Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence

overview

We know that corporate America has the ability to influence many of the social and civic ills of our society. When looked at strategically, an EVP can become a source of tremendous social progress as the business applies its resources, expertise, and insights to activities that benefit society. In 1993, Points of Light created the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence to honor companies that demonstrate this commitment through the establishment of official workplace policies and create of a culture that inspires and equips employees to volunteer and make an impact in their communities. Today, Points of Light has honored over 90 companies and, the program is a highly regarded award program in the industry.

The awards are presented annually at the Conference on Volunteering and Service, the world's largest gathering of service and civic engagement leaders held in June.

our position

The term “corporate social responsibility” is often used interchangeably with corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, social enterprise, sustainability, and at times, corporate ethics. Although the names are different, they all lead us down the path to understand the social roles corporations should play and the audience they must “deliver” to. Not only are they stockholders, but also include employees, consumers, suppliers, communities and society overall. Within this matrix of possibilities, the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence focuses specifically on Employee Volunteer Programs.

AWARD CRITERIA

Over the course of the CEAE program’s lifetime we have seen Employee Volunteer Programs (EVPs) transform into powerful business practices that are leading tremendous social progress. We have seen the traditional EVP transform into a solid business model that, in addition to impacting the community has also proven to be a source of opportunity, innovation and competitive advantage for companies. This year we have updated and built upon our current awards program to incorporate the innovative protocols and practices demonstrated by EVP’s today. These practices have informed this year’s criteria for the program.
(Download the new criteria PDF)

Application

Points of Light is no longer accepting applications for the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence. Applications for the 2014 CEAE program will be posted in October 2013.

winning companies

Points of Light will announce the 2013 Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence honorees at the Conference on Volunteering and Service held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C., June 19 - 22, 2013.

Honorees are also featured throughout the year on Points of Light websites, invited to participate on special Employee Volunteer Program (EVP) panels and programs presented by Points of Light along with the opportunity to promote the award through press channels.

learn more

Our Position

The term “corporate social responsibility” is often used interchangeably with corporate responsibility, corporate citizenship, social enterprise, sustainability and at times, corporate ethics. Although the names are different, they all lead us down the path to understand the social roles corporations should play and the audience they must “deliver” to. Not only are they stockholders but include employees, consumers, suppliers, communities and society overall. Within this matrix of possibilities, the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence focuses specifically on Employee Volunteer Programs.

Over the past 10 years implementing the awards program we have seen a tremendous impact on societal issues. The traditional EVP has transformed into a solid business model that, in addition to moving the needle with social progress, has also proven to be a source of opportunity, innovation and competitive advantage for companies. EVP’s are now holistic business programs receiving corporate support just like key products and services. These developments have created a new model for EVP’s and we have refined our award criteria and application to gain insight on each companies application of the new model.

Award Criteria

The new criteria established for the CEAE represent key dimensions of the framework for a successful EVP. These practices allow us to see the design and implementation of your EVP from both a macro and micro level and allow you to tell your story more effectively. The practices allow us to see the thinking behind the program and provides context to your initiates. The new practices provide the format for all kinds of initiatives to be presented. We realize that not all EVP’s are the same and that some companies have restrictions that others do not. Following our new practices allows you to present to us what you have to work with and how you made an outstanding initiative.

(download a complete copy here):

The Plan
Establish specific societal, employee and business goals and clear strategies and tactics to achieve them.
Measurement
Measure and track the plan’s performance, including the degree to which the processes are performed effectively and the degree to which the EVP achieves outputs/accomplishments, business impact and societal impact.
Design
Integrate workplace volunteer program into the business and create an alignment with the firm’s strategy by leveraging corporate assets and enhancing corporate operations.
Leadership
Company leadership is vocal and provides continual support that specifically promotes and furthers the EVP’s mission, goals and plan.
Community Partners
Understand the importance of collaboration with government, private and nonprofit sectors to establish focused and strategic initiatives that provide maximum “mission” objectives.
Employee Communications and Engagement
Generate broad-based employee enthusiasm, support, and stewardship for the EVP.
Successes and Learning’s
Recognize and celebrate success, and learn from experience.

Application

Points of Light is no longer accepting applications for the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence. Applications for the 2014 CEAE program will be posted in October 2013.

If you have any questions, contact Melanie Stevenson at (404) 574-5378 or mstevenson@pointsoflight.org.

Winning Companies

Learn about the 2012 Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence Honorees.

