Doug Jacquier has been named 2008 Innovator of the Year as part of the Equity Trustees’ Not For Profit CEO Awards that recognise outstanding achievements of chief executives working in the not-for-profit and charitable sector.

Since being established in 2007, Connecting Up, Australia’s DonorTec technology donations program, has donated more than $A30 million of software and services to charities and community organisations. The program is part of the global rollout of the TechSoup program in the US.

The awards committee said that in the past four years, Mr Jacquier has built links with international organisations with similar interests and identified a model for his NFP to become less reliant on government funding and to take on a national role.

“As a strategic thinker and innovator, he has gained the support and trust of his board and built Connecting Up Australia into a team that is helping thousands of NFP organisations and their customers,” the committee said.

Mr Jacquier said “This award is not only a great personal honour for me, and our great staff, team and board at Connecting Up Australia, it is a recognition of the major effort being made by community organisations to help their communities in every way possible to have rich and fulfilling lives.”

Catch more of Doug Jacquier in the January edition of Third Sector, where he will share his thoughts on association management, the role of technology and more.