Foundation For The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Inc

TO ENSURE THE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL GROWTH AND VIABILITY OF THE BALDRIGE PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE PROGRAM, AND TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

TO ALL THE DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS, EXAMINERS, JUDGES, STATE PROGRAM LEADERS AND THEIR BOARDS, AS WELL AS THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM STAFF, THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL YEAR FILLED WITH ACHIEVEMENT AND PROGRESS IN PURSUIT OF PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE. AND TO THOSE IN THE GREATER BALDRIGE COMMUNITY- CONSULTANTS, MEMBERS OF ASQ, AND OTHER BALDRIGE- BASED ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION-THANKS FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND COLLABORATION. ON JULY 25, 2022, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (NIST) ANNOUNCED THAT, "OVER THE PAST 20 MONTHS, THE LEADERSHIP TEAMS AT BALDRIGE, NIST, AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THE DESIRE TO ENHANCE THE REACH AND IMPACT OF THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM. AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION AND CONSIDERATION OF MULTIPLE FACTORS WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY DECIDED TO INITIATE A COMPREHENSIVE, INDEPENDENT REVIEW TO "REIMAGINE" THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM. THIS REVIEW WILL ASSESS HOW THE PROGRAM CAN BEST ADVANCE U.S. COMPETITIVENESS AND ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES MOST RELEVANT IN TODAY'S BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT, AS WELL AS EXAMINE HOW ITS IMPACT AND ACCESSIBILITY COULD BE INCREASED. THE OUTPUT OF THIS PROCESS WILL INFORM HOW THE PROGRAM CAN BEST BE POSITIONED FOR MAXIMAL FUTURE IMPACT TO OUR NATION." OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, THE BALDRIGE FOUNDATION HAS WORKED COLLABORATIVELY WITH OTHER BALDRIGE ENTERPRISE LEADERS TO HELP RESHAPE THE FUTURE OF BALDRIGE AS PART OF THIS EXTERNAL REVIEW. WE PARTICIPATED IN FOCUS GROUPS, INTERVIEWS, SURVEYS, FORMAL AND INFORMAL BRIEFINGS, AND OFFERED ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS. IN FEBRUARY 2024, NIST ANNOUNCED THE NEW BALDRIGE AWARD CRITERIA AND APPLICATION WERE AVAILABLE ON THEIR WEBSITE, WITH A GOAL OF IDENTIFYING AND ANNOUNCING NEW NATIONAL ROLE-MODEL ORGANIZATIONS IN THE FALL OF 2024. WE ARE EXTREMELY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW PROCESS, AND ITS POTENTIAL TO SCALE UP PARTICIPATION IN THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM NATIONWIDE. AS DR. LAURIE E. LOCASCIO, UNDER SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY AND NIST DIRECTOR STATED, "I AM VERY PLEASED THAT THE BALDRIGE REIMAGINED PROPOSAL HAS BEEN APPROVED. WE ARE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE CHANGES AND LOOK FORWARD TO A NEW CLASS OF BALDRIGE AWARD RECIPIENTS IN 2024. NIST AND THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE APPRECIATE THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE EXTERNAL REVIEW, THE ENGAGED AND CONSTRUCTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE BALDRIGE COMMUNITY, AND THE THOUGHTFULNESS OF THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM'S PROPOSAL TO ADDRESS THE RECOMMENDATIONS. I AM EXCITED FOR THE WORK AND OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD OF US." THE TRANSFORMED BALDRIGE AWARD WILL PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, AND RESULTS OVER TIME. "TO RECEIVE THE AWARD, AN ORGANIZATION MUST DEMONSTRATE ORGANIZATIONAL RESILIENCE AND LONG-TERM SUCCESS THROUGH FAVORABLE PERFORMANCE LEVELS AND TRENDS, COMPARISONS TO COMPETITORS AND INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS (AS APPROPRIATE), AND RELEVANT METRICS." AS ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY TO ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSIONS AND ACHIEVE THEIR VISIONS, THE BALDRIGE CRITERIA STILL PROVIDE A FRAMEWORK TO IMPROVE ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE TO BECOME MORE RESILIENT, SUSTAINABLE, AND ACHIEVE BETTER RESULTS. REGARDLESS OF YOUR SECTOR, BALDRIGE CAN HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND BECOME MORE SUCCESSFUL AND BETTER PREPARED TO MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE FUTURE. AS NEVER BEFORE, AMERICA NEEDS BALDRIGE ADVOCACY THROUGHOUT FISCAL YEAR (FY) 2023, THE FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO ADVANCE THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM, STATE-BASED PROGRAMS, AND COMMUNITIES OF EXCELLENCE 2026 (COE2026) WITH LEADERS AT THE NATIONAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEVELS. WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO STRENGTHEN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH MEMBERS OF THE COMMERCE, JUSTICE, SCIENCE AND RELATED AGENCIES SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEIR STAFF IN BOTH THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE. WE PROVIDE MEMBERS AND THEIR STAFFS WITH IMPORTANT UPDATES AND DEVELOPMENTS ON THE MANY BENEFITS OF BALDRIGE THROUGHOUT THE NATION AND ACROSS EVERY SECTOR OF THE ECONOMY AND IMPRESS UPON THEM THE CONTINUED EXCITEMENT BEHIND COMMUNITIES OF EXCELLENCE 2026, CYBERSECURITY, AND OUR ONGOING WORK IN RURAL HEALTH CARE. THE BALDRIGE APPROACH TO WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY HAS RESONATED WITH POLITICAL LEADERS AT EVERY LEVEL, REINFORCING OUR CONTRIBUTION TO A STRONGER AND MORE RESILIENT AMERICA. TO ASSIST LEADERS IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY, NIST CREATED THE JOB QUALITY TOOLKIT DESCRIBED AS, -NOT JUST ABOUT THE JOB; IT IS A COMBINATION OF KEY DRIVERS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO EACH WORKER'S OVERALL EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE. PAY AND BENEFITS MATTER, AND SO DO MANY OTHER FACTORS LIKE WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH, A VOICE, SCHEDULING PREDICTABILITY, SKILLS BUILDING, AND ADVANCEMENT. TOGETHER, THESE DISTINGUISH AN EMPLOYER OF CHOICE FROM THE REST. THE JOB QUALITY TOOLKIT IS AN ACTIONABLE TOOL THAT ORGANIZATIONS CAN USE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE JOBS THEY OFFER. IDENTIFYING AND IMPROVING THE DRIVERS MOST VALUED BY WORKERS CAN SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE THEIR SATISFACTION AND ENGAGEMENT AND, IN TURN, BENEFIT THE ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO COMPETE FOR TALENT AND ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN THE MARKETPLACE." THE FOUNDATION HAS PROMOTED THIS NEW TOOL IN NUMEROUS MARKETING CAMPAIGNS AND THROUGH THE INSTITUTE FOR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE. ATTAINING COMMUNITY AS THE 7TH SECTOR OF THE BALDRIGE AWARD WAS AN HISTORIC ACHIEVEMENT FOR THE BALDRIGE FOUNDATION AND OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS. NOT SINCE THE ADDITION OF HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION IN 1998, AND THE NONPROFIT SECTOR IN 2005, HAS BALDRIGE EXPANDED ITS AWARD CATEGORIES, DEMONSTRATING ITS ABILITY TO CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVE, EVOLVE, AND REMAIN RELEVANT. THE BALDRIGE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO PROVIDE ORGANIZATIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO COMMUNITIES OF EXCELLENCE 2026 AND IN FY2023 WAS AGAIN THE SOLE SPONSOR OF THE COE CRITERIA AND FRAMEWORK. