 2009 - 2009 National winners recognized at National 4-H Conference

Monsanto Company

Corporate Sponsor for the 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer Recognition Award Program

Monsanto is the premier corporate sponsor of the Salute to Excellence program.  In that role, Monsanto Company is helping highlight, at a national level, the vital role volunteers play within 4-H and provide recognition for their unsurpassed commitment to youth.

Monsanto, a leading global provider of agricultural products and integrated solutions, that combines chemicals, seeds, and biotechnology to improve farm productivity and food quality.  Monsanto's principles are based on delivering the highest quality products and technology and creating value for farmers and shareholders.

National 4-H Council is proud to have Monsanto Company as the premier corporate sponsor of the Salute to Excellence program. 

Individual Donors

The Salute to Excellence program could not exist without the generous contributions of more than two hundred donors across the country.  These donors are acknowledged each year in our Annual Report.

National 4-H Council and the MetLife Foundation are proud to offer four (4) $1,500 cash awards to 4-H programs that exhibit excellence in Citizenship programming in an Afterschool/out-of-school environment.

Acceptance to the programs of Distinction is a requirement to apply for the MetLife Foundation Awards of Excellence.  For more information regarding the Programs of Distinction application, please click here.

Once approved through the Programs of Distinction, an independent committee will select the recipients of the awards.

For more information on this award, please visit the
MetLife Foundation Awards of Excellence community on 4-H.org

The 4-H Families Count: Family Strengthening Awards, sponsored by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, recognizes five outstanding 4-H youth development programs annually for the special emphasis that has been placed on the child, the family, and the community surrounding that family. Through these programs, which are all 4-H Programs of Distinction, young people have been significantly involved with parents, grandparents, foster families, or other mentors to help them grow and prosper even within difficult situations. Through this partnership, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and 4-H have recognized 20 awardees throughout the country.

The award includes $15,000 for unrestricted use in the winning program, and travel costs to the annual NAE4-HA conference.

For more information on this program and Awards, please visit the
Family Strengthening Awards community on 4-H.org.