The Gesneriad Society instituted the Awards of Appreciation in 1977 to recognize those individuals whose activities had benefited the Society in one or more exceptional ways.

A number of factors are considered when choosing a recipient of an Award of Appreciation. Among them are the individual’s length of service to the Society, the importance of the service rendered by the individual, the individual’s service as a chairperson of one or more committees, work by an individual in behind-the-scenes activities, consistent contributions of gesneriad articles for publication by an individual, and other activities that benefit both the Society and the world of gesneriads.