The Frank Hatch Award for Enlightened Public Service honors outstanding John Merck Fund grantees whose work embodies the extraordinary creativity, dedication and foresight that marked Frank Hatch's leadership of the fund from 1987 to 2006.

The award is made in the form of a $50,000 grant, given annually, to an individual at a current or former JMF grantee organization. The individual can be at any stage of their career, from formative to mature. The recipient is given the discretion to decide, with JMF consultation, whether the award will be made to his/her organization, to the individual directly, or to both in combination. If the award is made directly to an individual, JMF takes the responsibility for apprising them of potential tax consequences.

2007 Award Recipient

Gary Cohen, executive director of Environmental Health Fund and Health Care Without Harm in Boston is the second recipient of the Frank Hatch Award for Enlightened Public Service. 

Mr. Cohen plans to use the award to advance the work at several of the organizations with which he is associated, including Health Care Without Harm and the Environmental Health Fund.  In addition, the new startup firm Green Harvest Technologies, which is designed to create a market for plant-based plastics, will receive some assistance through the award.

“We are awakening to the reality that it is getting harder to support healthy people on a sick planet. We are also realizing there is no conflict between the environment and the economy – in fact, the economy of the 21st century needs to be a green economy,” Mr. Cohen said. “Over the next decade, we will need to transition from a petro-chemically based economy to one that is based on green chemistry, sustainable agriculture and global consciousness. I am happy to be a part of this life affirming transformation.”

2006 Award Recipient

Tiffany Bluemle, executive director of Vermont Works for Women in Essex Junction, has been named the first winner of the Frank Hatch Award for Enlightened Public Service by The John Merck Fund. Ms. Bluemle received the award at a June 6 ceremony in Boston to honor Mr. Hatch, who retired after nineteen years as the foundation's chairman.

Ms. Bluemle plans to apply the award to research and advocacy related to the Vermont Works for Women's programs with incarcerated women. "This award gives us an unusual opportunity to reflect and build on our work in strategic and creative ways, an unthinkable luxury for most nonprofits," she said.

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