5 reasons why you should nominate for the ONPHA Awards
It’s that time of year again! A time to celebrate the achievements of those within our sector. What better way to recognize and celebrate accomplishments than with awards of recognition? That is why every year at our annual housing conference, ONPHA recognizes the great work that our members do through the ONPHA Awards.
What are the ONPHA Awards?
Each year, we celebrate the difference that non-profit housing makes through the ONPHA Awards program. Through this program, we recognize the achievements of outstanding organizations, individuals and teams that contribute to the vibrancy of the non-profit housing sector through the following awards:
Awards for organizations
Award for Excellence
Recognizing non-profit housing providers that respond to tenant or community needs with imagination and insight. These outstanding organizations go beyond their housing mandates, building strong communities and partnerships, housing populations that have been poorly served, and demonstrating a strong commitment to managing housing more effectively.
Check out the eligibility requirements and download a nomination form here.
ONPHA Innovation Award
Recognizing non-profit housing providers that have developed an innovative response to an environmental, operational or community challenge. Their initiatives demonstrate promising outcomes and serve as inspirations for other non-profit housing providers.
Check out the eligibility requirements and download a nomination form here.
Awards for Individuals
Sybil Frenette Outstanding Leadership Award
Recognizing individuals whose energy and vision have furthered the cause of non-profit housing in Ontario. These leaders have created a lasting legacy through significant contributions to their organizations, communities and the sector, and have demonstrated vision, collaboration and commitment in their efforts to serve low-income individuals.
Check out the eligibility requirements and download a nomination form here.
Tenant Achievement Award
Honouring a tenant or tenant group who helps make their non-profit housing community and neighbourhood a better place to live. The tenant or tenant group has fostered community connections and has made meaningful contributions to their community that can serve as a model to tenants across Ontario.
**Note: For the 2022 ONPHA Awards we will be giving out two separate Tenant Achievement Awards, one award for an individual tenant and a separate award for a tenant group.
Check out the eligibility requirements and download a nomination form here.
Lifetime of Service Award
Recognizing the people who have dedicated their careers and talents to Ontario’s non-profit housing sector. Representing some of our sector’s longest-standing contributors, these non-profit housing professionals and volunteers are retiring after 20 or more years of dedication.
Check out the eligibility requirements and download a nomination form here.
Why should YOU nominate?
Think someone you know would be a great recipient of one of our awards? What are you waiting for? Nominate them today! Here are a few key reasons why you should submit a nomination form:
1) Recognize and celebrate the achievements of a colleague, organization or group
Everyone deserves some recognition for their hard work and efforts, what better way to show someone is appreciated in their community than a sparkling plaque with their name on it? Celebrate all the great work that your colleague(s), an organization or a tenant group does by nominating them for an award you think they deserve! Our ONPHA Award winners are recognized and celebrated in many ways including a dedicated Award winner video with congratulatory messages from their colleagues and loved ones, an engraved ONPHA Award winner plaque presented to them live at the ONPHA conference in November, promotion on our social media channels and QuickConnections blog, to name a few. Award winner recipients will be celebrated throughout the year when they win the ONPHA Award!
2) Bring awareness to an important housing organization, project or issue
Has an organization, person or group you know recently worked on an important project or issue? Maybe they launched a new housing program this year or worked towards resolving an important housing issue. What better way to bring awareness to these accomplishments than having them be featured at one of North America’s premiere housing conferences? If your nominee is successfully selected as the winner of one of our ONPHA Awards this year, they and their accomplishments will be under the spotlight at our 2022 ONPHA conference! Not only will they be presented with an award at the conference, but they will also get a dedicated video highlighting their achievements, as well as recognition on our social media channels and the ONPHA website. Have all eyes on your nominee’s recent project(s) and/or achievements if they win an ONPHA Award!
3) Shine a light on excellence within the housing sector
The community housing sector is a hard-working and dedicated one. What better way to showcase and represent this than an award dedicated to recognizing the achievements of outstanding organizations, individuals and teams that contribute to the vibrancy of the non-profit housing sector? Nominating someone for an ONPHA award not only shines a light on them personally but on the sector as a whole. Contribute to showcasing how awesome our sector is by nominating for an ONPHA award!
4) The process is simple
Thinking of nominating someone but don’t want to spend hours doing it? We’ve made nominating someone for an ONPHA award quite simple. In fact, nominations can be done in a few easy steps! To submit a nomination:
- On our nominations page, scroll down to the award you would like to submit a nomination for
- Review the eligibility criteria
- Click the link below the eligibility criteria to download the award’s nomination form
- Fill out the nomination form PDF
- Follow the instructions at the end of the form to submit your nomination to awards@onpha.org
See, isn’t that a piece of cake? A simple 5 step process that can make a huge difference for the person you are nominating! Now that seems 100% worth it to us.
5) The results are rewarding
Not only is the process of nominating easy, but it also reaps great rewards for both you and your nominee. Recognizing the achievements of your colleague(s) or organization also gives you a sense of pride knowing that you are the reason they are being celebrated for their success. If you won’t take our word for it, just hear what some of our past nominators have to say:
“Housing is critical in Ontario given the influx of new people every year. Housing professionals have a really big responsibility on their shoulders and they continue to work really hard to sustain a good housing framework in Ontario with limited resources. So, it calls for some recognition to encourage and motivate them for the work that they do and make Ontario a better place to be. ONPHA is a province-wide central pillar for housing professionals in terms of providing advocacy and regulatory framework for sector professionals. Therefore, I believe it is the best platform to provide recognition as well to deserving professionals for their contributions,”
Jaimala, nominator of ONPHA’s 2021 Sybil Frenette Outstanding Leadership Award winner, Margie Carlson and ONPHA’s 2021 Lifetime of Service Award winners, Andy Manahan, Bill Beatty, Ken Holder and Sheerin Sheikh.
“Some of the most innovative work to solve major issues is being done in the nonprofit housing and homelessness sector. Last year, I nominated one of my programs at Blue Door, called Construct for an ONPHA award, as it was a great way to showcase this innovative and successful program making inroads to preventing homelessness and recognize the heroic efforts of my team members who made it happen,”
Michael Braithwaite, nominator of ONPHA’s 2021 Innovation Award winner, Blue Door.
In truth, there are many reasons why you should nominate someone for an ONPHA Award this year. Whether it’s for the reasons above or your own personal ones, there is one thing we do know for sure: you won’t regret it!
Don’t forget, that nominations for the 2022 ONPHA Awards close on May 31, 2022. Nominate today!
Questions about nominations or the ONPHA Awards?
Contact us at awards@onpha.org.
