Sax’s 5th Annual Founders’ Award Gifts $15,000 to the Non-Profit, Popcorn for the People

Parsippany, NJ, September 23, 2022:  Top 100 accounting, tax, and advisory firm, Sax LLP, is proud to announce the winner of its fifth annual Founders’ Award.  Popcorn for the People was awarded the $15,000 unrestricted gift for best addressing this year’s theme of “Vision.” This theme was chosen to recognize the forward thinking of applicants post-pandemic.

Sax’s Nonprofit Practice initiated the application process, and nearly 150 nonprofit organizations submitted non-professional videos for their chance to win the award by answering the following questions: (1) What is the story behind your organization’s vision?; (2) How has your organization’s vision impacted others?; (3) Where do you see your organization in 5 years?  Five independent judges went through the submissions in a thorough, independent review process to determine the winner, in addition to 2nd and 3rd place, who received volunteer hours donated by Sax employees to support their missions.  The judge’s scoring system was based on criteria that included: (1) Is this response telling of what the organization seeks to accomplish? (2) Is this response telling of progress and impact the organization has made? (3) Is this response in line with an organization seeking to further its mission?

The first-place winner and recipient of the $15,000 gift was Popcorn for the People, which was announced at the Founders’ Award ceremony held on September 8, 2022, at Biagio’s in Paramus.  In addition to the awards announcement, the ceremony consisted of breakfast, networking and a video presentation that highlighted the work of the non-profit organizations that applied for the award.

Please click here to view the event video, which highlights the missions of the Founders’ Award’s top applicants.

Winner Announcement

The 2022 Founders’ Award judges concluded that Popcorn for the People best addressed their use of vision. The organization walked away with $15,000 to support its mission of creating employment opportunities for those on the autism spectrum.

“We were incredibly honored to be this year’s Founders’ Award winner! We are grateful to be recognized for our organization’s vision of providing meaningful employment opportunities for individuals with autism,” said Steve Bier, Founder of Popcorn for the People.  “On behalf of everyone from our organization, we want to thank the judges and everyone at Sax for their generosity and acknowledgement of what we are trying to accomplish.”

April Kushner and Todd Polyniak, Co-leaders of Sax’s Not-for-Profit Practice, were emcees of the morning, and continues to align the firm’s Founders’ Award and ceremony as one that would honor the principles of Sax’s Founders – Sander Sax, Morris Macy, and Egon Fromm – who inspired the vision of propelling organizations forward by supporting their success.

“This event is not only about gifting a $15,000 check to a local non-profit, but also as a forum to celebrate the work of these deserving organizations,” said April Kushner, Partner and Co-Leader of Sax’s Nonprofit Practice. “Gathering in a room with so many organizations with varying missions enables others to listen and learn from each other and leaves you feeling inspired and uplifted.”

“The Founders’ Award is a firm favorite and allows us to make a big impact on organizations that do so much on so little,” said Todd Polyniak, Partner and Co-Leader of Sax’s Nonprofit Practice.  “I’d like to thank the judges for taking time away from their busy schedules to help us determine the winner of this year’s award. Every year, the feedback is generally the same – how difficult it was to determine a true winner when there are so many deserving organizations. Regardless, everyone is a winner in our eyes for the amazing work they do for the communities they serve”.

In addition to the Founders’ Award winner, two runner-up organizations were selected for their demonstration and impact of their vision.  Second place and 40 volunteer hours towards their mission was awarded to Ethan and the Bean, who works to employ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a coffee shop setting.  Third place and 25 volunteer hours towards their mission was awarded to Roots and Wings, which strives to provide safe and free housing, education support, employment support, and emotional support to youth aging out of foster care.

About Sax LLP

Sax LLP is a Top 100 accounting, tax and advisory firm serving the needs of privately held companies, family-owned businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and high-net-worth individuals. With offices in Parsippany, NJ, Pennington, NJ and New York City, NY, Sax has specialized expertise that benefits clients in our largest vertical markets. Sax provides added value to clients through advisory services that include but are not limited to Cybersecurity and Managed IT, Investment Banking, Transaction Advisory, HR Consulting, Valuation, Forensic & Litigation, and Wealth Management. Sax has been nationally ranked and listed among the Top Accounting Firms by NJBIZ, INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA), Accounting Today and Forbes. For more information, please visit www.saxllp.com.



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