About the Awards

The Leaders recognise outstanding achievements among professional practicing Catholics, young Catholics, Catholic schools, charity organisations and Religious Orders who persevere in faith amidst real-world social, economic and environmental issues through their everyday operations. It is a continuing effort to ensure The Community Leader Awards reflects how Catholics today seek to revitalise Australian culture. We look forward to celebrating our inaugural Awards Ceremony in Brisbane with you.

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The Community Leader Awards acknowledges Catholics in the community whose service
and contributions have had the effect of making a significant difference to Australian life,
and more broadly, to humanity at large.
The Awards are hosted by The Catholic Leader, the award-winning newspaper for the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Nominate today

KEY DATES

Entry Deadline – October 20

Judging Time – October 21 – 28

Finalists Announced – November 1

Awards Celebration & Presentation – November 14

WELCOME FROM THE EDITOR

Welcome to The Catholic Leader’s Community Leader Awards, bigger and better than ever.

Here at theleaders.com.au you can browse the award categories, lodge nominations for Catholic leaders in your community and keep up to date with all the awards night information including prizes.

The Community Leader Awards are a great opportunity to recognise the silent achievers in your Church communities.

We’re inviting people around Australia to nominate outstanding Catholics for the Community Leader Awards.

The awards have become a major event in our Catholic community, and we are excited to open nominations again for this year.

It is an opportunity to showcase the good work the people in our Catholic parishes, schools, organisations, ministries and charities are doing to make Australia a better place.

We look forward to the flood of nominations that will come in and to see everyone at our awards event in November.

 

– Matt Emerick, Managing Editor of The Catholic Leader

Categories

The entry process has been deliberately designed to help you focus on key aspects of your life/organisation/business/school.

Professional Leader of the Year

This award is presented to an outstanding corporate or business professional who is an active member of the Catholic community. The award recognises an individual who has made a significant impact on the lives of colleagues, clients and/or customers. The nominee should/has exhibited exemplary leadership skills and set a benchmark of charity, integrity and professionalism in the workplace. The nominee does not need to be employed by a Catholic organisation, but must be able to demonstrate how the Catholic values are integrated into the/his-her professional life. Special consideration will be made to the individual who demonstrates active participation in the Catholic community or parish.

Young Leader of the Year

This award is presented to a young Catholic who has shown outstanding commitment to their Catholic faith. The young Leader demonstrates active effort to uphold a moral and virtuous life and is a positive role model in their community. Special consideration will be made to a young person who demonstrates active service or outreach in the community.

School Leader of the Year

This award is presented to a Catholic primary or secondary school leader in Australia. The award recognises a school leader that has made an outstanding contribution to the spiritual, personal, and academic life of its students. The school leader would be a benchmark in educating students on Catholic life, morals and ethics, and a personal relationship with Christ. Special consideration will be made to school principals who demonstrate charity in either seven categories of the corporal works of mercy (feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, shelter the homeless, visit the sick, visit the imprisoned, bury the dead).

Volunteer of the Year

This award is presented to a volunteer of a Catholic charity or organisation who has shown outstanding commitment to their charism or mission. Volunteers nominated for this category can be lay or religious. The volunteer will demonstrate high fidelity to the universal Catholic Church and an exceptional commitment to the local Australian Church.

Community Leader of the Year

This award is presented to an active parishioner from Australia for their outstanding involvements in the parish. The nominee will demonstrate active lay leadership within their parish. Special consideration will be made to a parishioner who demonstrates active service in the community on behalf of their parish.

Criteria

Professional Leader

Entry is open to a professional man or woman who has more than five years experience in their field.

The entry form must accompany a typed description detailing how the nominee has fulfils the following criteria:

  • Level of influence
  • Excellence in leadership
  • Setting a benchmark in charity, integrity and professionalism
  • Integration of Catholic values in their professional life

The entry form needs to be completed online.

A panel of judges present at the event will deliver the awards to the selected winners.

Young Leader

We want to celebrate young people in our community, who represent our future, and are integral part of the Church.

The award is open to young people aged 13 – 30. The nominees will be judged on the following acts of service and charity:

  • caring for the ill or disabled;
  • helping run a youth group or other ministry;
  • looking after abandoned or neglected animals;
  • making communities safer through initiatives or behaviour;
  • raising money for charity or other charitable causes;
  • showing positive spirit in adversity, presenting him/herself as an example to others.
  • supporting or mentoring someone through a difficult time;
  • taking action to improve the environment;
  • volunteering for projects at home or abroad;
  • working with disabled, ill or elderly people;

The entry form must accompany a typed description detailing how the nominee has demonstrated the above criteria.

