- The sixth edition of the Spirit of Humanity Awards announced 8 winners from the final 28 NGOs
- Spirit of Humanity Awards is an initiative by AmeriCares to identify and honor excellence by individuals and NGOs working for the underprivileged
- This year, the impact sectors include – Child health, Diabetes, Disability, Eye Care, Education, Livelihood, Water & Sanitation, Women empowerment
- Received more than 400 registrations from across India
Mumbai, September 14, 2015: Spirit of Humanity Awards, an initiative by AmeriCares announced its winners in eight categories on September 9, 2015 at JW Marriott, Sahar. It was a culmination of three rigorous levels of short listing with ended with a grand awards evening. The program in its 6th year received 400 registrations from NGOs across India of which 28 made it to the finale. The top 8 were chosen after a live presentation in front of an eminent jury.
| Sr. No. | Category | Organization | Zone |
| 1 | Child Health | Mahan Trust, Melghat, Maharashtra | West |
| 2 | Diabetes | Aditya Jyot Foundation for Twinkling Little Eyes, Mumbai | West |
| 3 | Education | Sevalaya, Tamil Nadu | South |
| 4 | Water & Sanitation | Jal Bhagirathi Foundation, Jodhpur | West |
| 5 | Disability | Tamana, Delhi | North |
| 6 | Eye Care | Samarthanam Trust for the Disbaled, Banglore | South |
| 7 | Livelihood | RMD Pain And Palliative Care Trust, Chennai | South |
| 8 | Women’s Empowerment | Drishtee Foundation , Delhi | East |
Until last year, the awards were predominantly focused on NGOs in healthcare; this year, it has extended to other categories namely – Disability, Livelihood, Education and Water & Sanitation. Only one best from the four zones (N-E-W-S), for each category have made it to the finals, through a process monitored by KPMG in India.
The finale of the Spirit of Humanity brought together not-for-profit organizations, academia, government authorities, thought leaders and corporations for sustained engagement and cross learning.
Spirit of Humanity, is organized in partnership with Abbott, Allergan, Castrol, Novartis, State Bank of India, Bharat Serums and Vaccines, Ericsson, The Hans Foundation, SPJIMR, Idobro, Guidestar and JW Marriott. AmeriCares is also associated with Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation for significant projects on public health.
Talking about the change in awards this year, Shripad Desai, MD & Country Director, AmeriCares said, “It gives me immense pleasure to bring the 6th edition of The Spirit of Humanity Awards this year. Over the years, this platform has evolved for better. This year, apart from recognizing the healthcare NGOs we have extended nominations to other impact sectors as well. We are thrilled to receive such an encouraging response from all the participants. We only hope and thrive to grow this platform further and encourage services of many in the future”.
The winner of the award received prize amount of Rs. 1 lac, certificate of excellence from the esteemed organizers and a trophy.
About the Awards
The Spirit of Humanity Awards, by AmeriCares India- partner with Bristol-Myers Squibb, was launched in 2010, to identify and honor excellence by individuals and NGOs working for the underprivileged, especially in the health care sector. Over the years, Spirit of Humanity has served as a centre of excellence, bringing together leaders across various fields, from the social sector to corporations. The organizers of the award follow a rigorous procedure for shortlisting the entries for the finals. After the nominations were received, the documents were checked by KPMG and ranked by online jury. Following this, pre-final evaluations and final jury announcements take place.