Guilford County Seeks Nominations for 24th Annual Safety Makes Cents Award

Unintentional injuries are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, and the Guilford County Child Fatality Prevention Team has spent 24 years trying to change that calculus at the local level. The team opened nominations March 25 for the 24th annual "Safety Makes Cents" award, a $2,000 grant to one Guilford County organization that can document it has reduced or prevented childhood injuries or fatalities. Applications are due April 10.

The county is looking for programs that address the preventable harms Guilford families encounter most: booster seat misuse, unsafe infant sleep environments, accidental poisoning, falls, and bicycle crashes. The Child Fatality Prevention Team named bicycle helmet programs, safe-sleep campaigns, anti-poison education, booster seat outreach, and home-safety home-visit programs as the kinds of work the award is built to recognize.

For the grassroots organizations most likely to apply, the value runs deeper than $2,000. Nonprofits, faith-based groups, school-linked programs, and local government agencies all qualify, and the county notes that a "Safety Makes Cents" win helps those providers compete for larger state and federal grants by establishing a publicly recognized track record. The award also strengthens community partnerships and validates specific prevention approaches that other agencies and schools can replicate rather than reinvent.

The selection bar is concrete: the county will choose a recipient based on demonstrated impact. Applications must include evidence, outcome metrics, and descriptions of the nominee's programs. Awarded funds cannot be directed toward unrelated operating costs.

To apply or submit a nomination before the April 10 deadline, contact Cori Hodgin-Lord of the Child Fatality Prevention Team at 336-641-3660 or chodgin@guilfordcountync.gov. Guilford County offices are at 301 W. Market St. in Greensboro, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.