A Community Information Challenge winner, the Minnesota Community Foundation, has been named a Silver award winner for excellence in communications by the 2011 Wilmer Shields Rich Awards Program.

Sponsored by the Council on Foundations, the awards program recognizes effective communication efforts to increase public awareness of foundations and corporate giving programs. Minnesota Community Foundation received the award in the category of public policy campaigns for Minnesota Idea Open.

The award was presented Monday during the Council on Foundations’ Annual Conference in Philadelphia.

Minnesota Idea Open is a fun and engaging way for Minnesotans to come together and tackle tough issues facing their state. Anyone can find and share innovative ideas that inspire them to act. In its first challenge—for which it was recognized with the Wilmer Shields Rich Award—Idea Open engaged people from all around Minnesota to use the website to share new ways to fight obesity in Minnesota. Its second challenge which will occur in summer 2011 will engage people to share ideas about being better stewards of our water.

Entries to the Wilmer Shields awards program included annual or biennial reports, electronic publications, newsletters, special reports, public policy campaigns and websites. This year, 150 entries were submitted to the awards program.

Minnesota Idea Open is also a finalist for a Minnesota Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) award this year. Its fiercest competition for the award is GiveMN, which is nominated for a total of five PRSA awards. Padilla Speer Beardsley led the PR work for both Minnesota Idea Open and GiveMN.