NOMINATIONS DUE MARCH 16 FOR THE GOVERNOR’S SERVICE AWARDS My Fellow Marylander: Service to others is an important part of our state’s history, from the first standing militia in 1633 to our modern-day heroes who act selflessly to improve the quality of life for all Marylanders. Our legacy of civil service is stronger than ever as Marylanders of all backgrounds continue to give time and energy to serve a purpose greater than themselves. Each year we ask the citizens of our state to nominate a group or individual who has demonstrated commitment and dedication to our community-based organizations, churches, and schools. These extraordinary people deserve to be honored because there is no such thing as a spare Marylander. As we continue to reduce state spending to navigate through the national recession, the need for community organizations and volunteers across our state escalates. It is more important than ever that Marylanders dedicate their time to addressing the needs of children, families, and vulnerable adults in our state. Katie and I strongly encourage you to take the time to nominate a volunteer group or individual that merits this special recognition. Sincerely,
Governor
First Lady
THE 2012 AWARDS The Governor’s Service Awards are presented by the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism (GOSV) each year. These awards recognize Maryland citizens for their significant volunteer contributions to the life and health of the state and its people during a particular period of time. The 2012 awards ceremony will recognize volunteer service during 2011 (or longer for a lifetime achievement). The awards will be presented to selected recipients and invitees at a luncheon in Timonium on May 9, 2012. Nominations for the 2012 Governor’s Service Awards are now being accepted. All nominations must be submitted via an online form no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012. Submit your nomination here or visit www.GOSV.maryland.gov. SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS Recipients of the Governor’s Service Awards must exemplify the following characteristics: Demonstrate sustained volunteer commitment to meeting Maryland’s most pressing human and/or environmental community needs; Engage in meaningful volunteer service that makes a measurable difference in the community; Represent extraordinary acts of generosity and kindness; and Through volunteerism, have an impact on the greater community. Find a description of last year’s recipients of the Governor’s Service Awards and event photos at www.GOSV.maryland.gov. ELIGIBILITY Any individual volunteer or group of volunteers that has demonstrated commitment and dedication to Maryland through significant and direct volunteer service at a community agency in 2011 (or longer for the lifetime achievement award) can be nominated. The nominee’s volunteer service must have occurred in Maryland and have been for the direct benefit of Maryland citizens and/or the environment. The volunteer service must not be provided for the sole benefit of a for profit business. Here are the eligibility guidelines: Nominations must represent outstanding volunteer service during 2011 for all categories except lifetime achievement nomination. The lifetime nomination must include a description of volunteer service over a significant period of time in Maryland that focused on Maryland citizens and/or the environment. The nominated volunteer service must benefit citizens and have a positive influence that addresses a community problem or enhances the quality of life in Maryland. For individual nominations, the nominated volunteer service must be performed outside the context of a nominee’s paid employment (i.e. it cannot be part of his/her job). Groups must have been operational for two years to be eligible to be nominated for the organizational/program volunteer service award.
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Individuals or groups should not be nominated for their financial contributions or fundraising, political advocacy, roles as members of a board of directors, or in any other oversight or administrative roles in the nominating agency. Recipients of the Governor’s Service Award since 2007 may not be nominated again. Self nominations or nomination of family members/spouses will not be accepted. No more than three nominations will be accepted from any individual nominator. Multiple submissions for the same individual or group by the same nominator will not be accepted (i.e. do not submit three forms for the same nominee).
THE NOMINATION PROCESS Each nomination must include contact information for the nominee and nominator, the selected award category (only one per nomination), and the nomination narrative. The award categories are listed below along with information to be included in the nomination narrative. The nomination is an online form. A completed nomination form must be submitted no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, March 16, 2012. Late or incomplete submissions will not be reviewed. Click here to submit your nomination. Nominators are expected to notify the individual or group before submitting their nomination for consideration. Nominators will receive a receipt confirmation via email once their nomination form has been successfully submitted. THE AWARD CATEGORIES The Governor’s Office will recognize outstanding volunteer service that provides meaningful and direct impact in Maryland communities. Nominations will be accepted in these categories: Individual Volunteer Service Youth (18 and under) Adult (19 – 54) Older Adult (55 and over) Lifetime Achievement National Service Participant (AmeriCorps*State/National, VISTA, NCCC, Senior Corps)
Organizational/Program Volunteer Service For Profit Business Faith-based Organization Nonprofit Organization Youth Group (Volunteers are 18 and under) Adult Group (Volunteers are 19 – 54) Older Adult Group (Volunteers are 55 and over)
A nominee may be nominated in only one category. The Adult categories include college students between the ages of 19 and 54. The GOSV reserves the right to reassign a nomination to a more appropriate category. (Nominators will be contacted for approval.)
THE NOMINATION FORM The Governor’s Service Award nomination is completed via an online form. The GOSV receives hundreds of nomination forms each year, and a diverse panel of staff and external volunteers review them to select the strongest nominations in each category. In the online form, the nominator will be asked to submit his/her contact information along with contact information for 3
the individual or group nominated. Be sure to notify the nominee before submitting the form for consideration. THE NOMINATION NARRATIVE For each nomination, please provide the information below in a narrative not to exceed 500words. The narrative should be written in paragraph form (i.e. not as a bulleted list): A. Provide a brief overview of the nominee (biographical information for individuals and organizational data for groups). B. When did the nominee begin volunteering/when was the group created? C. What motivated the nominee to volunteer/why was the group created? D. What did the nominee accomplish in 2011 (or longer if a lifetime achievement nominee)? Provide quantitative data citing number of volunteer hours provided, number of people served, etc. that shows specific and measurable results of the volunteer service activities. E. What made this nominee’s volunteer service extraordinary? Provide anecdotal information (such as stories, quotes, etc.) to demonstrate the non-measurable impact of the nominee’s volunteerism. The narrative will be the only information used to select the recipients of the 2012 Governor’s Service Awards. Reviewers will not consider supplemental information, log on to websites for additional information, or conduct any separate research on the nominees prior to selection. Nominators should not submit or reference separate material; rather, they should focus on submitting a well-written and thorough narrative for consideration. A sample nomination narrative of 500 words may be found at www.GOSV.maryland.gov. In addition to the nomination review, the narrative will be used for promotional purposes. The GOSV will publish summaries of the nominations for each selected recipient on the website, in the award ceremony program, and include this information in press releases. REVIEW, SELECTION, AND NOTIFICATION Each nomination received by the March 16, 2012 deadline will be reviewed by a panel of community leaders, volunteers, and staff of the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. Nominations will be scored and ranked, based on the eligibility criteria above, and the panel will recommend one recipient in each category to the Governor’s Office. Following a fact-checking process, the Governor’s Office will announce the recipients in a press release in early May, and the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism will notify each recipient of his/her selection. Each individual recipient and one guest will be invited to the awards luncheon on May 9. Group recipients must select two representatives to attend the event Please note: All selected 2012 recipients must provide a digital photograph for use at the awards ceremony upon notification of award selection. QUESTIONS? Contact Julie Mendez, Outreach Coordinator at the Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism. Julie can be reached at 410-767-1821 or at jmendez@gosv.state.md.us.
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