List of volunteer awards
Encyclopedia
This is a list of awards issued by organisations and governmental bodies honoring the contributions of volunteers
(unpaid staff). Whereas many organisations honor volunteers who serve within those individual organisations, these awards listed here recognize volunteers contributing to a variety of nonprofit organisations
, non-governmental organisations
, charities
, civil society organizations
and communities.
Volunteering
Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be...
(unpaid staff). Whereas many organisations honor volunteers who serve within those individual organisations, these awards listed here recognize volunteers contributing to a variety of nonprofit organisations
Nonprofit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
, non-governmental organisations
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
, charities
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, civil society organizations
Civil society
Civil society is composed of the totality of many voluntary social relationships, civic and social organizations, and institutions that form the basis of a functioning society, as distinct from the force-backed structures of a state , the commercial institutions of the market, and private criminal...
and communities.
Australia
- Volunteering Australia is an award sponsored by National Australia BankNational Australia BankNational Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
and presented annually since 1997.
- The NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards honor volunteers in New South WalesNew South WalesNew South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and were first presented in 2007.
- The Northern Territory Volunteer of the Year Awards honor volunteers in the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and were first presented in 2011.
- The Queensland Young Volunteer Awards are QueenslandQueenslandQueensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
-based awards recognizing contributions of volunteers from 12 to 25 years of age.
- The AAVA Volunteer Manager Award of Excellence was created by the Australasian Association of Volunteer Administrators (AAVA) in order to recognize outstanding contributions to volunteer management.
Canada
- The Governor General's Caring Canadian Award is awarded annually by the Governor General of CanadaGovernor-GeneralA Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
to Canadian individuals or groups who have given extraordinary help or care on a volunteer basis.
- The Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards" program consists of 17 awards in total, 2 at the national level and 15 at the regional level. The Awards highlight best practices in community leadership and encourage partnerships across sectors. The goal of the Awards is to inspire Canadians from all walks of life to find new ways of making a difference in their communities. http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/feature.asp?featureId=25
- The Flare Volunteer Award is sponsored by the Flare MagazineFlare (magazine)Flare is a Canadian fashion magazine. It is owned by Rogers Communications.Flare magazine was created in 1979, as a rebranding of Miss Chatelaine magazine. Flare promotes itself as "Canada's Fashion magazine"...
and is annually presented to six Canadian women aged 18 and older in order to honor outstanding volunteer achievements.
- The Canadian Business & Community Partnership Awards of the Imagine Canada charity are dedicated to Canadian companies that hold successful partnerships with and volunteering organizations.
- The Department of Human Resources and Skills DevelopmentHuman Resources and Skills Development CanadaThe Department of Human Resources and Skills Development , operating under the FIP applied title Human Resources and Skills Development Canada , is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for developing, managing and delivering a variety of social programs and services...
(RHDCC) of the Canadian government created the annually presented Thérèse Casgrain Volunteer Award to honor towo volunteers for their exceptional work. With the award, feminist and politician Thérèse CasgrainThérèse CasgrainMarie Thérèse Forget Casgrain, was a feminist, reformer, politician and senator in Quebec, Canada.Thérèse Casgrain was raised in a wealthy family, the daughter of Lady Blanche MacDonald and Sir Rodolphe Forget...
(1896–1981) is being memorized.
European Union
- The European Employee Volunteering Awards, which are co-funded by the European CommissionEuropean CommissionThe European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, recognize European companies that hand down skills to volunteers, thus preparing them for later fully paid work.
Ireland
- The annual Ireland Involved Awards are presented in ten categories, honoring the different facets of volunteering work.
United Kingdom
- MV Awards are given by Volunteer Development Scotland to young people completing set numbers of hours of volunteering.
- The Queen's Award for Voluntary ServiceQueen's Award for Voluntary ServiceThe Queen's Award for Voluntary Service, also known as the The Queen's Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by Groups in the Community is an annual award given to groups in the voluntary sector of the United Kingdom. Winning groups are announced in the London Gazette on 2 June each year, the...
is a highly prestigious prize honoring volunteer groups. - Volunteering England, a charity supporting volunteering, organises the Volunteering England’s Gold Awards, aims at students in further and higher education. Instances of the awards are given by academic institutions based on Volunteering England guidelines.
- TenovusTenovusTenovus is a British cancer charity committed to the control of cancer through: quality research, prevention/education, counselling and patient care.-History:...
a leading cancer charity offering support and advice to those affected by cancer, held their first Volunteer of the Year awards on 7th July 2011 at Cardiff Castle. They honoured the contribution made by volunteers throughout the organsiation based on Tenovus values. The overall winner was Pauline Cole from Pembroke. - The MacmillanMacmillan Cancer SupportMacmillan Cancer Support is one of the largest British charities and provides specialist health care, information and financial support to people affected by cancer....
