Awards Timeline

Entry Deadline
November 13, 2009

Late Entry Deadline
November 20, 2009

Winners!
Entry Form / Enter Online

Press Release

Preferred Award Vendor

Corporate Social Responsibility is one of the key benchmarks of an organization’s overall success and reputation in the marketplace. PR News’ CSR Awards recognize the corporations and their partners that have executed highly successful and impactful CSR campaigns in the past 12 months. These awards recognize both the communications surrounding a CSR initiative and the initiative itself, depending on the category you enter. Additionally, the awards program recognizes the CSR leaders within your organization. It’s time for you and your team to get recognized for your CSR efforts and to shine a spotlight on the people driving your CSR success.

PR News will salute the winners of the CSR Awards on February 26, 2009 at the National Press Club in DC. Additionally, the winners will be profiled in PR News’ CSR Awards Issue in March.

 

Who Should Enter?

PR News’ CSR Awards are open to all individuals and teams worldwide at for-profit and non-profit organizations including: corporations, PR firms, marketing firms, public affairs agencies, IR agencies, publicity firms, associations, government teams, NGOs and practitioners.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible, the campaign or PR initiative must have taken place (either in part or in full) between November 1, 2007, and November 30, 2008. Some of the work must have occurred during this time, but it’s not necessary for it to be completed during the eligibility period, and it can be ongoing. Any communications team worldwide — corporate, agency, association, governmental agency or nonprofit — of any size is eligible to enter.

Categories

Winners will be awarded in the following categories:

Categories

Overall Leader in CSR Practices:

CSR Pioneers of the Year:

  • Annual Report - This category recognizes outstanding CSR-and-sustainability reports for shareholders and other key constituents. Include 3 copies of your Corporate Social Responsibility Report along with your entry form. (Synopsis is not needed for this category.)  
  • Business Ethics Communications - The winner in this category will have clearly demonstrated unquestionable business ethics to all stakeholders, in some cases mitigating the crises of confidence that employees, customers and other stakeholders may have had in the wake of recent corporate scandals. Include a synopsis with the entry form.
  • Cause Branding Campaign - This category recognizes a particular campaign in which the corporation’s brand is aligned with a cause, resulting in a nonprofit-corporate partnership that benefits the cause and raises awareness among consumers and other stakeholders. Entrants must show tangible results of campaign and year-over-year strategies to improve the cause branding campaign if this is an ongoing program.
  • Community Affairs - This category encompasses a wide variety of corporate citizenship efforts, from prominent support for local causes to outstanding partnerships with national and international cause-related organizations. Include a synopsis of the initiative with the entry form along with information on any pertinent partnerships.
  • Corporate-Community Partnership - This category comprises those campaigns whose primary focus is forming/promoting a partnership for a social or community cause, but which may also include promotion of your product and/or services and/or company and the advancement of your reputation as a corporate citizen.
  • Diversity Communications - The winning communications initiative in this category will reflect an organization’s commitment to racial, ethnic, religious and gender diversity.
  • Employee Relations - This category recognizes internal communications efforts and honors those organizations that are communicating to employees CR commitments and engaging them in helping to create positive change on important social and environmental issues.
  • Employee Volunteer Program - This category recognizes outstanding communications and volunteer efforts of a company to support a social or community cause.
  • Environmental Stewardship - This category recognizes a communications strategy with your organization’s environmental efforts as its focus. Along with your entry form, provide an explanation of your company’s environmental practices as well as a synopsis of the campaign or ongoing communications initiative. 
  • Green PR Campaign - This category recognizes a communications strategy with your organization’s "Go Green" efforts as its focus. Along with your entry form, provide an explanation of your company’s green practices as well as a synopsis of the campaign or ongoing communications initiatives.
  • Human Rights Communications - The winner in this category will have effectively communicated to its various stakeholders worldwide the social actions it has taken— whether proactively or reactively—to improve human rights in the geographic areas where it conducts business.
  • Media Relations - The winner in this category will have demonstrated outstanding media relations strategies resulting in positive coverage for a CSR program/campaign. Entrants must show measurable results from its media efforts and include samples of coverage that demonstrates consistent messaging and PR’s role in educating the media about the CSR program.
  • Nonprofit/Corporate Partnership - This category comprises corporations whose primary focus is forming/promoting/leveraging a partnership with a nonprofit, but which may also include promotion of your product and/or services and/or company and the advancement of your reputation as a corporate citizen.
  • Philanthropy Communications - Recognizing an organization with a successful charitable giving program(s) in which the communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the markets it serves.
  • Product Design/Redesign - Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding the a new product design or redesign of an existing product or service, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
  • Stakeholder Engagement - The winner in this category will have demonstrated outstanding success in engaging its various stakeholders in the CSR program or campaign. The CSR program will have demonstrated that it heeded the needs of its stakeholders, be it employees, local citizens, investors, etc.
  • Corporation with less than 1,000 employees
  • Corporation with between 1,000 and 25,000 employees
  • Corporation with more than 25,000 employees
  • CEO
  • COO
  • Communicator
  • Marketer
  • Community Relations Executives
  • CSR Executive

