Call for Entries Deadline: March 7, 2025

Celebrate Excellence, Drive Change!

Ragan’s CSR & Diversity Awards honors the transformative work being done in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG); and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). This prestigious program celebrates the campaigns, initiatives and strategies that are making a meaningful difference in organizations, communities and the world.

Don’t miss the opportunity to showcase your company’s or client’s commitment to creating positive change. Whether you’ve implemented innovative DEI practices, driven impactful CSR campaigns or set new standards in ESG, this is your chance to earn well-deserved recognition for your influential work.

Finalists and category winners will be honored at the Ragan CSR & Diversity Awards Luncheon this September in New York City, where industry leaders will gather to celebrate, network and share insights.

If your work or your client's work is helping to make the world a safer, healthier, more equitable and sustainable place, we're looking for you. Enter today to inspire others in the industry, gain recognition and demonstrate your organization’s leadership in these critical areas.

CATEGORIES

CSR & ESG CATEGORIES

 Cause Advocacy Campaign

You raised awareness for an under-the-radar issue with a cause advocacy campaign. What did you do to make sure your message was heard? What channels did you use to distribute it and whom did you target? What was the cause and what were your goals? Tell us how you got people talking about this oft-ignored issue and inspired them to get involved.

 Community Affairs

Community members help your business thrive. You gave back to them with a community affairs campaign that addressed the issues they care about. What problem were you hoping to solve or bring to light for your community? How did you tackle the issue? Tell us how you worked together for the well-being of your community and how it affected your organization.

 Corporate-Community or Nonprofit Partnership

Collaboration is the key to any successful partnership. You found a partner for a mutually beneficial relationship that also helps your community. Tell us how you chose your partner and how you worked together. How did the reputation enhance the work you’re doing together? What were the results of this partnership?

 Crisis Response

This category recognizes corporate efforts to assist communities during natural disasters and emergencies.

 CSR Campaign

Your corporate social responsibility campaign outshone them all. What challenges stood in the way of your success, and how did you overcome them? Tell us about your CSR initiative and how you exceeded your promotional, recruitment or fundraising goals. Be sure to include measurable results.

 CSR or ESG Event (Virtual or In Person)

Coordinating an event is a reliable way to bring attention to a cause or campaign. Did you put together a fundraising event to collect donations for your cause, set up an awards gala to honor those making a difference in your community, or celebrate the success of a recent cause-related campaign? How did you work with journalists and local influencers to drum up enthusiasm before the event? What news media outlets covered it, and how did it affect your business?

 CSR or ESG Initiatives

You committed to an issue and lent a helping hand. Why was it important to address this issue? Tell us how you raised money or awareness—or provided resources for those issues. How did that affect your business, brand and employees?

 Education or Scholarship Program

Tell us how your organization works to support educational opportunities within your community. Did you put together a scholarship program for students at a local school? Have you donated funds to an underserved school in your area, or provided additional training or scholarship opportunities to employees? Share your passion for education and scholarships, and tell us how it affected your business.

 Employee Engagement Campaign

Share your method for communicating with employees about your corporate social responsibility or environmental, social and governance campaign. How did you encourage them to get involved with your fundraising campaign, join their team’s volunteering initiative or assist with collecting donations? Tell us your strategy for communicating internally and how you measured success.

 Employee Volunteer/Community Relations Program

Service learning can inspire and motivate employees. Why is that an important component of your business, and how has it made a difference for your organization and team? How did you recruit volunteers? What project did you take on? Did employees take a day off to help build a house, volunteer at an animal shelter, plant an urban garden or do a virtual activity to help a specific cause? Tell us how you inspired your team of volunteers. How has this affected employee recruitment and retention, along with your reputation in the community?

 Employer Branding & Activism

This category celebrates organizations that excel in integrating corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their workplace culture and branding efforts. These companies demonstrate a strong commitment to ethical and sustainable practices while nurturing an inclusive and diverse work environment, setting a shining example for others in the industry.

