2016 GOVERNOR’S AWARD NOMINATION
PROCESS
Webinar 12/04/15 at 10:00 a.m.
For anyone interested in nominating an individual or group for the
2016 Governor’s Volunteerism & Community Service Awards
The 2016 Nomination Process Has Changed!
New website! http://www.vavolunteerismawards.org/
All nominations MUST be submitted electronically
Complete all fields online and upload two support letters
Click SUBMIT; this should generate an automatic e-mail confirmation of receipt of nomination
Other way to submit
Download nomination form from website
Complete all fields of downloaded form and save
Scan two required support letters
E-mail all to [email protected]
Confirmation e-mail will be sent
The nomination process for 2016 has changed!
New website link: http://www.vavolunteerismawards.org/
2016 Individual Categories
Adult Volunteer Individual aged 19 - 59
Senior Volunteer Individual aged 60+
Youth Volunteer Individual up to age 18
2016 Group Categories Community Organization
Group of volunteers serving in or from a nonprofit, civic, public safety, governmental, or other service organization
Corporation Employee group representing a for-profit
corporation with 51 or more employees that has made an outstanding contribution to the community or State
Educational Institution Group of volunteers serving in or from an
educational institution (K-12, College or University)
2016 Group Categories (cont.)
Faith-Based Organization Group of volunteers serving in or from a faith-
based organization (church, synagogue, temple or other religious organization)
Family Volunteers Family who volunteers together for a specific
project or organization (a married couple is considered a family)
Small Business Employee group representing a for-profit small
business with 50 or less employees that has made an outstanding contribution to the community or State
General Requirements for Two Required Support Letters!
A Sample Letter of Support can be found on the Nomination Page of the new website
Two letters of support are required, no longer than one page each
Letters should clearly state the author’s
relationship to the nominee and knowledge of his/her or the group’s service
Support letters
Letters must be submitted by someone other than the nominator and by someone not directly related to the nominee
If possible, letters of support should be
submitted on the letterhead of the letter writer and signed by the writer – no anonymous support letter writer’s permitted
Support letters MUST be submitted or uploaded at the same time that the nomination is submitted
General Hints &Tips for Writing Nomination Narrative
Nominators are crucial!
Judges rely on the nominator to see your nominee’s attributes and contributions
Source: Adapted from “Writing Award Winning Nominations ”article written by Mary V. Merrill, L.S.W. , and published in Volunteer Management Review™, 2004
Step 1
Read “FAQ’s” on Home Page Tab in the drop-down list
Answer all questions in the order specified
Can’t accept incomplete applications
Consider Judging Panel Perspective
Judges will score lots of nominations
Judges will look for the specific info required
Hunting for info makes it harder to score
The scoring tool matches the nomination form
More on Judging Panel Perspective
Judges do not know your nominee! Be descriptive.
Avoid the use of too many pronouns, run-on sentences and acronyms
Proofread!
Online Nominations
Complete nomination in Word first, then cut and paste
The online form does NOT have a “start, save and finish later” feature and it can be frustrating to lose the nomination information and start over!
Responding to Nomination Narrative Questions
Be concise and support with observation and fact
Give specific examples to reinforce
Talk to your nominee, ask questions and listen for information that can be used to support your own thoughts and ideas
Call people that work for and with the nominee
Gather as much information as possible
Drafting the Nomination Narrative
Organize thoughts, follow instructions
Share personal skills: listening, team-building, collaboration, creativity, and professionalism
What impact has the nominee’s service made?
More on Drafting the Nomination Narrative
Create a unique picture of your nominee
Choose qualities that make your nominee truly outstanding and give specific examples
Submit Complete Nomination Materials on Time!
Make sure to submit the nomination narrative and the two letters of support all together by the deadline of 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Questions?
Contact Cathy Walker Office on Volunteerism and Community
Service (OVCS)
Toll-free: 1-800-638-3839
Direct Phone: 804-726-7918
E-mail: [email protected]