[Back to the Top]

How To Enter:

(You can either mail in your entry, or enter online.) 

At the beginning of your 2-page synopsis, the following information must be listed:

  • Category entered
  • Title of entry (as it would appear on your award)
  • Key contact for entry
  • Organization submitting entry
  • Budget (where applicable)(All budget information is strictly confidential and will not be published w/o expressed permission.)

* There are no binder specifications when mailing in your entry.

Your Written Entry

Within your 2-page synopsis, please describe your campaign or PR initiative including the following:

  • Objectives
  • Research
  • Strategy
  • Execution
  • Evaluation of Success/Results/ROI

“Overall Leader” Categories

When submitting an entry in this category, please outline (in 2 pages maximum) the CSR efforts of your organization, including but not limited to CSR best practices and CSR communications. Include specific initiatives that took place in the past 12 months that may still be ongoing. 

"CSR Pioneers of the Year" Categories

When submitting an entry in this category, please outline (in 2 pages maximum) your CSR efforts, including but not limited to CSR best practices and CSR communications. Include specific initiatives that took place in the past 12 months that may still be ongoing.

Supporting Materials

Supporting materials should show evidence of the success of your work. It can be any of the following: Direct Web Addresses/URLs, Sales Figures, Brand Media Coverage, Clippings, Photos, Research Documents and Testimonials. Please send three copies of supporting materials per category entered.

Sending Your Entry by Mail

  • 5 copies of your completed entry form
  • 10 copies of your synopsis
  • 3 copies of any supporting materials per category entered
  • Entry fee

Send Entries To:

Mary Lou French 
PR News CSR Awards 
Access Intelligence, LLC, c/o PR News 
4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd Floor 
Rockville, MD 20850. 
Please indicate in the left corner of the package the categories you are entering.

FAQs:

  • How are the entries judged?
    Entries are judged by a blue chip panel of corporate, agency and academic executives as well as by the staff of PR News. We evaluate your entry based on creativity, innovation, sound planning, implementation and outcomes. The most important criterion is proven success in aligning your strategic objectives with your end goals.
  • When will I be notified about the status of my entry?
    You will be contacted by PR News staff regarding your entry only if you are named a finalist in the award program. Finalists will be notified in late January 2009 and announced in PR News and www.prnewsonline.com.
  • Can I enter my campaign in more than one category?
    Yes. Please include separate written entries for each category. Also, there is no limit to number of campaigns you can enter.
  • How do I increase my chances of winning an award?
    Emphasize the goals of your campaign as well as your campaign’s achievements in your introduction. Provide as many concrete and specific examples of success as possible, and explain clearly and succinctly your research, planning, implementation and measurement of the campaign or ongoing initiative.
  • Must we include our campaign budget?
    It’s not a requirement, but it helps the judges to better compare your campaign against other entries. Include at least a reasonable budget range. The judges always take into account the campaign budget relative to the goals and outcome. All information is confidential and will not be published.
  • What is your Federal  tax ID number?
    52–2270063
  • W-9 Form

Deadlines/Entry Fees

Deadline: November 14, 2008 (postmarked)
Late Deadline: November 21, 2008 (postmarked)
All entries must be postmarked/completed online by November 21, 2008.

Entries postmarked/completed online between November 15, 2008 and November 21, 2008, please add a $150 late fee per entry. Finalist will be notified in January 2009.

Entry Fees:
The price of each primary entry is $290. Late entry surcharge of $150 per entry. Payment in full must accompany the entry. Entry fees are not refundable.

Receipts: Toyin Salau at [email protected].

Sponsorship Opportunities

For sponsorship of the PR News CSR Awards, please contact Diane Schwartz at 212-621-4964 or [email protected].

ENTRY QUESTIONS
Please contact Awards Coordinator; Saun Sayamongkhun at [email protected]; 301/354-1610.

Previous Winners

2007 CSR Issue
2006 winners
2005 winners