Volunteer Award recognises volunteers who improve the lives of cancer suffers. - Manchester University launched a Community Service and Volunteer of the Year Awards scheme in 2010, recognising a student and a staff member addressing "disadvantaged groups or deprived communities".
- The Marsh Trust Award is given by the British MuseumBritish MuseumThe British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
and "recognises best practice and the innovative ways in which volunteers work in museums and galleries to engage the public with collections."
United States
- The Corporate Engagement Award of Excellence was established in 1993 by the Points of Light InstitutePoints of Light InstituteThe Points of Light Institute is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization in the United States of America dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems...
. It acknowledges the efforts and merits of businesses for the spread of voluntary work. The organization also created the Points of Light Award for volunteers (individuals or groups) engaged in problem-solving tasks.
- The Do Something Awards were set up by the Do SomethingDo SomethingDo Something is a non-profit organization that motivates young people to take action around social changes through national campaigns and grants for projects that make an impact. The organization's CEO is Nancy Lublin, who founded Dress for Success in 1996.-History:The organization was co-founded...
youth organization, honoring the efforts of young volunteers "to change the world".
- The Gold Award of the Girl Scouts of the USA, recognizing the successful completion of a project that reaches beyond the Girl Scout organization and provides a sustainable, lasting benefit to the girl's larger community.
- The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes is awarded to young people having organized some outstanding piece of voluntary work. It was created by American writer T. A. BarronT. A. BarronThomas Archibald Barron is an American writer of fantasy literature, books for children and young adults, and nature books.-Biography:...
, as a memory of his mother.
- HealthCare VolunteerHealthCare VolunteerHealthCare Volunteer is a non-profit organization that connects volunteers with a health-related volunteering opportunity. The organization provides medical, dental and surgical services to needy patients, and impoverished people worldwide, through indirect and direct patient-care programs...
annually recognizes a volunteer who provided outstanding medical, dental and surgical services to needy patients, and impoverished people worldwide.
- The Jefferson Awards for Public ServiceJefferson Awards for Public ServiceJefferson Awards for Public Service were created in 1972 by the American Institute for Public Service as "a Nobel Prize for community and public service".-American Institute for Public Service:...
honors community and public service in America. The awards are presented on two levels: national and local.
- The President's Volunteer Service AwardPresident's Volunteer Service AwardThe President's Volunteer Service Award program was established to honor volunteers that give hundreds of hours per year helping others. These volunteers can be individuals, families and organizations located throughout the United States....
is a national prize under the patronage of the President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
recognizing voluntary engagement. So far, it was presented to more than 1.5 million individuals.
- The Prudential Spirit of Community AwardPrudential Spirit of Community AwardThe Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program is the United States' largest youth recognition program based exclusively on volunteer community service...
is the largest US youth recognition program. It was established by Prudential FinancialPrudential FinancialThe Prudential Insurance Company of America , also known as Prudential Financial, Inc., is a Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company whose subsidiaries provide insurance, investment management, and other financial products and services to both retail and institutional customers throughout the...
to honor outstanding volunteer service by people attending a secondary schoolSecondary education in the United StatesIn most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
.
- Women of Worth, a charitable organization sponsored by L'OréalL'OréalThe L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
dedicated to families in crisis annually honors women who are engaged in voluntary work.
- The Wofford Awards were created in 2002 by Youth Service AmericaYouth Service AmericaYouth Service America, or YSA, is a resource center that partners with thousands of organizations committed to increasing the quality and quantity of volunteer opportunities for young people, ages 5-25, to serve locally, nationally, and globally." YSA has a reputation for supporting and promoting...
in order to recognize the work of young volunteers in different categories. The name was chosen to honor former U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
Harris WoffordHarris WoffordHarris Llewellyn Wofford served as a Democratic U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania from 1991 to 1995 and as the fifth president of Bryn Mawr College, and is a noted advocate of national service and volunteering...
, and the award is sponsored by State Farm InsuranceState Farm InsuranceState Farm Insurance is a group of insurance and financial services companies in the United States. The company also has operations in Canada....
.
Global
- CNN Heroes are annual recognitions by CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
to honor individuals who make extraordinary contributions to help others.
- United Nations VolunteersUnited Nations VolunteersThe United Nations Volunteers program is a United Nations organization that advocates the role and benefits of volunteerism for development, integrates volunteers into development programmes, and mobilises volunteers for development projects. It was created to be a development partner for UN...
Online Volunteering Award, presented annually to 10 online volunteers or teams of online volunteers for their contributions towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), through UNV's Online Volunteering Service.