If your organization or client is committed to making the world a better place through innovative corporate social responsibility initiatives then we want to hear from you! PR News' CSR Awards will celebrate the best campaigns in social good, diversity and inclusion, community service and so much more.
We will share a toast honoring this year's winners and honorable mentions at a feel-good luncheon event on March 15, 2019 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. There are over 30 categories to choose from, so if your organization is dexceptional CSR campaigns submit an entry today!
October 12, 2018
October 26, 2018
This category recognizes outstanding annual reports for shareholders and other key constituents. (A synopsis is not needed for this category.)
Recognizing an outstanding, influential business-related weblog or online journal written by a representative of the organization with the goal of espousing the brand or a certain message and written with flair and personality.
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.
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.
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.
Represents an overall leader in CSR practices among corporations with between 1,000 and 10,000 employees.
Represents an overall leader in CSR practices among corporations with between 10,000 and 25,000 employees.
Represents an overall leader in CSR practices among corporations with less than 1,000 employees.
Represents an overall leader in CSR practices among corporations with more than 25,000 employees.
Recognizes success of CSR efforts while working with limited funds/budget, whether it’s for a single campaign or for ongoing programs. “Shoestring” is subjective, so the emphasis should be on how more was done with less.
The winning communications initiative in this category will reflect an organization’s commitment to racial, ethnic, religious and gender diversity.
This category recognizes internal communications efforts and honors those organizations that are communicating CR commitments to employees and engaging them in helping to create positive change on important social and environmental issues.
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.
A live event that succeeds at both promoting a particular CSR/green campaign and enhancing the reputation of the sponsor organization. The event should be creative in its conception and execution, and should weave the particular cause into its structure.
The use of Facebook for a CSR initiative by either a PR firm on behalf of a client or clients or by an in-house organization’s communications team; significant increase in “Likes” should be demonstrated, along with examples of useful comments and content that created engagement, should be included in the entry.
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.
Enter your organization for its history of CSR communication success, which spans over a lifetime.
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 and/or advance social justice in the geographic areas where it conducts business.
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.
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.
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.
Recognizing an organization with a successful charitable giving program(s) in which the CSR communications of these efforts has improved the image and standing of the organization in the markets it serves.
Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a new product design or redesign of an existing product or service, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a new product design or redesign of an existing product or service, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a recycling program. The program can be new or an on-going recycling effort and can be in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
An agency or corporation that has integrated into its overall business model the desire to improve the common welfare of people (for instance, environment, health and educational issues) beyond immediate stakeholders. Entrants should demonstrate how the organization’s internal and external corporate responsibility efforts are designed to positively affect the bottom line and the larger economic sphere.
These are campaigns that connect people and allow them to be integrated into a product or company. Social media campaigns can include any existing social media application or site (Facebook, Twitter, Vine, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Spapchat, Google+, Tumblr, etc.).
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.
This award recognizes outstanding communications of a vendor offering CSR-related products and services.
This category recognizes outstanding CSR-and-sustainability reports for shareholders and other key constituents. (A synopsis is not needed for this category.)
The use of Twitter for a CSR initiative by either a PR firm on behalf of a client or clients or by an in-house organization’s communications team; significant increase in “Likes” should be demonstrated, along with examples of useful comments and content that created engagement, should be included in the entry.
Creative use of video to advance a CSR/green campaign. Can be a stand-alone video campaign, or part of a larger effort, and should demonstrate high audience engagement.
Either a new or ongoing volunteer program from an organization; entries should be clear in stated aim of program and in number of volunteers involved, as well as results of volunteer efforts.
Recognizing a campaign or ongoing efforts within the organization which furthers achievement of the organization’s CSR goals.
To be considered for this award, your firm must have a proven track record in developing and managing corporate responsibility programs and social good initiatives for clients. We are looking for agencies that understand the importance of communicating corporate social responsibility to a client's various stakeholders and have developed innovative and successful CSR communications initiatives.
Nominate the CSR leaders in your organization, whether they are in the PR or Marketing department or in the C-Suite. 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.
October 12, 2018
October 26, 2018
All entries must be submitted by October 26, 2018. Finalists will be notified in January 2019 and honored during an awards ceremony on March 15, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
The PR News CSR Awards are open to all agency, corporation, nonprofit/association and government organizations. To be eligible, the campaigns or PR initiatives you are highlighting must have taken place (either in part or in full) between September 1, 2017, and October 12, 2018. Some of the work must have occurred during this time, but it's not necessary for it to be completed during the eligibility period.
National and international entries are accepted.
The price of each primary entry is $425. If you are submitting a secondary entry of the same campaign into any additional categories, the price will be $275 for each additional category. Late entry surcharge of $275 per entry for entries submitted between October 13-26, 2018.
Payment in full must accompany the entry. Entry fees are not refundable.
For information on sponsoring the CSR Awards, contact:
Katie Sullivan
[email protected]