Gold Standard Board Awards Honor Volunteer Leaders

The Gold Standard Board (GSB) program enhances and elevates the work of boards in markets across the country as they help drive the American Heart Association’s health, revenue and volunteerism success. The program creates an effective volunteer-staff partnership, enhances volunteer engagement, generates more resources and, most importantly, drives progress toward advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere. In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, 78% of local boards achieved recognition as a Gold, Silver or Bronze level board.

The volunteer leaders on these boards work collectively with countless staff and other volunteers in each market and truly represent what it means to be a relentless force. This collaborative spirit reflects the heart of the GSB program. The Association is incredibly proud of the volunteers and staff who worked diligently to achieve these awards for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Highlights from the year include:

• 77 of 99 local boards achieved best practices and received recognition: 23 Gold, 23 Silver and 31 Bronze recognized boards. This represents increases in Gold boards, Silver boards and in the total number of boards that earned recognition, compared to last year.
• The Southeast region once again led the way with 100% recognition. For the second straight year, all 23 boards in the region received some level of recognition!
• 93% of local boards support the health of their communities by committing to one or more community impact priorities.
• 91% of local boards actively represent their market’s community impact priority areas by utilizing board members as spokespeople to share impact stories.
• 83% of local boards advocate on behalf of the Association’s local, state and federal public policy campaigns.
• 80% of local boards support issue-based fundraising campaigns by helping to prospect and secure at least five issue-led gifts.