🥳 Congratulations 2026 Awardees!

On Thursday, April 23rd, we came together as a community for the 14th Annual Community Development Family Reunion at Third Degree Glass Factory to celebrate progress, exemplary leadership, and connection. This annual event serves as a reminder that small steps lead to big change, and that communities across St. Louis are doing the work every day to make a difference.

Nearly 200 community leaders and partners gathered, including CBN board members, sponsors, and elected officials, to celebrate this year’s awardees. Local residents and students also came together to congratulate our awardees and connect with other changemakers in St. Louis.

We encourage you all to also get involved, connect with us, and continue to build up the community!

🏆Collaboration & Coalition Building

Recognizes a person, organization, institution, or initiative that:

• Demonstrates incredible commitment to working through partnerships, even when it’s more challenging than “going it alone.”

• Forges new connections that bridge gaps between people, organizations, and places that don’t normally interact with each other in the St. Louis region.

• Shows up for others and participates directly in their work; does not only ask or expect that partners and collaborators come to them.

• Approaches difficulty and conflict with understanding, compassion, and an open mind.

🏆Growing in Equity & Antiracism

Recognizes a person, organization, institution, or initiative that:

• Demonstrates a deep and honest commitment to transforming work being done in the St. Louis region so that it is more equitable, just, and antiracist.

• “Walks the talk”—goes beyond verbal commitments to ask hard questions, embrace and push through discomfort, work to rectify inequities where they exist, and take action.

• Actively works to dismantle systems of oppression.

🏆Transparency & Trust

Recognizes a person, organization, institution, or initiative that:

• Works with honesty and openness and isn’t afraid to be vulnerable, especially when things don’t go as planned.

• Co-creates work with the people and partners they serve and works to build shared trust so that all at the table feel supported and valued as part of the process.

• Embraces mistakes and weaknesses in the open as opportunities to learn and grow.

🏆Excellence in the Public Sector

Recognizes an individual, government, quasi-government agency, or tax-supported entity that:

• Develops or protects policy that supports investment in communities.

• Demonstrates innovative use of resources for community improvement.

• Is proactive, persistent, professional, and efficient in finding ways to support community building initiatives.

🏆Resident Leadership

Recognizes a person who:

• Has shown incredible volunteerism and involvement in their community and/or community initiatives.

• Goes above and beyond typical resident action to sit on boards, head committees, and/or encourage the engagement of other residents.

• Works to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

🏆Rising Star in Community Building

Recognizes a person who:

• Demonstrates strong dedication to and passion for community building work.

• Exhibits leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

• Shows promising potential to catalyze outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

• Works to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.

🏆Lifetime Dedication to Community Building

Recognizes a person who:

• Has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to community building work.

• Has exhibited leadership, vision, and a commitment to action and results.

• Has catalyzed outstanding impact in community building policy, investment, and/or community change.

• Has worked to challenge the status quo in the St. Louis region.