The Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation is seeking nominations for its 22nd annual Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards that recognize unsung heroes who are making an impact in North Carolina communities.

Each award is accompanied by a $25,000 grant -- $5,000 to the winner and $20,000 that the winner designates for charitable organizations of his or her choice.

The deadline for nominations is June 1.

Awards are given in three categories: advocacy -- on behalf of people, issues, or concerns that otherwise may be without effective voices; personal service -- for people helping other people; and race relations -- for persons who are bringing about improvements in multiculturalism and serving as role models of racial understanding and cooperation.

Jock Tate, Foundation president, said, "In almost every community in North Carolina there are remarkable people doing things that have significant and lasting positive impact. We are looking for these unsung heroes for two reasons: to honor them and to cause others, by seeing their good works, to be inspired and contribute more to their communities."

The Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards luncheon draws hundreds of people from across the state each November and attracts significant media attention.

Sometimes called "North Carolina's Nobel Prizes," the awards are believed to be the only ones of their kind in the country that honor and reward people who are quietly but effectively striving to improve their communities.

The awards were established in 1986 in memory of Nancy Susan Reynolds, the daughter of Katharine Smith and R.J. Reynolds. She was a philanthropist and a founding member, president and lifetime trustee of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.

The Foundation's State Advisory Panel considers many criteria, including the impact of the nominees' efforts and accomplishments; the difficulty of the circumstances surrounding the nominees' work, such as personal adversity, community attitudes and geography; and the degree of recognition already received.

The recipients of the 2006 Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards were Margaret Clinard of Greensboro, who has provided foster care for more than 100 children, for personal service; Faith Lockwood of Winston-Salem, who runs a school-based program for teen mothers, for advocacy; and Willie Ratchford of Charlotte, the Executive Director of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee, for race relations.

Nominations may be made by anyone except the nominee. Nominations may be submitted in any one of the following ways:

-- Submit a nomination online at www.zsr.org by clicking on Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards or Forms and Publications.

-- Download a nomination form at www.zsr.org by clicking on Forms and Publications.

-- Write the Foundation to request a nomination form at Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards, Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation, 147 South Cherry St., Suite 200, Winston-Salem, NC 27101-5287 Or, call 336-725-7541 or 800-443-8319.

The Web site is www.zsr.org.

The Foundation, headquartered in Winston-Salem, was established in 1936 as a memorial to the youngest child of R.J. Reynolds and Katharine Smith Reynolds.

During its history, it has made grants of more than $393 million to projects in all 100 counties in North Carolina.

Although it makes grants to a wide range of projects, it now gives special attention to five focus areas -- community economic development, the environment, democracy and civic engagement, pre-collegiate education, and social justice and equity.

The deadlines for grant applications are Feb. 1 for consideration in May and August 1 for consideration in November.

More information is available at the Foundation's web site, www.zsr.org.