(WASHINGTON, June 25, 2009) -- Independent Sector will honor Geoffrey Canada, president and CEO of Harlem Children's Zone, with the 2009 John W. Gardner Leadership Award in recognition of his groundbreaking success in helping children and families in Central Harlem to break the cycle of generational poverty. Since 1990, Mr. Canada has been the guiding force behind Harlem Children’s Zone’s comprehensive set of educational, social service, and community-building programs that has transformed the lives of thousands of low-income children and has created a community development model for policymakers to adopt and fund across the country. The award will be presented at the 2009 Independent Sector Annual Conference in Detroit, November 4-6.

Mr. Canada's pioneering approach is inspiring communities nationwide to combine education and social-services with neighborhood-based initiatives that enable all children to have an equal opportunity to graduate from college. Under his guidance, Harlem Children's Zone has broadened the variety of programs it offers to Harlem residents, providing fundamental tools and training necessary for families to lead better lives. The organization boasts a whole range of services: pre-natal parenting workshops; pre-kindergarten programs; public charter schools; and after-school courses. Mr. Canada has built an organization that supports the whole family and improves important community institutions that low-income children need to achieve academic success. Its interlocking web of services touched nearly 11,000 children and 6,600 adults in the community in 2008 alone, helping them to build brighter futures.

“Geoff has developed an unparalleled way to create long-lasting change in the lives of the children he serves while mobilizing an entire community to help them achieve their potential,” said Brian Gallagher, president and CEO of United Way of America and chair of Independent Sector. “His leadership in weaving together a diverse set of programs that promote academic achievement, financial stability, and improved health has been extraordinary.”

Mr. Canada continues to develop innovative, efficient programs -- expanding the project's reach from 24 blocks to 100 blocks in just 10 years -- that strengthen Harlem's social fabric. The Baby College teaches parenting skills for individuals with children ages 0-3, Harlem Gems prepares children for kindergarten by teaching Spanish and French in addition to their regular English instruction, and TRUCE (The Renaissance University of Community Education) uses the arts and the media to improve career readiness among youth in grades 9-12. The Promise Academy Charter Schools, created as a partnership with Harlem Children's Zone, give children in Harlem a high-quality, well-rounded education, and they are seeing results. In the 2008-2009 year, one hundred percent of Promise Academy third graders were at or above grade level on the statewide math exam compared to the city-wide average. Ninety percent of high school seniors enrolled in the organization's after-school programs have been accepted to college.

“His work to grow Harlem Children's Zone into the effective organization it is today continues a long career as a powerful advocate for children,” said Marguerite W. Kondracke, president and CEO of America's Promise Alliance and chair of the John W. Gardner Leadership Award Committee. “Geoff is on the front lines forging a strong and effective urban redevelopment model that gives children and families the opportunity to fulfill John Gardner's vision of a more just, inclusive, and civically engaged society.”

Harlem Children's Zone's comprehensive approach to improving the lives of Harlem's youth continues to impress policymakers and practitioners in New York City and in other cities across the country. In July 2007, then-candidate Barack Obama applauded its work and announced his intention to create “promise neighborhoods” in 20 cities that replicate the project. Mr. Canada's insistence on organizational accountability, measurements and outcomes, internal and external evaluation, and long-term business planning is a model not only for others working in youth development, but also for grantmakers and nonprofit organizations active in other fields.

"Geoff's commitment to rigorous reporting and evaluation, operating accountably and transparently, all while delivering a creative and innovative program that has impact, sets a precedent for other nonprofit organizations,” said Diana Aviv, president and CEO of Independent Sector. “His example continues to inspire many individuals to follow in his path of creating a nation of greater opportunity for all.”

Formerly known as the Rheedlen Centers for Children and Families, Harlem Children's Zone was founded in 1970 as a community-based nonprofit organization working to enhance the quality of life for children and families in some of New York City's most devastated neighborhoods. Mr. Canada joined Harlem Children's Zone as education director in 1983 and has served as the organization's president and CEO since 1990. To learn more about Harlem Children's Zone, please visit: www.hcz.org.

The award is named after John Gardner, the founding chair of Independent Sector. An advisor to six presidents and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Mr. Gardner was an active and distinguished participant in America's educational, philanthropic, and political life, and his many achievements demonstrate the ideals this award celebrates. The award includes a gift of $10,000 and a replica of an original bust of John Gardner by the late sculptor Frederick Hart.

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Independent Sector is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of approximately 550 charities, foundations, and corporate giving programs, collectively representing tens of thousands of charitable groups in every state across the nation. Its mission is to advance the common good by leading, strengthening, and mobilizing the nonprofit and philanthropic community.