School Leader

Entry is open to School principals, administrators, staff, teachers and other individuals working in a school.

The entry form must accompany a typed description of how the nominated or self-nominated school leader has implemented innovation in ONE of the six award categories.

  • An innovative project in marketing your Catholic school community
  • An innovative project in restructuring or merging schools
  • An innovative project in promoting Catholic identity
  • An innovative project in curriculum and instruction
  • An innovative project facilitated by technology
  • An innovative project in total community involvement (including fundraising)
  • An innovative project in environmental sustainability and awareness

 

You may enclose three samples of student work, reports, or other supporting documents that will help our judges make an informed decision. (Note: submitted material cannot be returned)

The entry form needs to be completed online.

A panel of judges present at the event will deliver the awards to the selected winners.

Volunteer

Submission for this category must include the following:

  • Summary of your organisation and what it does. Include when your organisation or Order was founded, its charisma, and how it is lived out.
  • Outline your mission, outreach, or charity objective. This information will be used to judge the clarity of the organisation’s or Order’s objectives. It should include the time period over which these elements have been created and deployed.
  • Evidence of how these missions, outreaches, or objectives have been met, and what impact the achieved objectives has had. This should contain quantitative data to demonstrate the success in meeting these objectives.
  • Answer the following question:
    • Why do you think you should win the award?

Please detail the overall impact volunteering has had on you and the    community.  In this section evidence may be quantitative or qualitative, or a mixture of both.

You may enclose three samples of charity work, reports, or other supporting documents that will help our judges make an informed decision. (Note: submitted material cannot be returned)

Community Leader

Open to any Catholic parishioner in Australia.

The entry form must accompany a typed description of no more than 600 words of how the nominated parishioner has addressed the following criteria:

  • Increase in the number of new Catholics
  • Sacramental life flourishing (regular Eucharist, Confessions, and Sacramental initiations)
  • Strong community formation for children, young adults, and adults
  • Evidence of parish outreach/projects that serve the community
  • Strong encouragement from parish priest to strengthen the parish community with social activities and events
  • Supportive of parishioner’s personal prayer life and faith commitments

The entry form needs to be completed online.

A panel of judges present at the event will deliver the awards to the selected winners.

Judging and Scoring

The following criteria apply to the Award categories.

  • Planning & Content (30%) – Judges will consider whether research was done and whether objectives and strategies were thoughtfully considered and clearly stated. They will also determine if the medium was a proper vehicle for attaining the stated objectives. Special consideration is given to strategy and originality of approach. Include budget, timeline, and any applicable research.
  • Creativity & Quality (30%) – Judges will consider whether the messages were directly tied to the objectives and if the content was substantive, understandable, consistent and appropriate for the target audience. Level of uniqueness and creativity also will be assessed.
  • Technical Excellence (15%) – Judges will examine graphic or communication elements that set the entry apart and the quality of production, with consideration for the scope of the project and its budget.
  • Evaluation/Results (25%) – Judges will consider whether efforts, quantitative or qualitative, were made to assess the degree to which the entry met its stated objectives.

Submit your entry

Submissions for the 2019 Awards are now open

Professional

Professional Leader of the Year

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Young

Young Leader of the Year

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School

School Leader of the Year

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Volunteer

Volunteer of the Year

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Community

Community Leader of the Year

Nominate Now

Prizes

Coming soon

Awards Night & Presentation

You are invited to celebrate a memorable year for The Catholic Leader at our annual Awards cocktail party in 2019.

Every two years The Catholic Leader holds a celebration to honour our loyal readers, sponsors, advertisers and share our work with the entire Brisbane Archdiocese. Our annual event will host The Community Leader Awards for 2019.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge will be our guest of honour, as well as representatives from our sponsors.

So mark Thursday, November 14 in your calendar!

AWARDS NIGHT PROGRAM
5:30pm – Sponsors gathering
6:30pm – Official party opening with entertainment, food and drinks
7:30pm – The Community Leader Awards Ceremony followed by dessert & more
Venue: The Gaudete Centre, Level 3 Mercy Building
1100 Nudgee Road, Banyo
Cost: Adults $20

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