 Environmental Stewardship

Sustainability is a major pillar of your organization. Tell us why going green is important to your organization, and what your goals are for reducing your carbon footprint. How did you educate your workforce about environmental issues and inspire employees to get on board? Did you start an office recycling program? Perhaps your organization made the switch to an alternative energy source. How did you do it? Let us hear about how you transformed your business practices to preserve the health of our planet.

 ESG Campaign

Your environmental, social and governance program wowed your audiences and surpassed every goal. Show us how storytelling around your environmental, social and corporate governance played a role. What messaging and channels did you use? What were your challenges and how did you overcome them? What were your goals and how were they met? Share the results with us.

 Fundraising and Philanthropic Initiative

Money makes the world go around, and no one knows that better than a nonprofit in need of donations. Tell us about the cause you raised money for and your strategy for collecting funds. Did you put together an event or set aside funds each year to donate? How did you inspire others to give with an open heart? Tell us about the difference these donations are making in your community and the world.

 Measurement

This category recognizes communications efforts to measure the societal impact of a company’s CSR & ESG initiatives.

 Media Relations Campaign

Journalists, news media outlets and your customers were eager to share the details of your corporate social responsibility initiative. How did you entice and inspire them to write your project’s most compelling features and generate buzz? What resources did you provide for them to learn more about your cause and persuade them to get involved? What were your PR and media goals? Share the big-picture strategy and break it down with metrics that prove its success.

 PR Campaign

This category honors outstanding campaigns that effectively communicate a company's commitment to corporate social responsibility and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles. These campaigns showcase how organizations are addressing critical social and environmental issues, fostering positive change, and engaging with stakeholders to build a sustainable and responsible business image.

 Public Affairs/Issues Management Campaign

This category recognizes exemplary campaigns that adeptly navigate the intersection of corporate social responsibility and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. These campaigns demonstrate an organization's commitment to addressing complex social and environmental challenges while effectively engaging with stakeholders and the broader public, driving meaningful impact and fostering a reputation for responsible leadership.

 Public Health or Safety Initiative

Issues of public health and safety can profoundly affect your community. How did you create a beneficial corporate social responsibility or environmental, social and governance initiative that couldn’t be ignored? What issue(s) did you address? How did you educate people to help them develop healthier habits? Tell us how you made your community a better place. Include your relevant videos, contests and metrics.

 Report (CSR, DEI and/or ESG - Print or Digital)

Your corporate social responsibility; diversity, equity and inclusion; or environmental, social and governance campaign was a complete success, so you pulled together a report to show it off. How did you put the results on display in a captivating manner? Show us how you showcased your achievement with excellent writing, unique visuals and striking metrics. Send us the report, talk us through your most important KPIs and why you chose them, and share the positive responses you received.

 Research

Recognizing research reports or initiatives in the past 18 months that have contributed to the body of knowledge around CSR, ESG or DEI with outstanding data and findings that address significant challenges and help organizations improve their initiatives.

 Social Media Campaign

How did social media help you generate excitement about your corporate social responsibility or ESG initiative? How did it provide opportunities to get involved with your cause? What social media channels did you use? Did photos, videos or giveaways help you meet your goals? Share your campaign and its incredible results.

 Stakeholder Engagement

Your employees and stakeholders drive the success of your corporate social responsibility or ESG efforts. How did you inspire them to get involved with your cause and tell others in their community about it? Tell us how you positioned your organization’s employees as brand ambassadors for your mission and how it affected the overall success of the program.

 Video

Inspiring others to speak on behalf of your education, environmental or health initiative requires great storytelling. How did you use video to create a heartwarming, humorous or inspiring narrative? Did you interview the people benefiting from your project or showcase people affected by the issue you wanted to spotlight? How did you share it? Provide us with the video or other visual elements, and tell us about the results.

