[WiLT] UK Charity Awards 2008 - nominations close 14th March 2008

[WiL Admin]

UK Charity Awards 2008

The Charity Awards is the pre-eminent awards programme in the UK's
vibrant and diverse voluntary sector. The Awards shine a spotlight on
exceptional performance in the leadership and management of charities,
helping to spread best practice and draw attention to the breadth of
talent, commitment and expertise that exists within UK charities.

* Nominations for the 2008 Charity Awards are now open.
* The closing date for entries is 14 March 2008.

Hallmarks of excellence - The independent judging panel will take a
range of factors into account when choosing winners. Successful
nominees will be able to demonstrate achievement in most but not
necessarily all of the following hallmarks of excellence:
   i Strategic planning: Developing a plan for achieving your charity'
s mission.
  ii Effective delivery: Achievement in meeting or exceeding targets
for delivery of charitable objectives.
 iii Accountability to stakeholders: Internal and external
communication through which trustees, staff, volunteers, funders,
beneficiaries and the public are able to understand and (where
appropriate) influence the activities of the charity and how it meets
its objectives.
  iv Innovation: Imaginative and creative use of original or adapted
ideas and techniques. This could involve the application to a charity'
s work of concepts first applied in other sectors.
   v Sustainability: Elements in the management of a project or
charity which will ensure that it takes on a life of its own after the
initial input of resources and/or management effort.
  vi Learning culture: Readiness to continually improve by absorbing
and responding to changing needs and attitudes.
 vii Measuring achievement: The use of appropriate techniques to
assess the effectiveness and efficiency of an activity or
organisation. This could involve outcome focused measurement, input to
output ratios and/or evidence of impact.
viii Staff and volunteer development: Evidence of a commitment to
retaining, developing and motivating staff and volunteers at all
levels.
  ix Leadership: Inspiration in the pursuit of management goals,
galvanising action within an organisation, or encouraging other
organisations with best practice examples.

Excellence in management is important, not as an end in its own right
but because it helps an organisation deliver its charitable
objectives. Please bear this in mind when completing the nomination,
especially at questions when you explain the end results of your work.

Nominations for an Outstanding Achievement Award - In addition to the
charity award winners, there is an Outstanding Achievement Award to an
individual who has made an outstanding contribution to excellence in
charities over time.

As the underlying principle of the awards is management excellence,
the judges are particularly looking for nominations for individuals
whose professional lives have been integrated to a substantial degree
with charities.

While recognising that inspiring contributions are made by private
individuals who devote themselves to charitable work, the purpose of
these awards is to identify contributions to the management of
charities as organisations, leading to improved services to
beneficiaries. It is not necessary to have worked in charities for a
lifetime to be nominated for this award.

Successful nominees will have many positive characteristics, including
the following:

Innovation: Someone who has taken the management of charities in
positive new directions, or advanced achievement in the sector by
applying concepts originating in other sectors; Inspiration: Someone
who stands as an example of commitment to excellence, perhaps having
demonstrated leadership and achievement in a variety of contexts
within the charity sector; Influence: Someone who has played a
significant part in promoting excellence in charities, and represented
a positive image of the sector to a wider audience.

The Charity Awards, 3 Rectory Grove, London SW4 0DX
Tel: 020 7819 1200
Fax: 020 7819 1201
Email: info at plazapublishing.co.uk
Website: http://www.charityawards.co.uk