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING SCALE UP PARTICIPATION IN COMMUNITIES NATIONWIDE AND SECURING ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP US DRIVE SUCCESS USING THE NEW COMMUNITY BALDRIGE EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK. AS CO-FOUNDER AND CHAIR OF COE2026, LOWELL KRUSE, AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR STEPHANIE NORLING STATE IN THE OPENING LETTER OF THE CURRENT COMMUNITY FRAMEWORK, "AT COMMUNITIES OF EXCELLENCE, WE ARE DEDICATED TO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION. AS PART OF THIS COMMITMENT, WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENTLY WORKING TO ENHANCE OUR EXISTING FRAMEWORK IN RESPONSE TO VALUABLE FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU. THIS NEW UPDATE REFLECTS NOT ONLY A SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, BUT ALSO OUR DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE IN ALL THAT WE DO. IN THE INTEREST OF IMPROVING OUR COUNTRY IN THE LONG TERM, WE BELIEVE THAT ALL COMMUNITIES MUST IMPROVE THEIR PERFORMANCE THROUGH SYSTEMS CHANGE AND MEANINGFUL COLLABORATION ACROSS SECTORS AND GENERATIONS. OUR FOUNDATION STATEMENT CONTINUES TO DRIVE OUR ORGANIZATION AND OUR DEDICATION TO EXCELLENCE: FOR AMERICA TO SUSTAIN ITS VITALITY, PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY, AND CREATE A MORE EQUITABLE SOCIETY DURING ITS SECOND 250 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, WE MUST IMPROVE THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMUNITIES AND THE PEOPLE WHO LEAD AND LIVE IN THEM." ADDITIONALLY, WE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY, THE NEWEST SECTOR OF THE BALDRIGE AWARDS BY IMPLEMENTING FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY SECTOR TO RECOGNIZE LEADERS WHO HAVE MADE A TRUE DIFFERENCE IN SUPPORTING THIS INITIATIVE. THIS YEAR, WE WILL HONOR EIGHT COMMUNITY LEADERS DURING THE FOUNDATION'S AWARDS CEREMONY AND LUNCHEON ON APRIL 9, 2024. WE CONTINUE TO ENJOY STRONG BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN THE SENATE FROM BOTH SENATOR JEANNE SHAHEEN AS THE CHAIR, AND SENATOR JERRY MORAN, THE RANKING MEMBER OF THE CJS SUBCOMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS. MOST NOTABLY, THE ENTIRE SUBCOMMITTEE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS. WITH THEIR SUPPORT, THE FOUNDATION WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SUSTAINING THE FEDERAL APPROPRIATION FOR THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM AT 2.7 MILLION FOR FY24. THIS YEAR, WE ALSO HAVE THE HONOR OF PRESENTING THE BALDRIGE FOUNDATION AWARD FOR LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT TO SENATOR SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO FROM WEST VIRGINIA, FOR HER LEADERSHIP IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT AND HEALTH CARE, AGRICULTURE, VETERANS' ISSUES, EDUCATION, ENERGY, LABOR, AND NUMEROUS OTHER AREAS WHICH HAVE MADE HER ONE OF THE NATION'S MOST RESPECTED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. AS PART OF THE FOUNDATION'S ADVOCACY OUTREACH, WE CONTINUE TO TRACK EACH STATE- BASED PROGRAM'S HIGHEST AWARD RECIPIENTS, SEND A LETTER OF CONGRATULATIONS TO EACH OF THEM, AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO APPLY AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL. ADDITIONALLY, WE SEND LETTERS OF CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH U.S. SENATORS, AND THEIR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE SO THEY ARE AWARE OF THESE AWARD-WINNING ORGANIZATIONS. WE WILL ALSO DO THIS FOR NATIONAL AWARD RECIPIENTS ONCE ANNOUNCED LATER THIS YEAR. FUNDRAISING THANKS TO ALL OUR INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL DONORS, SPONSORS, AND PARTNERS OVER THE PAST YEAR WHO HAVE HELPED US CONTINUE OUR MISSION TO SUPPORT THE BALDRIGE PROGRAM AND PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE IN ALL SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY. THIS YEAR'S GIVING CAMPAIGNS, OUR END-OF-YEAR