RECOGNIZING PR’S MOST INNOVATIVE NONPROFIT CAMPAIGNS & INITIATIVES

Entry Deadline: November 8, 2024 | Late Deadline: November 15, 2024

PRNEWS’ Nonprofit Awards program is dedicated to honoring the most innovative campaigns and initiatives in the nonprofit sector. Through categories like Advocacy Campaign, PR on a Shoestring Budget, Social Responsibility Campaign, Volunteer Program and more, these awards look to celebrate the initiatives leading the way for nonprofit causes.

This awards program is open to all nonprofit organizations including associations, government organizations, universities and sole practitioners. Agencies and PR firms who are entering on behalf of a nonprofit client are also eligible.

CATEGORIES

Communications & Campaigns

    • Advocacy Campaign and Lobbying Efforts
      This category recognizes a campaign or ongoing initiative using a wide range of strategies (e.g. media, special events, Web content) where outcomes demonstrate change (e.g. legislation passed, funds raised, key support and/or endorsements from other groups, legislators, etc.)
      Annual Publication or Brochure
      Submissions will be judged on design and content, and success at connecting with a target audience and producing desired results.
      Blog
      Recognizing an outstanding, influential business-related blog or online journal written by a representative of an organization with the goal of espousing a cause or a certain message. The blog should be written with flair and personality.
      Branding/Re-Branding
      Entries should clearly state the goals of the branding/re-branding and show measurable results proving that these efforts resulted in more donations or increased corporate involvement or more community/employee involvement, etc.
      Corporate/Nonprofit Partnership
      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.
      Diversity and Inclusion Campaign
      Honors successful communications and PR campaigns centered around Diversity.
      Employee/Internal 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, of public relations efforts at an industry event.
      External Publication or Report
      This category recognizes an external publication produced by or for a nonprofit. The publication can be a one-time effort or an ongoing publication.
      Fundraising 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.
    • Internal Publication
      This category recognizes an internal publication produced by or for a nonprofit. The publication can be a one-time effort or an ongoing publication.
      Media Relations
      Recognizes 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 targeted at an association’s membership year-round or for a particular campaign.
      Podcast
      Entries in this category should focus on the PR efforts surrounding a podcast, whether in the consumer or business-to-business arena.
      PR on a Shoestring Budget
      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.
      PR or Marketing Campaign
      Honors the most innovative PR or Marketing campaign that effectively drives brand or product awareness with measurable results.
      Social Media Campaign
      This category recognizes campaigns that connect people and allow them to be integrated into a product or company. Social media campaigns can include communications campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn or Google+; Internet forums; message boards or blogs.
      Social Responsibility Campaign/Initiatives
      This category recognizes a particular campaign in which the association's initiatives/brand is aligned with a cause.
      Video
      Entries in the category should include a campaign strategy that revolves around producing video content.
      Volunteer Program
      Either a new or ongoing volunteer program from an organization (corporate or nonprofit); entries should be clear in stated aim of the program and in the number of volunteers involved, as well as results of volunteer efforts.
      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.

    • Entry Guidelines

    Entry Dates

    ENTRY DEADLINE
    November 8, 2024

    LATE ENTRY DEADLINE
    November 15, 2024

    All entries must be submitted by November 15, 2024

    Who's Eligible?

    This awards program is open to all nonprofit organizations including associations, government organizations, universities and sole practitioners. Agencies and PR firms who are entering on behalf of a nonprofit client are also eligible. The campaigns or initiatives you are highlighting must have taken place (either in part or in full) one year from the entry deadline date.

    Entry Fees

    Initial Entry: $350
    Additional Entries: $250
    Late Fee added after November 8, 2024: $99

    Additional entries after the initial entry qualify for a discount. A late fee of will be applied to entries submitted after November 8, 2024. Payment in full must accompany the entry. Entry fees are not refundable.

    Submission Requirements

    Campaigns

    All campaigns entered will be required to submit a synopsis describing campaign content including all of the following areas:*

    • What was the goal of the campaign?

    • What metrics set the stage for the work your campaign sought out to do?

    • What was the thinking and the strategic approach behind your work?

    • What actions did your campaign take or how was your campaign implemented?

    • How was success measured for this campaign? What metrics show that this campaign performed well and met its goals?

    • Supporting Materials can include anything that best represents the success of your work. Examples include:

      • Websites
      • ROI Stats
      • Media Coverage
      • Press Materials
      • Testimonials
      • Research Documents
      • Videos
      • Photos

    ENTER NOW

    *NOTE: Each section of the application has a 300 word limit

    FAQs

    • This awards program is open to all individuals and teams worldwide at nonprofit organizations including associations, government organizations, universities and sole practitioners. Agencies and PR firms who are entering on behalf of a nonprofit client are also eligible.

    • Our judges will evaluate each entry on the soundness of strategic planning and execution, and the impact of the results in relation to the scale of the project.

    • The fee to enter is $350 for entries submitted before the entry deadline, November 8. Secondary entries qualify for a $100 discount. A late fee of $99 will be applied to entries submitted between November 8 and November 15.

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    Contact

    Submission Questions

    For questions about the Nonprofit Awards, contact:

    Mary-Lou French
    PRNEWS
    [email protected]

    Sponsorship and Advertising Questions

    If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

    Dara Brooks
    PRNEWS
    [email protected]

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