Effort to Expand Baldrige Award Takes Shape

Supporters of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award have recently stepped up efforts to achieve two longstanding goals: Expanding the award to include a not-for-profit category and eliminating the present cap on the number of awards that may be awarded in each category.

Acting on indications that the United States Senate is now favorably disposed to making the changes, ASQ began an effort to gather support for the new category and elimination of the cap that limits awards to a maximum of three per category. A letter (PDF, 9 KB) signed by more than 400 Baldrige supporters was delivered to Senators McCain (R-AZ) and Hollings (D-SC) and Reps. Boehlert (R-NY) and Hall (D-TX), who are the chairs and ranking members of the authorization committees for NIST in both the House and the Senate.

Signers of the letter include former Baldrige winners, examiners, overseers, judges, and Baldrige Foundation Board members, all of whom want to make it possible for not-for-profit organizations to apply for the national award.

The effort will concentrate on achieving authorization for the changes this year (FY 2004) and funding to implement the changes in FY 2005.