Judging Committee

Our judging committee is comprised of subject matter experts that bring their experience and knowledge to the review and selection process. Judges serve a three-year term and represent corporate America, non-profit, government, academic and the media industry to review the applications received each year. Committee members review all applications in advance. Then meet in person in Atlanta for a daylong session to review and identify the honorees. The Judging Selection Committee members for the Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence are:

Amanda Bauman

Manager Community Service, Campbell’s Soup Company
Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence Winner

Amanda Bauman is currently the Manager of Community Service at the Campbell Soup Company. In this role, she is responsible for Campbell's global volunteer program, Nourishing Our Neighbors, which has received national recognition by the Points of Light Institute. She is also Program Director for the Campbell Soup Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Campbell Soup Company, and manages the distribution of $1.6 million in grants annually. She sits on the Corporate Social Responsibility Community Strategy Team and works with a cross-functional team of employees to set strategic direction for the company's overall CSR platform. Amanda has been at Campbell full time since 2005 and previously was an intern in Campbell's Global Advertising Department in 2004. She serves on the board of the Symphony in C, a professional teaching orchestra. She received her B.A. in Communications and Art History from La Salle University and currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband Norm.

Atlanta McIlwraith

Senior Manager of Community Engagement, Timberland Co.
Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence Winner

Atlanta McIlwraith started her professional life as a political organizer – first for an electoral campaign and then for a national consumer advocacy organization. She then took her organizing skills to the for profit world as National Public Affairs Manager for The Body Shop. In that role she managed a series of public awareness and action campaigns that launched in stores nationwide. With a BA in Political Science from Duke University, Atlanta later earned her MBA from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School where she was Net Impact chapter leader in 2000. After business school, she served as an Associate Program Manager for Population Services International’s AIDS prevention programs in West Africa. She then worked as an independent consultant for Maine Businesses for Social Responsibility and for a number of micro enterprises in mid-coast Maine. Atlanta joined The Timberland Company in 2005. In her role as Senior Manager Community Engagement, Atlanta drives the company’s Path of Service™ program and designs and implements initiatives to ensure Timberland’s values play out with consistency and impact worldwide.

Amita Nagaraja

Senior Program Officer-Global Employee Programs, The McGraw Hill Companies

Amita Nagaraja is Senior Officer of Global Employee Programs at The McGraw-Hill Companies, managing employee programs related to philanthropy and community activities, including volunteer programs, employee matching programs and strategic community partnerships. Under Amita’s tenure, the corporation has received various recognitions for its employee programs, including the Points of Light Award for Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs, the Tap Root Award for Pro Bono Service in and an honorable mention for the US Community Service Award from the US Chamber of Commerce BCLC. Amita’s external affiliations have included serving on the Council on Foundations’ Corporate Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee of the professional group Corporate Volunteers of New York.

Amita received her undergraduate degree from Tufts University and a Master's degree in Public Administration from CUNY Baruch College. Prior to joining The McGraw-Hill Companies, Amita worked for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection in Public Affairs, working with community groups and managing public education campaigns and external partnerships. Amita also spent 4 years at AXA Financial where she managed the community grant program and employee volunteer programs.

Peter W. Roberts

Associate Professor of Organization & Management, Goizuetta Business School, Emory University.
Judging Committee Chairperson

Peter's research interests relate to how the behavior and performance of organizations evolve over time. This incorporates related interests in innovation, reputation status and identity, and industry evolution. He has studied these issues in diverse settings, including the pharmaceutical industry, the hotel industry, the wine industry and the restaurant industry. The results of these projects are published in journals such as the Academy of Management Review, Administrative Science Quarterly, American Journal of Sociology, Industrial and Corporate Change, Organization Science, and the Strategic Management Journal. Peter's Ph.D. is from the University of Alberta. Before taking up his current position, Peter served on the faculties of Columbia University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the Australian Graduate School of Management.

Aman Singh, CSR-P

Editorial Director, CSRwire

Aman Singh is currently the editorial director of CSRwire. She is also the former Senior Editor of Vault.com. An IEMA-certified CSR Practitioner, Aman has authored Vault's CSR blog: In Good Company, where she focused on connecting career paths with CSR, sustainable business practices, diversity & women leadership in the workplace, and how increasing debate and engagement of these practices translates into recruitment and strategic development at companies. She also writes for Forbes’ CSR blog and CNBC’s blog on Executive Careers. Formerly with The Wall Street Journal, Aman is a New York University alumnus. She was named among 2010’s Top 100 Thought Leaders in Trustworthy Business Behavior by Trust Across America, ranked No. 4 in HRExaminer’s Top 25 HR Digital Influencers for 2011, and is widely read and syndicated on global websites such as 3BL Media, SustainabilityForum.com, CSRwire’s Talkback blog, and Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship’s (BCCCC) blog In Good Company. She is a board member of the National Association for Asian MBA’s ERG Council and is a firm believer that only informed professionals can lead business and the global economy into the next century.

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Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence

overview

our position

AWARD CRITERIA

Application

winning companies

learn more