VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION AWARDS
Each year, the Volunteer Recognition Awards recognizes Concordia students, staff and faculty who have made a significant contribution as volunteers.
Concordia students, faculty and staff as well as members of the community are invited to nominate a deserving Concordian.
Nominations close on February 1, 2027.
Nominate an individual
For this award, you can nominate a current student, staff, or faculty member who is presently involved as a volunteer benefiting the external community. For the purposes of this award, current means students must have been registered in at least one class during the 2026-27 academic year, and faculty or staff must have been employed at Concordia during the 2026-27 academic year.
Nominees must be currently volunteering in at least one organization.
Students must have been registered in at least one class during the 2026-27 academic year. Faculty and staff must have been employed at Concordia during the 2026-27 academic year.
Volunteering is defined as working for a non-profit organization without compensation. Students cannot receive class credit. Staff and faculty volunteering must take place outside of work hours.
The nominee's volunteer work must benefit the external community. The external community is defined as any community that extends outside the University community. It is possible to volunteer with on-campus organizations while supporting causes of interest to the external community (for example: protecting the environment, fighting poverty, etc.).
The nominee’s positive impact on causes reaching beyond the University community
The number of organizations the nominee has been involved in and/or length of their involvement
The Award committee’s first focus is on the nominee’s current involvements. However, we also consider the nominee’s volunteer history. With this in mind, we encourage you to consult with the nominee prior to sending in your nomination letter to obtain relevant information about their current and past volunteer roles.
All nominations must include the following:
Nomination form: Your nomination form should answer all questions and elaborate the reasons why you believe the nominee is an outstanding volunteer. Please provide concrete examples illustrating the extent of the nominee’s involvement and their impact on the community.
- Letter(s) of support: If you do not supervise the nominee's volunteer work, contact one of their volunteer supervisors to ask them to provide a letter of support. Multiple letters of support may be submitted but are not required.
It is not possible to receive both a Concordia Volunteer Award and a CCSL Outstanding Contribution Award in the same year.
Nominations are due at 5 p.m. on Feb 1, 2027.
- Fill in the nomination form.
- If the nominator is not the volunteer work supervisor, have the supervisor send a letter of support by email to volunteeraward@concordia.ca. Please include the name of your nominee in the subject line.
- Any additional documents supporting your nomination can be sent to volunteeraward@concordia.ca. Please include the name of your nominee in the subject line.
Note: It is not possible to receive both a Concordia Volunteer Award and a CCSL Outstanding Contribution Award in the same year.
Nominate a group
For this award, you can nominate a group of Concordians who have worked together on a time-bound project on a volunteer basis and have demonstrated impact on a cause of interest beyond the academic community.
The majority of group members must be current Concordia students, staff and/or faculty members. For the purposes of this award, current means students must have been registered in at least one class during the 2026-27 academic year, or faculty and staff must have been employed at Concordia during the 2026-27 academic year.
This award is not intended to recognize entire organizations but rather groups of volunteers who go over and above in helping organizations achieve a goal by assuming leadership of a project, or who otherwise make an important contribution to a cause.
Volunteers are considered members of a group if they have worked jointly on a specific, time-bound project.
All group members must be volunteers. Volunteering is defined as working for a non-profit organization without compensation. Students cannot receive class credit. Staff and faculty volunteering must take place outside of work hours.
Evidence of impact on cause/organization must be provided.
The group members’ initiative and leadership
The extent of the group members' volunteer engagement
The demonstrated impact of the project on the external community. The external community is defined as extending outside the University. While the group's work may have taken place on or off campus, nominators must make a clear demonstration of how its members supported a cause that reaches beyond the interests of the group members, their peers, and the academic community.
The Award committee's first focus is on the group project for which you are submitting the nomination, and the impact that project has on the external community. We encourage you to consult with the nominee prior to sending in your nomination letter to obtain relevant information about their current and past volunteer roles.
All nominations must include the following:
Nomination letter: Your nomination form should answer all questions and elaborate the reasons why you believe the group is deserving of recognition. It should describe the project undertaken by the group (its duration, content, objectives and impacts) including concrete examples that illustrate the impact of this group on the organization/cause
The names, contact information, and status of each group member (student, staff, faculty, alumni, or member of the community at large)
- Supporting documentation such as project materials, reports, letter(s) of support. These can be included in the nomination form or sent to volunteeraward@concordia.ca. Please include the name of the group in the subject line.
Note: It is not possible to receive both a Concordia Volunteer Award and a CCSL Outstanding Contribution Award in the same year.
Nominations are due at 5 p.m. on Feb 1, 2027.
- Fill in the nomination form.
- Send any additional information supporting your nomination, including evidence of the project's impact, to volunteeraward@concordia.ca. Please include the name of your group in the subject line.