Guidelines for Caring Award Nominations

What qualities and accomplishments are you looking for in Caring Award candidates?

Successful candidates are role models with an extraordinary sense of public service. They can come from any walk of life but all share a deep and selfless concern for others. Like previous winners, they have a long-term commitment to social improvement, whether in the community, nation, or world. Ideally, they have founded an organization designed to serve others and also made an impact that will last their lifetime and beyond.

What are the guidelines to be eligible for a young adult Caring Award?

Young adults must be nominated before their graduation from high school or eighteenth birthday. They are not eligible for the award and the $2,000 scholarship that goes with it once they are enrolled at a junior college, college, or university.

How do I nominate someone for a Caring Award?

Simply complete a nomination form and submit it, along with a written summary explaining why you think your nominee should be recognized. Include the names and phone numbers of contacts who are familiar with your nominee’s endeavors. For young adults, state their birth date, school, and grade. We encourage you to support your nomination with two letters of recommendation, including one from an educator if the nominee is a young adult. If possible, also include newspaper clips, magazine articles, and other information that shows why they might deserve this prestigious honor.

When can I nominate someone for a Caring Award?

Nominations for adults and young adults are accepted year round. But we will consider nominees for the following year if their nominations arrive after the deadline announced each year on the Caring Institute home page. Please note that we must receive nominations for high school seniors before their date of graduation.

What is the National Caring Awards nomination process?

We give careful consideration to every nomination we receive. After reviewing the nomination materials, our staff and volunteers conduct interviews and perform further research. The best candidates are evaluated by our directors, who consider both diversity and depth of service as they further narrow the pool. Based on their input, we prepare two ballots – one for adults, another for young adults – then distribute them for a vote to our trustees and former Caring Award winners. The finalists must confirm that they can be present to accept the award at our official ceremony and attend the celebration events. If not, they’ll be scheduled to receive their award at the next available opportunity, and another finalist may be chosen to fill their slot. The remaining finalists need not give up since they can be considered again on future ballots

How do we honor Caring Award winners?

We fly winners to a special awards ceremony, where they attend a VIP reception and a gala celebration of their achievements. As a souvenir of this special day, they receive a certificate with a picture of Mother Teresa and the exquisite statue of a crystal angel who stands for the divine spirit of caring. Each winner also has this spirit within, as we show when we feature their profiles in our award-winning magazine CARING. And we continue to honor their contributions by inducting them into the Caring Hall of Fame, where visitors can see their photos and read their stories for many years to come