Categories
Entering the Third Sector Awards is your opportunity to shout to the industry just how great your charity, organisation or team are. This is the chance to bring your work to life, tell us its story and be awarded for it. The Third Sector Awards pride themselves on educating and inspiring the sector, as well as offering every entrant detailed feedback on their entry from our expert panel of judges.
All discounts will be shown at the basket stage.
Excellence Awards
Are you doing something new, something bold or something different? If so, the following categories will allow you to showcase your endeavours and successes. You don't necessarily need to be doing something groundbreaking; instead it may be new to you, new to the sector or a new way of tackling an age-old problem.
The judges will use the following category specific criteria to judge these categories, so please ensure you cover all questions within your entry.
Best Small Charity Film
Awarded to a charity and/or agency that has produced the most inspiring awareness raising or fundraising film of the year. The film should be no more than five minutes in length. Examples could include direct response TV ads or online supporter engagement campaigns.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage
Best Medium Charity Film
Awarded to a charity and/or agency that has produced the most inspiring awareness raising or fundraising film of the year. The film should be no more than five minutes in length. Examples could include direct response TV ads or online supporter engagement campaigns.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage
Best Large Charity Film
Awarded to a charity and/or agency that has
produced the most inspiring awareness raising
or fundraising film of the year. The film should be
no more than five minutes in length.
Examples could include direct response TV ads or
online supporter engagement campaigns.
Best Policy Initiative of the Year
This award celebrates the most impactful policy initiative aimed at creating meaningful change for communities and individuals. Examples could include advocacy campaigns, strategic lobbying, or partnerships that have influenced public policy or legislation.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Best Service Delivery Innovation
Awarded to a charity that delivered a unique and
effective service innovation in the face of urgent
need from its service users, such as in response
to the cost-of-living crisis.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Best Sustainability Initiative of the Year
This award celebrates exceptional sustainability initiatives that demonstrate innovative approaches to environmental responsibility within the third sector. Examples could include promoting sustainable practices, or creating environmentally friendly programs that benefit communities and the planet.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Best Use Of Social Media
Awarded to a charity or charity organisation that
creatively used social media to tell a story about
its work, raise awareness of a campaign, or even
combat negative attention. The judges will be
looking for imaginative use of content that sets
the organisation apart from the rest.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Big Impact Award
Awarded to a project that has had a substantial
impact on national or international life.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Brand Development
For the best new, changed or evolved brand. This
can range from a totally new identity, the merging
of two or more organisations, logo changes or an
on-going evolution of an existing brand.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Breakthrough Of The Year
This award is an opportunity to showcase
something new or different. Areas could include
supporter and/or donor engagement, extending
the reach of the charity or introducing a new way
of working.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Communications Agency Of The Year
Awarded to an agency that has helped to create
a highly successful communications campaign
for its client, or provided an exceptional level of
support and advice.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Communications Campaign Of The Year
Awarded to a charity for a highly successful,
innovation or inspiring communications
campaign.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage,
Digital Innovation Of The Year
Awarded to a charity or social enterprise that is
pushing the boundaries of digital technology to
reach supporters, donors, or beneficiaries.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Financial or Procurement Excellence of the Year
Awarded to a charity or finance or procurement team that has displayed exceptional excellence in financial and procurement practices. This could include, a groundbreaking finance or procurement project, innovative cost-saving initiatives, exceptional performance from a finance or procurement team.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Fundraising Campaign
Awarded to an innovative fundraising campaign
that achieved or exceeded its target.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Marketing Campaign Of The Year
Awarded to the best charity marketing
campaign of the year. Examples might include
the successful marketing of an organisation’s
products, services or membership programmes,
or the use of affinity marketing.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Small Charity Big Achiever
Awarded to an organisation with an income
of less than £500,000 a year that has made a
significant impact with its work.
Please note your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Small Charity Of The Year
This prestigious award will go to the charity
or voluntary sector organisation that has had
a truly exceptional year and whose recent
achievements have attracted the admiration of
the sector. Please explain in no more than 1,000
words why you believe the organisation should
win the award.
Please note your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Medium Charity Of The Year
This prestigious award will go to the charity
or voluntary sector organisation that has had
a truly exceptional year and whose recent
achievements have attracted the admiration of
the sector. Please explain in no more than 1,000
words why you believe the organisation should
win the award.
Please note your organisation discount will apply at the last stage
Large Charity Of The Year
This prestigious award will go to the charity
or voluntary sector organisation that has had
a truly exceptional year and whose recent
achievements have attracted the admiration of
the sector. Please explain in no more than 1,000
words why you believe the organisation should
win the award.
Partnership Awards
Awarded to a partnership between two or more
charities that has enabled the partners to more
effectively deliver services to beneficiaries,
reach new groups or reduce costs. This could
also be a partnership between a charity and a
social enterprise, or a not-for-profit campaigning
group.
Charity Partnership of the Year
Awarded to a partnership between two or more charities that has enabled the partners to more effectively deliver services to beneficiaries, reach new groups or reduce costs. This could also be a partnership between a charity and a social enterprise, or a not-for-profit campaigning group.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Small Corporate Partnership Of The Year
Awarded to a partnership between a small charity,
social enterprise or other kind of voluntary
organisation and a business that has brought
strong mutual benefits to both.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Medium Corporate Partnership of the Year
Awarded to a partnership between a medium charity, social enterprise or other kind of voluntary organisation and a business that has brought strong mutual benefits to both.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Large Corporate Partnership of the Year
Awarded to a partnership between a large charity, social enterprise or other kind of voluntary organisation and a business that has brought strong mutual benefits to both.
Talent Awards
These awards aim to recognise the talent
that drives the sector forward. So if you are
an organisation that has great employees,
teams or individuals that are making a
real contribution to your cause, be that
as a paid employee or a volunteer, then
the following are where you should be
showcasing and celebrating this talent.
Celebrity Charity Champion
Awarded to a celebrity who has shown genuine and productive support for his or her chosen charity or charities.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Charity Chief Executive
Awarded to the chief executive who has made
an outstanding contribution to his or her
organisation, or the wider sector over the past year.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Charity Chair Of The Year
Awarded to the chair of trustees who has made an
outstanding contribution to the charity over the
past year.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Communications Team Of The Year
Awarded to the communications team that has
worked effectively together to raise awareness
of a particular campaign or the charity’s overall
work.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Frontline Team Of The Year
Awarded to a team working on the front line
of a charity cause area that has delivered an
exceptional service and gone the extra mile to
support beneficiaries.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Fundraising Team Of The Year
Awarded to a fundraising team that has worked
effectively together to achieve or exceed its
fundraising targets.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Rising Chief Executive
Awarded to the chief executive who has made
an outstanding contribution to his or her
organisation, or the wider sector, during their
first two years in post.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Rising Star
This award honours the emerging new talents.
We are looking for people who have demonstrated
exceptional skill and ambition and whose
personal endeavours have begun to make their
mark. We welcome entries from the individuals
themselves or nominations from peers, company
leaders and clients.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Unsung Hero
This award celebrates an individual who makes
a difference to the lives of others and not always
recognised.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Volunteer of the Year
Awarded to the volunteer who has displayed
the greatest commitment and achievement to a
charity or voluntary sector organisation over the
past year
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.
Volunteer Team of the Year
Awarded to the volunteer team that has had a
significant impact on a charity or good cause over
the past year.
Please note if you are a small or medium sized charity, your organisation discount will apply at the last stage.