26 agencies are finalists for Donner awards.

CALGARY. AB -- Twenty six Canadian non-profit organizations have been selected as finalists for the 7th Annual Donner Canadian Foundation Awards for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services. The Donner Awards are Canada's largest non-profit recognition program.

The Fraser Institute, acting for the Foundation, selected the 26 from 238 organizations that applied for nine $5,000 category awards and a $20,000 overall Award for Excellence. The finalists were selected based on a ranking of their performance in ten key areas, including management and governance, the use of staff and volunteers, innovation, program cost, and outcome monitoring. The final awards will be made in November.

The finalists (by category) include :

* Alternative Education--Continuing On In Education (Belleville, ON); Sarnia-Lambton Rebound (Sarnia, ON): York Region Abuse Program (Newmarket, ON); Big Brothers and Big Sisters of West Island (Kirkland, QC);

* Child Care: Kids Come First Child Care Centre of Vaughan (Thornhill, ON); Boys and Girls Club of Niagara (Niagara Falls, ON); The Children's Garden Nursery School (Pembroke, ON)

* Counselling: Sudbury Action Centre For Youth (Sudbury, ON); York Region Abuse Program (Newmarket, ON); Hospice of Waterloo Region (Kitchener, ON)

* Crisis Intervention: Sarnia Lambton Rebound (Sarnia, ON); London Crisis Pregnancy Centre (London, ON); Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region (Ottawa, ON);

* Prevention & Treatment of Substance Abuse: Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (Sudbury, ON); Simon House Residence Society (Calgary, AB); InnerVisions Recovery Society (Port Coquitlam, BC); Fraser Recovery Program (Quebec City, QC);

* Provision of Basic Necessities: Inner City Home of Sudbury (Sudbury, ON); Alice Housing (Dartmouth, NS); Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank Society (Calgary, AB);

* Services for People with Disabilities: Vernon Disability Resource Centre (Vernon, BC); Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Calgary Chapter (Calgary, AB); Community Living Campbellford/Brighton (Campbellford, ON);

* Services for Seniors: Alzheimer Society of Thunder Bay (Thunder Bay; ON); Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care (Scarborough, ON); Hospice Saint John and Sussex Inc. (Saint John, NB).