Note: Nonprofits or PR firms may enter any of these categories. For PR firms entering, please ensure that the campaign is for a nonprofit client. Agencies and nonprofits may enter as a team. Please provide information on campaign budget so judges can ascertain outcomes as they relate to budget, recognizing that a "small" budget or "large" budget often dictate campaign tactics. All campaigns/initiatives below must have taken place within the past 12 months and may be ongoing.

AWARD CATEGORIES

• Advocacy Campaign and Lobbying Efforts: This category recognizes a campaign or ongoing initiatives utilizing a wide range of strategies (e.g. media, special events, web content,) where outcomes demonstrated change (e.g. legislation passed, funds raised, key support and/or endorsements from other groups, legislators, etc.)
• Corporate Partnerships: Recognizing outstanding alliance/s with a corporate entity in the past 12 months, with an eye toward exceeding the stated mission of the partnership. Note: it is recommended that you enter partnerships separately, not as a single entry.
• Crisis Management: Communications surrounding any crisis, from an industry crisis to internal executive malfeasance, are eligible in this category.
• Employee Communications Recognizing outstanding internal PR efforts at nonprofits/associations, including employee communications campaigns and ongoing initiatives to motivate, inspire and retain employees.
• Event PR: Entries should include PR conducted at an industry, association or other event/conference, or a series of events conceived and implemented by your organization (for instance, awareness of an issue). Note: this can include the entering nonprofit’s annual conference, for example, or a public relations efforts at an industry event.
• External Publication: This category recognizes an external publication produced by or for a nonprofit. Publication can be a one-time effort or an ongoing publication. Hard copy and electronic publications are eligible; please include 5 hard copies of the publication with your entry. Also include pertinent information from our standard campaign entry.
• Fundraising and Membership Campaign: Recognizing outstanding communications surrounding a single or ongoing drive to raise funds or increase membership. Must demonstrate the role of PR in the outcomes.
• Interactive PR and Marketing: The winner of this category will have shown outstanding use of digital media (Web, email, etc) to communicate a message/s. This can include a marketing campaign on your Web site or a partner’s; outstanding email communications and other capitalization of digital media for PR/marketing.
• Internal Publication: This category recognizes an internal publication produced by or for a nonprofit. Publication can be a one-time effort or an ongoing publication. Hard copy and electronic publications are eligible; please include 5 hard copies of the publication with your entry. Also include pertinent information from our standard campaign entry.
• Marketing Communications Recognizing proven success with PR and marketing techniques for a nonprofit organization – judges will look closely at how well you integrated PR and marketing into your communications plan in general or for a specific campaign.
• Media Relations Campaign: Recognizing outstanding strategies and outcomes with either a singular media relations campaign surrounding an issue or a proven media relations strategy whose outcome improved the nonprofit’s standing among its stakeholders.
• Member Communications This category salutes outstanding public relations efforts to an association’s membership year-round or for a particular campaign.
• Nonprofit PR Executive of the Year: Sub-categories are VP, Director and Manager.

In 150 words or less, why you or the person you’re nominating should win this award. In 1,000 words or less, please cover as much of the following, broken down by criteria:

a. Professional PR-related achievements in 2006*

b. Specific campaigns or efforts spearheaded by this person and related outcomes

c. Leadership qualities (ability to manage internally, intra-departmentally and externally)

d. Innovative thinking

e. Sound judgment

f.  Flexibility

g. Creativity

h. Financial management (where applicable)

I.  How this person applied key tenets of PR—from reputation management to measurement

j.  Volunteer efforts and other contributions to PR advocacy

• PR on a Shoestring: Recognizing outstanding examples of a nonprofit achieving success with limited funds/budget, whether it’s for a single campaign or ongoing PR/public affairs. While “shoestring” is subjective, the winners in this category are those who have done more with less, and have been creative with the limited PR dollars they have.
• Press Release Recognizing one or multiple press releases for how well it’s written and the desired results: ie, hits to Web site; responses to a call for action; inbound inquiries stemming from the release, etc.
• Public Service Campaign: This category recognizes effective television, print, online and radio PSAs for a nonprofit, or produced by a nonprofit. PSA must have run in the past 12 months.
• Web Site: Recognizing outstanding Web sites among nonprofits, from a design, communications and navigation standpoint. Entrants must demonstrate the Web site’s effectiveness in building membership, raising issue awareness and the ways that PR has played a role in the site’s success.