Achievement Awards Eligibility and Nomination Guidelines
Please review the following eligibility and nomination guidelines before submitting an award nomination to ensure your nominee is positioned for success.
Eligibility
- Achievement Awards submissions are for accomplishments demonstrated for at least one year prior to the time of nomination.
- The nominating nonprofit agency must be affiliated with SourceAmerica.
- The nominating nonprofit agency must be in compliance with SourceAmerica guidelines and standards.
- Nonprofit agencies may not submit a nomination for an award they won the previous year. They may, however, submit a nomination for other awards.
- SourceAmerica board members and NCSE Executive Committee representatives and their organizations are only eligible to receive NCSE-related awards. This does not apply to employees, business partners, and customers of these organizations, all of whom are eligible for the full slate of Achievement Awards.
- SourceAmerica board members and NCSE Executive Committee representatives and their organizations are not eligible for any financial prize.
- For 2023, SourceAmerica staff and leadership may submit nominations for three awards: Business Partnership, Innovation, and Force Multiplier.
How to Create a Successful Nomination
Tips for Success
- Review award-specific criteria to ensure your nomination is in the appropriate category.
- Submit a nomination for as many different awards as desired; however, your NPA may only submit one nomination per award.
- Submit a compelling essay (one page, single-spaced) explaining the reason(s) for nominating the exemplary employee, NPA, business partner, or customer.
- Include quotes from managers, co-workers, etc.
- Attach up to three supporting documents, such as news articles, letters of recommendation, and videos with each submission.
- Start and complete your nomination ahead of the submission deadline.
Drafting Your Essay
- Take a look at this sample essay before you begin to write.
- Carefully review nomination form questions and essay requirements for your award.
- Draft an outline to guide the writing of your essay.
- Identify and collect the supporting documents you wish to submit along with your essay.
- Make your essay stand out by including specific examples of your nominee’s accomplishments, results, and impact.
- State if the nomination is for work on an AbilityOne® contract.
- Use "People First" language:
- People First language defines the person before the disability.
- For example, use the term "people with disabilities," not the "disabled" or "handicapped."
Submitting Your Nomination
- Review your essay and supporting documents before you enter them into the online nomination form.
- Changes cannot be made once a nomination has been submitted, even if it's submitted before the deadline.
- After you've entered all the required information, click the Submit button and you'll receive a confirmation of your submission.
- If you don't receive a confirmation, contact us at AchievementAwards@SourceAmerica.org.