 Visual Design

This category recognizes innovative and impactful visual storytelling that brings your CSR and ESG initiatives to life. Whether through infographics, illustrations, branded graphics or other forms of design, this category honors work that communicates complex concepts with clarity, creativity and purpose.

DE&I CATEGORIES

 Community Relations

How has your organization worked with and engaged your community to ensure it’s more equitable, just and inclusive? What was the messaging? How did you reach these members? Tell us about your goals, along with the results.

 Cultural Celebration or Event

Your organization celebrated culturally diverse celebrations or events. Did you hold an event (live or virtual) to celebrate Kwanzaa, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Chinese New Year or any other cultural celebrations? Tell us about the event and how you engaged your internal or external audiences.

 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Commitment

How do you promote diversity within your organization? How have you supported and fostered diversity as part of your corporate culture? Tell us about the communications surrounding these efforts.

 Event (Virtual or Live)

We want to hear about your engaging event that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion. What was your goal? How did you engage with audiences before, during and after the event? Tell us about your tactics, messaging and delivery efforts—along with the positive results with impact.

 Email/Newsletter Initiatives

Much of the workforce is working remotely, but it’s essential to continue to promote an inclusive workplace culture—and email is a wonderful channel for communicating with your employees. How have you used email to engage with and solicit feedback from your employees about DE&I initiatives and programs?

 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)

How have these employee-led groups helped your organization become more diverse, inclusive and equitable? What were their goals and how did they communicate them? How have they helped advance the careers of employees and fostered a more equitable workplace culture?

 Employer Branding & Activism

This category recognizes organizations that lead the way in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion within their workplace culture and brand identity. These companies demonstrate a dedication to creating an inclusive environment where all employees feel valued and respected, setting a gold standard for promoting diversity and social equity within the corporate world.

 Executive Thought Leadership Initiatives

Your organization’s leadership did more than say the right things—they made a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. What actions have they taken, and how did they communicate with stakeholders?

 Hiring Practices

Your organization made a commitment to hiring more diverse employees. What was the strategy for finding, connecting with and hiring this top talent? How did you engage with these future employees? Let us know the tactics and results.

 Inclusive Language Initiative

The language we use in our daily lives—as well as within our organizations—matters. Tell us about the document, videos, social media efforts or any other content you created to ensure inclusivity within your organization. Tell us how you delivered this to employees, and how you ensure it was adopted throughout your organization.

 Industry Partnerships/Alliances

You partnered or aligned with an organization that shares your beliefs and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. What was the organization, and how did you connect with them? What was your strategy for engaging audiences and following through on your commitment?

 Intranet Strategy

With so many employees working from home, intranets are crucial hubs for distributing information and resources for happenings within your organization—including your DE&I efforts. How have you provided employees with resources to continue education or provide support for diverse and equitable organizations and causes?

 Leadership Communication

Your organization’s leaders and managers are taking a stand and talking about important social issues with their stakeholders via video and posting them on their LinkedIn and internal social channels. We want to hear how your leaders are continuously addressing DE&I and social justice.

 Marketing Programs

How is your organization making its DE&I commitments known publicly and holding itself accountable? Did your CEO sign a document, committing to more diverse and equitable practices? Did you post your pledge on your website? Tell us how your shared your diversity, equity and inclusion commitment with the public.

 Media Relations

How have you worked with the media to deliver messaging to improve diversity, equity and inclusion within your community and organization? What was the messaging? What were your goals? Tell us about the results and how this promoted equity not only within your organization, but on a larger scale, too.

 Mentoring Program

Has your organization championed a mentoring program that was instrumental in advancing the careers of diverse employees? Tell us about the program, including your communications strategy for promoting it and the results.

 Social Media Initiatives

What social media steps, guidelines or campaigns have you implemented or launched in support of DE&I initiatives or social issues? What was the strategy for engaging audiences? What were your goals and results? Tell us how you used social media to support a cause or initiative.

