The Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) designation has been bestowed upon Henry Timms, president and chief executive officer of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. The citation notes his service to the arts and philanthropy.

Timms is a founder of GivingTuesday, the international day of generosity, which in 2022 brought in $3.1 billion in the United States alone. Worldwide results of the November event are still being tabulated.

The appointment is bestowed twice annually, on the monarch’s birthday and on January 1. The list of people to be honored is released by the British government. There is a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, likely later in 2023. Approximately 500 people annually receive the designation.

This is the first set of awards bestowed by King Charles III. OBE was started by King George V in 1917 to acknowledge civilians.

“I am bowled over by this recognition and deeply grateful. Proud to champion the UK this side of the pond,” said Timms. He said he was not sure how he was nominated for the title.

Born Henry Thomas Deason Timms in Exeter, Devon, England, he holds joint U.S.-U.K. citizenship. He is the co-author of the international bestselling book New Power. He was the president and CEO of the 92nd Street Y in New York City when the GivingTuesday concept was conceived.

He is a Hauser Leader at Harvard Kennedy School, a senior fellow at both Stanford University and the United Nations Foundation, a visiting fellow at the University of Oxford, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He acts as a senior advisor to leaders across sectors including the C-suite of the world’s largest companies, university and philanthropic presidents, and government ministers. 

He has been selected to annual The NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 eight times, most recently in 2022.

The Order of the British Empire has six ranks, two of which entitle the holder to put Sir or Dame in front of their name. Those ranks are:

MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire

OBE – Officer of the Order of the British Empire

CBE – Commander of the Order of the British Empire

KBE/DBE – Knight/Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. The holder can use the title of Sir or Dame

GBE – Knight/Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire is the top rank