AWARD PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Community Award (COM) program celebrates British Columbians who go above and beyond in their dedication and service to others. It honours individuals who devote their time and energy to making their communities more caring, dynamic, beautiful, resilient, and inclusive.
WHY NOMINATE
The COM program provides an opportunity to publicly acknowledge the transformative efforts of individuals who raise the quality and character of their community and, in doing so, inspire others to do the same.
DATES TO REMEMBER
- December 1 – Official Call for Nominations begins
- January 31 – Nominations CLOSE
- April 24 – Awardees ANNOUNCED
- May 8 – Award Presentation Ceremony
The completed nomination form and all materials must be by submitted by January 31 @ 11:59 p.m. for the nomination to be considered.
Please do not inform the nominee of their nomination. The large number of applications we receive means recognition cannot be given to all nominees.
All nominations are confidential. Should your nominee be unsuccessful, you will be informed by email. Your nomination will also be considered in the following year's selection process as nominations are valid for three years. Nominators are encouraged to update their nomination as the jury appreciates reviewing recent information about the nominee.
Save and Continue Later - If you don’t have all the information on hand, click on the ‘Save and Continue Later’ button at the bottom of the online nomination form – you will be prompted to enter your email and will receive a link that you can access and complete your nomination prior to the deadline.
CHECKLIST - BEFORE YOU START
- Review the COM Nomination Guide with tips for submitting a compelling nomination
- Ensure the nominator and nominee meet the eligibility criteria
- Prepare the Nominator Statement in a word document, then copy and paste the content into the required field; use bullet points and leave a line between points
- Have all nominator and nominee contact information
- Have all documents ready to upload
- Schedule 15-20 minutes to complete the form
NOMINATOR ELIGIBILITY
Any person, group or organization may submit nominations for the award with exceptions noted below:
- Current members of the jury panel or members of the jury panel’s immediate family may not submit a nomination
- BC Achievement board members may not submit a nomination
- Family members (e.g., parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins) may not submit a nomination
NOMINEE ELIGIBILITY
An eligible nominee must:
- Have been a resident of BC for at least the past three years
- Have made a significant contribution to their community within British Columbia
A nominee’s contributions must have taken place in BC either through volunteer or professional work in the areas including, but not limited to:
- Arts & Culture
- Business Innovation
- Civic Duty & Public Service
- Education
- Environment & Sustainability
- Finance
- Health & Wellness
- Information & Technology
- Media & Communication
- Multiculturalism
- Philanthropy
- Seniors/Elders
- Sports & Recreation
- Youth
Nominations of any individual under the age of 19 must be accompanied by a letter of permission from the nominee’s parent or guardian stating that they are aware of the nomination.
The following are ineligible to receive the Award:
- Self-nominations
- Posthumous nominations
- Past recipients*
- BC Achievement board members
- Current members of the jury panel or members of the jury panel’s immediate family
- Groups of three or more people
- Sitting elected federal, provincial or municipal representatives
- Members of the judiciary
*Visit BC Achievement’s Awardees webpage to see if your nominee is a past recipient of the award.
SELECTION OF AWARDEES
An independent jury of community leaders from throughout British Columbia reviews the nominations and selects the awardees. The decision of the independent jury is final. Nominees are notified only if selected for an award. Nominators are informed as to whether or not they have been successful with their application.
RECOGNITION
Award recipients are recognized at a formal ceremony held in Victoria at Government House. The Lieutenant Governor and a representative of the BC Achievement Foundation are invited to present the awardees with the BC Achievement medallion and lapel pin designed by renowned artist Robert Davidson, OC, OBC, along with a commemorative plaque certificate and letter from the Premier of BC recognizing their achievements.
HOW TO NOMINATE / APPLY
Click here to download the COM Nomination Guide for tips on submitting a compelling nomination.
Emerging Leader Designation - NEW for 2024
The Emerging Leader designation recognizes and celebrates the strength, courage, and skill of young people (35 years and under by January 31, 2024) who are making a difference in their communities and striving to make BC a better place.
Nominators should indicate if the nominee is eligible to receive this designation.