 Training

To ensure you’re advancing your diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and commitments, it’s essential you continue to educate yourselves. Tell us about the training programs and communications you’ve shared with employees and how you ensured maximum attendance and engagement.

PEOPLE AND TEAMS

 Agency of the Year

Top agencies providing outstanding CSR, DEI and/or ESG counsel and outcomes.

 Professional of the Year

The dynamic do-ers who are having a meaningful impact on DEI, CSR or ESG.

 Team of the Year

Corporate, nonprofit and agency teams delivering measurable, impressive goals around DEI, CSR and/or ESG.

HOW TO ENTER

Awards Criteria

On the entry form, be sure to include a thorough synopsis explaining the purpose and scope of your project. We ask that the synopsis be 350-900 words and include the following sub-headings (when applicable):

  • Goals
  • Strategy and tactics
  • Execution
  • Evaluation: success, results or ROI

Be sure to follow the guidelines laid out in the category descriptions, as the judges will look for those elements when they select the winners.

You will be able to upload additional documents to your submission. We encourage you to include press releases, design concepts, videos, analytics, testimonials and anything else you feel will give us a better sense of your project. Proprietary or internal information can also be attached and will not be shared with the public.

ENTER

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

These awards are open to in-house, agency and independent communication practitioners in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors. Enter your work, the work of your organization or submit entries on behalf of your client.

Companies from around the world are welcome to enter as long as the entry is submitted in English.

Contact Brendan Gannon to find the perfect category for your campaign or project. You can call 312-960-4407 or email brendang@ragan.com.

This year’s program is open to any work executed between March 1, 2024, and March 7, 2025, inclusive.

ENTRY FEES

The fee for this program is $550 per entry.

A late fee of $325 per entry will be added to all entries received after 11:59 p.m. Central time, March 7, 2025.

Do you have a campaign or project you'd like to enter into multiple categories? Pay the original entry fee, and then only $250 for each additional category!

All entries are non-returnable and non-refundable.

W-9 Form / Tax ID Number Request

Frequently Asked Questions

🏆 WHY SHOULD I APPLY?
  • Showcase Your Commitment to Positive Impact: Gain recognition for your efforts in CSR, ESG, and DEI, demonstrating your organization’s dedication to driving meaningful change.
  • Enhance Brand Reputation and Credibility: Winning highlights your leadership in advancing corporate responsibility and equity, boosting trust with stakeholders and audiences.
  • Inspire and Attract Stakeholders: Recognition positions your organization as a socially responsible leader, appealing to investors, clients, and top talent who prioritize values-driven partnerships.
🌎 WHO CAN ENTER THESE AWARDS?
Entries may be submitted by organizations and agencies worldwide. Entries must be submitted in English. The program is open to in-house, agency, independent communication practitioners and vendors in the private, corporate, nonprofit and government sectors.
✅ CAN I ENTER TWO OR MORE CATEGORIES?
YES! In fact, we encourage you to submit your applications in multiple categories. Each category is judged discreetly, and discounted pricing applies to your 2nd category and beyond. This also increases your chances of winning.
🔎 WHAT DO THE JUDGES LOOK FOR IN ENTRIES?
Judges look for top-quality work that shows clear, bold and creative ideas that benefit your business or client. Please provide metrics or results that support your claims, and share creative collateral such as videos, visual design or websites that were a part of your project. Please look at our past award winners to see what gets recognized and rewarded.
🗓️ WHY ARE SOME DEADLINES EXTENDED?
We extend deadlines based on applicant needs and upcoming promotional opportunities.

Additional Questions

If you have any questions about the program or problems submitting your entry, please call Brendan Gannon at 312-960-4407 or email brendang@ragan.com.

Sponsorship Opportunities

If you are interested in sponsoring one of Ragan Communications’ award programs, please contact Morgan Einspanier at morgane@ragan.com. 

Ragan Communications is not responsible for international shipping fees related to trophies or certificates.