Community Service/Corporate Social Responsibility

There is no single definition of what constitutes Community Service (CS) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Awarded in honor of Sister Eymard Gallagher, RSHM, the Community Service/Corporate Social Responsibility Award recognizes extraordinary commitment to the recipient’s community as demonstrated by the former Marymount University president’s long-time commitment to public service and social responsibility.

Following Sister Gallagher’s example, this award recognizes HR professionals who have influenced and guided an organization’s CS or CSR as demonstrated through policies, practice and programs supported and rewarded by top management and integrated throughout business operations. The corporate initiative should cover at least one of the following areas:

  • Environmental Responsibility – conducts business in a manner that protects the environment and demonstrates good stewardship of our world’s natural resources.
  • Workplace Practices – fosters diversity in the workplace with programs that maximize the potential of all employees and promotes work/life balance.
  • Community Involvement – encourages employee volunteerism and takes a proactive role in local community programs by offering community groups access to corporate resources.

Eligibility

Due to various titles across organizations and industry sectors, the nominee must be equivalent to, or assume the duties of, a senior level human resources professional.

Nominations may come from vendors, peers, superiors or other colleagues. Nominations will not be accepted from those with a direct reporting relationship or self-nominations.

Nomination Criteria

Nominations should demonstrate evidence that the nominee significantly influenced the development of workplace strategies, policies and practices that enhance the image of the HR profession and benefit the organization served.

Please include all the items required to complete your nomination. By nominating this person, you attest to the nominee’s ethical standards and behavior.

PART I – Basic Information

The following information must be provided on the nominee:

  • Name
  • Title
  • Organization
  • Organization Address & Telephone
  • Nominees email address
  • Type of Organization (commercial, government, non-profit)
  • Number of Employees
  • Revenue of organization

The following information must be provided on the nominator:

  • Name of Nominator
  • Nominator’s Title
  • Organization
  • Relationship to Nominee
  • Nominator’s address, telephone and email

Please include a brief summary (two to three paragraphs) providing the following information:

  • Nominee’s employment history with the current organization
  • Information on the size of the nominee’s staff and budget
  • Description of the nominee’s key roles and responsibilities and reporting chain
  • The nominee’s relationship to the nominator, if the nomination is submitted by someone other than the nominee’s supervisor

PART II – Resume and References

Your nomination must include:

  • The nominee’s resume
  • Two (2) letters of reference from peers, subordinates, superiors, and/or vendors. If the nominator is not the nominee’s direct supervisor, it is recommended that one of the two reference letters be from the nominee’s direct supervisor.

PART III – Challenges and Outcomes

In no more than three pages, double-spaced, address the issues below to aid the Selection Committee in giving full consideration to the person you are nominating.

  • Describe the situation, problem, or opportunity that the nominee helped address and the community environment in which this situation existed.
  • Describe the actions taken, the resources involved/dedicated (internal or external resources), and the general time frame in which these actions were taken.
  • Describe the outcomes/results of these actions and the effectiveness and impact on the community being served. Include the key measures or metrics used to determine success and the nominee’s performance against these measures.
  • Describe how the nominee demonstrated the attributes listed below. As you respond to the above criteria, the judges will be evaluating the nominee on how the following attributes were incorporated, demonstrated, influenced organizational behavior in the course of tackling the challenges and achieving the outcomes for which he or she is being nominated. It is essential to incorporate as many of these attributes as applicable in the nomination.

COMMUNITY SERVICE/CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY ATTRIBUTES

Vision: Describe how the nominee formulated a corporate vision of its CSR or CS efforts that reflects the organization’s values or culture and is embraced and treasured throughout the organization.

Governance and Management: Describe how the nominee established ethics and/or CSR committees to review plans, programs and guidance and to identify emerging issues and how management responsibility was established.

Planning: Provide details on the processes the nominee put in place to include CSR into the organization’s strategic long-term planning.

Accountability: Describe how the nominee incorporated CS and CSR responsibilities into general job descriptions and performance metrics and how decision making in the organization helped achieve the program’s goals.

Communications: What communications programs did the nominee institute to promote CS and CSR objectives? Describe the training programs that helped integrate CS and CSR goals into the overall corporate objectives.

Recognition and Reporting: How were employees achieving the organization’s CS and CSR goals rewarded and recognized within the organization? What auditing procedures did the nominee develop?

Corporate Peer Influence: Describe how the nominee publicized its organization’s CS and CSR programs to other organizations in an effort to encourage such programs to business partners, vendors and customers.

Deadline

Submit your nomination by Monday, April 14, 2003 by email, fax, or mail.