2019 Readers' Choice Awards

A note from the publishers

April 1, 2020

Nonprofit events are a major undertaking for any organization. They provide a focus for creativity and teamwork, all with the goal of furthering the mission of each organization, whether through directly raising money or presenting an artistic product for public consumption. But they require hours and hours of planning and execution, often without adequate appreciation for those behind the scenes.

We began our Movers & Makers Awards last year as a way of publicly recognizing those nonprofits who produce inspiring events, inviting our readers to vote for their favorites online.

Yes, this IS a popularity contest.

Every cause is “worthy” in some way. There is no judging here. No nominations or criteria to meet. And no arbitrary claims of “best of.” It’s all about inspiring passion.

The most well attended or highest grossing events in a category were not always the winners. The events and organizations who came out on top did so not only because they put on a great event, but because they motivated attendees to “get out the vote” – furthering the cause they are passionate about by telling the city “We care about THIS!”

We hope you will take some time and make note of both the winners and runners up. Imagine and appreciate the person-hours, the dedication and the talent required to create a successful event.

We salute the winners, and everyone who works to plan, promote, participate in and help pay for the thousands of events that appear in Movers & Makers each year. These events are often the lifeblood for nonprofits of all varieties.

Most of these organizations will suffer financially during this public health crisis. We urge you to continue to support, to the best of your ability, those causes or organizations closest to your hearts.

Join us in sharing this special digital edition of M&M with your family, friends and colleagues. There are Download and Share buttons on each page spread. Now that we are restricted to online-only, during the time of the coronavirus, each of you has suddenly become a valuable component within our distribution network. Follow us on social media. Join our email list at www.moversmakers.org/subscribe.

Congratulations to all! Be safe and healthy,

Thom & Elizabeth Mariner, co-publishers tmariner@moversmakers.org, emariner@moversmakers.org

Like our readers, we attended many events and cultural institutions in 2019. Here's a sampling of selfies plus some family and friends:

Cincinnati Nature Center gala

Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Museum Center

Krohn Conservatory

Pride Weekend

Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Opera Pride Night

SVDP Retrofittings

Cincinnati Opera Ball