Merrill Associates

I recently attended a ceremony to honor 40 outstanding professions under the age of 40, called the "40 Under 40 Award." This award is presented by a local business publication to acknowledge the up and comers in our community. For the first time in the four-year history of the awards, one of the recipients was a director of volunteers. Christine Nardecchia, Director of Volunteer Resources for the City of Dublin, Ohio, is past president of the local professional network and an outstanding representative for the profession.

I want to see more volunteer administrators in the spotlight for the exciting and valuable contributions they are making in our communities. I have nominated many colleagues over the years and have a good track record. So, I thought it might be worth sharing some tips for writing "award winning" nominations.

Nominators play a critical role in the nominating process. You cannot assume that because you are nominating a well known and respected person from your profession that those reading the nominating form will know this unless your accurately and personally convey that information. Here are a few tips I have learned to help me with the awards process.

1. Read the nominating form very carefully. Be sure you have adequately answered all the questions. It is especially sad to see a candidate eliminated because critical, required information has been overlooked or omitted. Go back through each question after you have written your response and be sure you have answered the question.
2. Always assume that the judge does not know your candidate. Also assume that the judge is reading multiple nominations and is looking carefully for the information required. Too much information can be as harmful as too little information. Don't make the judge read through wonderful, glowing language to find the real heart of the answer. Be direct and then support what you have to say with observation and fact.
3. Don't think you have to keep your nomination a secret or do it by yourself. Most people are highly flattered that a colleague thinks enough of them to nominate them for an award. Talk to your nominee. Ask them the questions and listen for information you can use to support your own thoughts and ideas. Call other colleagues and discuss the nominee with them. Call people that work for and with the nominee. Gather as much information and background as possible. Be acc urate. Don't guess or generalize. Give specific examples to reinforce what you are saying. Giver several examples to show patterns or professional growth over time.
4. Organize your thoughts carefully and follow the nominating form. Personalize. Focus on key questions on the nomination form: detail accomplishments and their impact; describe leadership abilities; and, describe how the nominee has made a difference in the community through and with volunteerism.

Don't just talk about what the person is/has done. Share what stands out. What makes this person outstanding? How have these accomplishments had an impact - on people, the community and the profession? Create a unique picture of your applicant. What makes them stand out from all the rest? Remember, longevity is often not part of the criteria. Consider how they have taken their position and made an impact, for the organization, the volunteers, and/or the community.

Talk with your nominee and those that work with the individual to identify specific ways they have exhibited leadership. What organizations do they belong to? What leadership positions have they assumed, both within their organization and within the larger community? What projects have they taken on/accomplished that demonstrate leadership, whether they were officially in a leadership role or not. If you are nominating a professional colleague, think about how this person promotes volunteer administration as a profession - through personal as well as professional actions? What patterns of professional growth do you see? How have they sought to increase their personal/professional knowledge and skills in this field?

Share how your nominee reflects core values and beliefs regarding volunteerism. Where and when do they volunteer? Does the individual see volunteerism as an opportunity for personal growth and do they exhibit a willingness to engaged in volunteer activities to increase their personal skills and knowledge? Do they believe that volunteers can and do change the world, and how do they reflect this through personal example? How do they foster excellence and leadership development in others? Do they encourage volunteers to assume leadership roles? What qualities do they exhibit and foster that reflects their internal beliefs about volunteerism? Ask your nominee to talk about their personal philosophy of volunteerism and then give examples of how they live this out.

5. Share examples of how they have serves as role model and/or mentor for others. It is often very helpful to talk with co-workers (paid and non-paid) to gather this information. Ask co-workers to write a letter of support that details a particular quality or aspect you are writing about. This may be more effective than a general letter that says your nominee is a great person.

Describe unique characteristics that are more than just what a great or nice person this nominee is. Choose one or two qualities that make this person truly outstanding and then give specific examples. Talk about difficulties the nominee may have faced and how the applicant dealt with them. Share personal skills such as listening, teambuilding, collaboration, creativity, and professionalism.

6. If you are nominating a volunteer manger for excellence in the profession, this is your chance to say how you think the colleague performs his/her work in a manner that exemplifies all that we value. Why should this person be held up as an example for all of us? Years of service, being a nice, caring person or always being willing to help are not in themselves outstanding. These characteristics should be one part of a bigger picture of someone who exemplifies excellence.

I hope you are looking for those shining stars in our profession - new to the field, quietly effective, veteran professionals, out-of-the-box thinkers, friends, colleagues, paid and non-paid professionals - and seize opportunities to nominate them for community awards. We need high achievers and everyday heroes in our profession and we need to take every opportunity to lift up these stars and promote the best about our chosen profession.