2026 Excalibur & Excelsior Awards Celebration

Gather to recognize and celebrate Excalibur and Excelsior award nominees and winners, those who exemplify excellence in community service! Celebrating the Best and Brightest of Northern Illinois The annual Excalibur & Excelsior Award Ceremony returns this December. Once again, we will gather to brighten our spirits by celebrating good work and giving back, and to recognize people and organizations who put our communities first. Date: Thursday, December 10, 2026 Time: Social hour 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Ceremony 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Location: Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie Street, Rockford, IL 61107. Open theater style seating and cocktail tables; Cocktail attire or holiday party attire is encouraged. Tickets: There is no cost to attend this event, but RSVPs are required. Heavy appetizers and select libations included; cash bar available. Check in with your hosts upon arrival for your free drink ticket! Attire: Cocktail/Holiday Party Since 1971, the Excalibur Award has honored an individual who exemplifies excellence in community service. Joined in 1979 by the Excelsior Award, which recognizes an organization of the same merit, these annual tributes to service above self have uplifted countless stories of not just greatness, but goodness. In addition to the Excalibur & Excelsior Awards, the event will feature four awards recognizing Community Champions, either individuals or organizations, from the four counties of our region (Boone, Ogle, Stephenson, and Winnebago). These awards were added in 2023 to celebrate the good work happening across our region. Awards made to individuals include a cash prize to support the organization of their choice, and awards to organizations include a cash prize to support their ongoing good work. It is our sincere pleasure to co-host the annual return of these momentous awards and the festivities they inspire. Learn about the history of the awards and past recipients: www.excaliburexcelsior.com/history About the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois (CFNIL) The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois has served Northern Illinois since 1953. CFNIL works to inspire endowment and promote philanthropy for the current and future needs of the people of Northern Illinois. Learn more about their work and commitment to philanthropy and effective grantmaking at https://cfnil.org. About the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) NICNE works to promote, model and grow innovation, excellence and social impact, serving nonprofit organizations and cross-sector partners in our region since 2004 through professional development, capacity building support, consulting, and cross-sector collaboration facilitation to address some of our most pressing community challenges. To learn more about NICNE’s work, see https://niu.edu/nicne. About the Rockford Register Star The Rockford Register Star created and hosted the annual Excalibur and Excelsior Awards for four decades, beginning in 1971, championing individuals and organizations who exemplify excellence in community service. In 2023, they forged a partnership with CFNIL and NICNE to continue to the recognition and celebration of changemakers across our four-county region. The Rockford Register Star is a web and print-based publication owned by Gannett, the largest media company in the United States. The Register Star aims to empower and enrich the Rockford community with unbiased, independent local news that communicates need to know information, celebrates stories of people and places and fosters healthy debate on matters that impact the lives of those who call the Rockford area home. The Register Star is committed to providing its readers with investigative reporting that holds government, businesses and individuals accountable to our community and storytelling that educates and inspires. Learn more at About the Rockford Register Star.