Five great charity awards you can enter

It takes time to enter awards – something which as charity people we can be short of. But there are lots of great benefits that make it worth the effort.

 

Awards can celebrate individuals who’ve gone above and beyond, or recognise whole organisations that have achieved great things together. But whatever category you decide to enter, you’ll reap the rewards.

 

Entering (and winning) awards can achieve the following.

 

 

Boost morale

 

Entering awards is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to your team and organisation. By doing so, you’re celebrating their wins, and acknowledging those who’ve given their best.

 

There may be fewer financial perks when working in not-for-profits, compared to the private sector, so singing the praises of team heroes is one way of showing them they’re appreciated and valued, which in turn boosts morale and motivation.

 

 

Reveal insights into your work

 

Even putting together an award entry can be a valuable experience. You can learn a lot about your organisation’s strengths, whether or not you win.

 

It’s also a good way to determine how well you can show your impact and what evidence you have (or need to have) to be able to do so.

 

 

Increase exposure

 

Entering awards is a great way to get your charity’s name onto more people’s radars. The content and social media generated by the awards organisation itself will increase your exposure.

 

 If you make it to an awards ceremony, you’ll have a captive audience to talk about your successes. And you can post about your wins on your own social media.

 

 

Validate your work

 

Being shortlisted for, or winning, awards brings credibility to your organisation. It’s a way of showing the world at large that donating to your cause is putting their money in safe hands. The simple fact that you’ve been willing to put your work up for scrutiny, can in itself can generate more trust in your brand.

 

Often judged by charity experts, an award is a stamp of quality from people who know the sector best, and this can only be of benefit when asking the public for donations, sourcing new corporate sponsorship or asking new influencers to jump on board.

 

 

Showcase the sector

 

Awards bring together organisations of all shapes and sizes, with wide-ranging causes. Together, entries form a good news story about the sector, celebrating successes and sharing inspiring stories that will spark new ideas and generate some much-deserved recognition.

 

 

Five awards to get you started

 

 

The Charity Awards

 

These longstanding awards are now in their 23rd year and serve to recognise those charities that are innovative, exemplify best practices, and deliver sustainable benefit to communities and society.

 

This year’s awards invited nominations for ten categories, with one overall winner (congratulations to Tommy’s). They’ve been designed so that any charity, regardless of size, location or cause can enter and have a chance of winning – and their judging is rigorous. The Charity Awards 2023 will be inviting entries later this year. 

 

 

Charity Times Awards

 

Also well-established, the Charity Times Awards have 30 different categories, including awards for individuals, and charity and corporate partnerships. They aim to honour the outstanding professionals in the many and varied fields of charity management and to celebrate best practice.

 

They’re free to enter for members of the Charity Times Leadership Network, with a sliding scale for non-members ranging from £199 for charities with turnover under £1m to £499 for commercial organisations.

 

 

Third Sector Awards

 

The Third Sector Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding efforts within the voluntary sector – and do so through a huge number of awards.

 

They’re judged by an elite panel of professionals, including past winners who are invited back as judges. While there’s a sliding scale for entry fees (starting at £175), this year they offered some free entries for charities with an income less than £100,000.

 

 

Inspiring Communicator Awards

 

This is the one for comms professionals. The ICAs are run by CharityComms, specifically to celebrate individuals who show professionalism, expertise, and, above all, inspiration through their work. These are the people who shine and show the power and impact of great communicators.

 

You need to be a member to nominate, but nominees don’t have to be. Put forward your talented colleagues from early September, for free.

 

 

AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards

 

Here’s one that’s close to our hearts (we’re one of the sponsors). These are the only awards that recognise the organisations and individuals who use digital technology to improve lives and make the world a better place. Previous winners include Girls into Coding (which works to redress the gender imbalance in tech) and Peek (which has developed a smartphone vision test app).

 

Eleven years in, and they’re taking a break in 2022. But you can sign up for news about the 2023 awards.