Winning Nominations

The following suggestions will help to increase your nomination’s chances of success.

  • Review previous winners to familiarize yourself with the kind of candidate who previous judges have deemed suitable for this award;
     
  • Read the criteria carefully, highlighting the qualities and accomplishments sought by the judges and making note of how your candidate exemplifies those qualities and has fulfilled the relevant achievements;
     
  • Plan ahead, giving yourself more time than you think is necessary to assemble required background information, craft the nomination and solicit letters of support;
     
  • Be strategic in requesting letters from a variety of people whose support of the candidate demonstrate the breadth of her contribution; previous winners of the same award, people who have direct knowledge of the sponsoring agency, or experience working with its decision-makers are likely to be seen as more authoritative than others;
     
  • Echo the language used in the award’s criteria when describing the accomplishments and contribution of the candidate;
     
  • Submit the nomination package on time, or ahead of the deadline if possible, having triple-checked its contents and forms to ensure you’ve included all relevant materials and information.



If your nominee wins:

  • Support her in celebrating the award by helping to fill a table of supporters at the event, if there is one, or by hosting a small, informal celebration yourself
;
     
  • Publicize her win by: emailing people in your circle and hers who might wish to attend the event and/or who might not otherwise learn about her honour; blogging or tweeting about the win; contacting local media who might be willing to profile her accomplishment in a broadcast interview or feature story.



If your nominee doesn’t win:

  • Keep the nomination documents on file for consideration for another award or a subsequent year’s process;
     
  • Consider sharing with your nominee the wonderful things that others said about her in support of her candidacy, just to make her day.