The Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) honors the University’s volunteers each year at the NAA Service and Club Awards program. These awards celebrate the vital role of alumni leadership and give us the opportunity to recognize our most dedicated volunteers as a community.
This year’s program will take place in Evanston during the Northwestern Leadership Symposium on Sunday, October 11, 2026, immediately following Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.
Since 1941, this award has been the NAA’s most distinguished award for alumni volunteer service. It recognizes alumni whose volunteer leadership and exemplary, sustained service have made a lasting and meaningful impact on Northwestern University.
Additional Eligibility Criteria: Has served in some University volunteer capacity for a minimum of 10 years.
This award recognizes alumni for emerging volunteer leadership that significantly enhances alumni engagement. Honorees demonstrate initiative, commitment, and potential through voluntary service such as mentorship, student or alumni support, or school- and unit-based engagement. The NAA presents one award annually.
Recipients of this award are alumni who have performed sustained, impactful volunteer service that has significantly advanced alumni engagement at Northwestern.
This award honors individuals whose long-term commitment—across clubs, schools, units, or other University initiatives—has strengthened the Northwestern community through leadership, mentorship, advocacy, or service. The NAA presents one award annually.
This award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and exemplary service to an affinity, international, or local club. The NAA presents up to four awards annually. Honorees will not be eligible again for this award for two years.
Presented to alumni clubs who have had an exemplary alumni impact as well as club growth and innovation. Winning clubs must have also excelled in governance and leadership, philanthropy and fundraising, and events and programming and achieved the Wildcat level in the Leading Strategies Model (LSM) in the fiscal year.
The nomination period for 2026 awards is now closed. Recipients will be honored on October 11, 2026.
Additional Information: The NAA Awards Committee will meet in mid-May to select the recipients, and honorees will be announced later this summer. With questions, please email naainfo@northwestern.edu.