We’re nine days from the deadline to nominate ministries for our eighth annual Hope Award for Effective Compassion. The winner gets national recognition plus $25,000 for an excellent poverty-fighting ministry. Regional winners will receive $4,000 each. Ministries need to be explicitly Christian, local rather than national, and dependent on donations rather than government grants. To get a sense of what we’re looking for, read the stories about last year’s winners.

To nominate an organization, please email June McGraw by Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, a note including the ministry’s name, address, and web address, with a paragraph explaining why you love it. Our staffers will then do extensive checking. Note: Last year’s nominees are in our database and eligible for reconsideration.