About the Best Of Awards The United Way Best Of Awards highlight workplaces in central and northeastern Connecticut for their outstanding participation in the United Way Campaign and throughout the year. The awards place special emphasis on supporting United Way’s work in the areas of Education, Financial Security, Health, and Basic Needs. We invite you to submit nominations for the United Way Best Of Awards to showcase the work you are doing in support of United Way and our community. Any workplace that runs a United Way Campaign this year may enter.
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Categories For each category you enter, please include the following: n Demonstrate your integration of United Way’s work in the areas of Education, Financial Security, Health, and Basic Needs in your campaign Show the correct use of United Way’s messaging and branding in your campaign
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Provide at least two photos, videos or other documents ew Udpa-ted to support yourNsubmission
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Use 1000 words maximum per submission
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Best Campaign Photo Best photo from the campaign that shows your commitment to giving to United Way. -five photos can be entered Additional Requirements: Maximum New Udpate d per workplace. Please submit only high-resolution image files on a cd or flash drive. Acceptable file formats: .JPG
Best Campaign Special Event Best event that brings employees together and raises awareness of, or funds for, United Way. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of workplace employees involved in your event, and/or the - United Way. Show how an amount of funds Nraised ew Udpafor ted awareness of Education, Financial Security, Health, and Basic Needs was raised. Best Campaign Video Best video from the campaign that uses key messaging to show your commitment to giving to United Way. Additional Requirements: Maximum Nrunning is 5 ew Udpa-tetime d minutes. Please submit your video both as a DVD and one of the following: .MOV, .WMV and MP4 file. Best Leadership Giving Program Best leadership giving program focused on donors giving gifts of $1,000 or more to United Way. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of growth in your leadership program from year to year. Provide examples of innovative or unique events, outreach efforts and recognition of leadership donors.
Best Campaign Celebration – Kick-off or Wrap-Up Most effective celebratory event used to kick-off or wrapup a campaign. UpNew
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Additional Requirements: Incorporate a United Way speaker or interactive activity in your event. Best Community Partnership Best partnership and support of the campaign by an organization receiving United Way Community Investment funding. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of growth in your campaign New Udpatedfrom year to year. Provide examples of support from your senior management and/or executive director. Best In Show Best overall commitment to United Way, focused on giving to, advocating for and volunteering with United Way. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of growth in your campaign from year to year; percentage of workplace employees who volunteered with United Way during the year; involvement with United Way beyond conducting a campaign; support New Udpafrom ted your senior management and/or CEO; support from your campaign team; and details on your leadership giving program. Best Mobilization of Volunteers Promoting volunteerism with United Way in the areas of Education, Financial Security, Health, and Basic Needs in your workplace. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of workplace employees volunteering with United Way in the areas of Education, Financial Security, Health, and Basic Needs during the year; number and scope of volunteer projects completed during the year; and efforts to promote volunteer opportunities within the workplace. Include a short volunteer testimonial with your nomination to be used in United Way marketing and communications materials.
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Best Use of Digital Media Best use of your workplace’s digital media—social media, intranet, and email marketing—that demonstrates your commitment to giving to United Way. Additional Requirements: Indicate your understanding of how digital media contributes to engaging employees in the United Way Campaign. Show your creativity in your digital Upmedia efforts. Include two photos, screen links to New shots, dated websites, or promotional materials/documents with your submission. Best Workplace Leadership/CEO Support Best show of support from your senior management and/ or CEO during the campaign.
Submission Guidelines For each category you enter: Complete and submit the entry form found at unitedwayinc.org/bestof. Only one entry form is needed for all of your submissions.
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Submit all entries in an electronic format—CD or flash drive—along with the completed entry form.
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Printed materials should be saved as a PDF.
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Videos should be a .MOV, .WMV and MP4 file in addition to a DVD.
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Photos should be a high-resolution .JPG.
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Additional Requirements: The nomination can be for individual or the full senior management Provide New Udpateteam. d detail on specific activities accomplished by senior management and/or the CEO being nominated.
Entry Deadlines
Best Volunteer/Campaign Committee Most effective use of a committee to run a campaign or special event focused on United Way.
Mail Completed Entries To: United Way of Central and Northeastern Connecticut Attn: Best Of Awards 30 Laurel Street Hartford, CT 06106
Additional Requirements: Provide information on the number of people involved, their length of time volunteering on the committee, primary roles and responsibilities, New Udpated and biggest accomplishments. Best Women’s Leadership or Young Professionals Partnership Best women’s leadership or young professionals program at a workplace that has formed a partnership with United Way’s Emerging Leaders Society or Women’s Leadership Council. Additional Requirements: Provide examples of your ppartnership with United along with unique New UdWay, ated opportunities leveraged by affinity group members for United Way. Coordinator of the Year Best leadership and energy throughout the United Way Campaign. Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of growth in your campaign year to year, and the coordinator’s New Udpatefrom d creativity and enthusiasm for campaign events and activities. UTC Challenge for United Technologies companies only Think you have the best UTC campaign? Submit your entries for this category and go head to head with other UTC companies! Additional Requirements: Indicate the percentage of growth in your campaign from year to year; percentage of workplace employees who volunteered with United Way during the year; support from senior management and/ or CEO; support from the campaign team; and details on your leadership giving program.
All entries are due by January 8, 2016. Winners will be announced on February 19, 2016 at the Marriot Hartford Downtown
Questions? Call us at: (860) 493-6800 Email us at: bestofawards@unitedwayinc.org or Ask your United Way representative.
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your entry form at unitedwayinc.org/bestof
2015 United Way Best Of Awards Winners
Category Winner Best Campaign Kickoff The Village for Families & Children, Inc. Best Campaign Special Event HARC, Inc. Best Campaign Special Event UTC Building & Industrial Systems Best Use of United Way Messaging and Branding Comcast Best Campaign Photo – Special Event United Technologies Research Center Best Campaign Photo – Volunteer Event Pratt & Whitney Best Campaign Video Pratt & Whitney Best Partner Agency Campaign Our Piece of the Pie (OPP) Best Mobilization of Volunteers Aetna Best Year-Round Partnership Conning Best New Campaign Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation Best Rise to the Challenge UTC Aerospace Systems and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local 743 Best Company Leadership/CEO Support Girl Scouts of Connecticut Best Volunteer/Campaign Committee Vantis Life Insurance Company Best Volunteer/Campaign Committee Pratt & Whitney Coordinator of the Year Edith Di Francesco, UTC Building & Industrial Systems UTC Challenge United Technologies Research Center Best In Show – Small Company Vantis Life Insurance Company Best In Show – Medium Company Catholic Charities Best In Show – Medium Company The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company Best In Show – Large Company Pratt & Whitney Spirit of the Campaign Award United Technologies Corporation Family of Companies