The United Way of Central Ohio's Celebration of Excellence recognizes the corporate campaigns that make our work possible.


Sponsored by American Electric Power, the Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony recognizes United Way of Central Ohio workplace campaigns that have expressed outstanding achievement. This annual event includes six Celebration of Excellence Awards to distinguished organizations for their excellence in various categories of campaign efforts.




What are the Celebration of Excellence Awards?

The Celebration of Excellence Awards include six award categories of recognition, including Employee Volunteerism, Employee Education, Leadership Giving, Strategic Performance, Best First-Time Campaign, and the highest honor, The Award of Excellence.  


Celebration of Excellence Award Descriptions

Employee Volunteerism

The Employee Volunteerism award recognizes companies that promote and provide year-round volunteer opportunities.  Companies who receive this honor have encouraged employees to sit on United Way boards and committees as well as participate in Community Care Day or another special day of caring.

Employee Education

The Employee Education award honors companies that educate their employees on United Way’s work through various tools such as e-mails, newsletters, kick-off events, group meetings, campaign publicity, and year-round communication.

Leadership Giving

This award honors companies that strongly promote involvement with United Way’s affinity groups and have a high percentage of Leadership Giving donors.

Strategic Performance

The Strategic Performance award honors companies that utilize United Way’s best practices in their campaigns.  Past awards have been given to those that have developed a cross-functional campaign team and obtained CEO endorsement, as well as educated employees and encouraged leadership giving.

Best First-Time Campaign

This award recognizes companies for not only running a campaign for the first time, but for incorporating United Way into its corporate culture.

Award of Excellence

As the most distinguished award, the Award of Excellence recognizes overall achievement in corporate and volunteer philanthropic efforts.  Winners of this award have embraced best practices, educated employees year-round through group meetings and events, promoted Leader’s Circle and Leadership Giving and year-round volunteerism, in addition to Community Care Day.  Previous winners include Nationwide Insurance, UPS, Deloitte and Touche, Bruner Corporation and American Electric Power.


What is the nomination process?

United Way of Central Ohio requests that companies complete an online application as a part of the self-nomination process.   Click here to view the Celebration of Excellence application.  The deadline to apply is Friday, January 29, 2010.  


What is the selection process?

A panel of volunteer judges from various United Way agencies and companies gather together to review and select the winner of each award. Finalists are chosen from each category and the winner is announced live at the Celebration of Excellence Awards on Monday, April 19, 2010.


How can I find out more about the Celebration of Excellence?

For more information please contact Yen Hannah at yen.hannah@uwcentralohio.org/ 614.227.2740 or Barbara Alexander at barbara.alexander@uwcentralohio.org/ 614.227.2705.