The nominator must complete the online Nomination form and include the following:
- Nominator name & contact information
- Nominee name & contact information
- Nominator Statement (max. 3000 characters incl. space or approx. 500 words)
- Two support letters from two separate individuals other than the nominator
- Additional Materials – optional, but strongly recommended (up to 5 items max.)
Additional Materials – optional, but strongly recommended
- Include materials such as the nominee’s biography, letters of support, links* to articles, recorded testimonials, YouTube videos, photos, website links, etc.
- A maximum of five items will be accepted
- Jury members will review up to 10 pages total and five minutes of video
*Each link submitted is considered one additional material.
UPDATING A NOMINATION
To update a nomination:
- Select ‘yes’ to the question ‘Is this an update to a previous nomination?’
- Include the year the nomination was first submitted
- Complete the online nomination form and include updated information & materials
Nominations are valid for three years including the first year of nomination and two subsequent years.
Nominators are strongly encouraged to update their nomination for consideration by the following year's jury panel if their nominee was not recognized in the previous year’s awardee cohort.
We are happy to send the documents previously submitted for your nominee. Please email kristin@bcachievement.com to make your request.
All updates should be submitted by January 31 @ 11:59 PM
PRIVACY POLICY
BC Achievement is committed to protecting the privacy of people through responsible management of information received. Nominations are kept confidential between the nominator and BC Achievement.
Photographs and information about the award recipients may be used for the promotion of the Community Award and other promotional activities (i.e., on BC Achievement’s website, social media channels, in media releases etc.).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
1. Can information be saved on the nomination form and completed at a later date?
Yes. If you don’t have all the information on hand, click on the ‘Save and Continue Later’ button at the bottom of the online nomination form – you will be prompted to enter your email and will receive a link that you can access and complete your nomination prior to the deadline.
2. What should be said in the nominator statement?
The nominator statement should be expansive about the contributions of the nominee and explain how the nominee has been an advocate or champion in their work- or volunteer-related endeavours; enriched the lives of others in their community; shown leadership, courage and dedication; become a role model or mentor in their field; and demonstrated excellence, innovation and/or creativity.
3. To whom should the support letters be addressed?
All letters should be addressed to the 'Jury Panel'. All support letters must be signed by the writer and include their contact information.
4. What should be stated in the support letter?
The support letter should indicate: the relationship between the writer and the nominee and the length of the relationship; provide details about the writer's knowledge of the nominee’s contribution and their impact on the community; and be specifically written for the Community Award program.
5. Can more than two support letters be submitted?
Other support letters may be submitted as 'additional materials'. A maximum of five items i.e. additional materials (10 pages total and five minutes of video) will be accepted. These five items may also include biography, curriculum vitae, links to articles, video or recorded testimonials, links to YouTube videos, photos etc.
6. Are congratulatory letters from other programs accepted in the nomination package?
Other congratulatory letters may be included as 'additional materials' but they may not serve as support letters.
7. Is a nomination considered for more than one year?
Nominations begin a three-year program and may be reviewed by up to three juries. Nominators are given the opportunity to update their nomination each year prior to review by the jury panel.
8. Are contributions that occur outside of British Columbia recognized?
The Community Award is designed for contributions made in British Columbia. The nominator should focus on the nominee's work in the province rather than outside the province.
9. Should the nominator tell the nominee about the nomination?
Generally, the nominee is not told of the nomination though in some cases it happens when the nominator requires biographical information, for example, from the nominee.
10. When are awardees notified and where are the names of the awardees published?
Awardees are notified in late March. Their names are published on BC Achievement’s website and social media channels in May.
11. Is it possible to nominate a group or organization?
These awards are designed to recognize individuals or two-person partnerships. Nominations of groups (3+ people) are not eligible.
Past Programs
MITCHELL AWARD OF DISTINCTION
Named in honour of Keith Mitchell, QC, past Chair of the Foundation, and its guiding light for over 13 years, the award recognizes leadership that empowers others to engage. Recipients of the Mitchell Award are:
- 2023 Kat Hartwig
- 2022 Dr. Faisal Khosa
- 2021 Amber Anderson, C.C.C.
- 2020 Dom Bautista
- 2019 Ellen Woodsworth
- 2018 Kim van der Woerd
- 2017 George Laverock
