2010 NAYDO Conference on YMCA Philanthropy

Deadline for 2010 Entries: December 3, 2009

(NOTE: Entries must be sent by date above)

The annual NAYDO Communications Awards  provides examples and inspiration for YMCAs throughout North America and around the globe.  Excellent communications efforts in support of successful YMCA financial development programs are highlighted from Canadian and American YMCAs.

The awards serve to recognize YMCA excellence in development related communication pieces.  The categories selected are considered critical by the NAYDO Council to achieve financial development success. Winners are selected based on criteria established by the Council.

Presentation of Awards

Your YMCA could win national recognition at the 2010 NAYDO Conference in Charlotte. Award winning pieces receive a beautiful award at the Communications Awards Luncheon on Friday, April 9, 2010. Applicant or a representative from the winning YMCA should be a registered participant at the conference to accept the award onsite.

2010  Categories

Please note: the budget division refers to the overall operations budget of your particular YMCA.

• Above $50 million
• $25 - $50 million
• $10 - $25 million
• $2 - $10 million
• Less than $2 million

Print Categories:   (Click on document entitled Contest Category Definitions to better understand the categories listed below)                                            

• Annual Reports (that clearly support financial development)
• Annual Support Campaign
• Capital Campaign
• Endowment and Planned Giving
• General Case Interpretation
• Donor Cultivation
• Integrated Comprehensive Campaign
• PSAs
• Press Releases

Audio Visual Categories: (video/PowerPoint/web site)

• Annual Support Campaign
• Capital Campaign
• General Donor Cultivation
• General Case Interpretation
• Web Sites
• Integrated Comprehensive Campaign
• PSAs
• Press Releases 

2010 Criteria

All entries in the print or AV category will be judged on the following criteria.  Please be certain that your YMCA meets all criteria before submitting your entry.

• Each entry must have been used in the previous 18 months (June 2008– November 2009)
• The entry must possess a distinctive caliber of excellence in its own right.
• The piece must support a financial development effort and have demonstrated success – please be specific as to how your YMCA measured success.
• The communication must inspire a gift from the target audience.
• The piece’s design should be clean, easy to read/hear, attractive, easy to follow, and make good use of color.
• The entry’s imagery should evoke emotion and portray the YMCA’s mission and goals.
• The piece’s cost must be perceived as reasonable relative to the development goal and the resources of the YMCA – cost should indicate both total cost and the per piece cost.
• Audiovisual pieces must be well scripted with a focus on the case.
• Audiovisual pieces much capture the audience’s attention in the first few minutes, and the audiovisual piece should be 10 minutes or less (five to eight minutes is recommended).
• All entries must follow national YMCA graphic standards applicable to their country. Those standards are available on this web site (see below).

2010 Entry Guidelines

Entries must directly support a YMCA’s financial development efforts.  If a YMCA has more than one excellent communications piece, the YMCA may enter more than one piece per category.  However, a particular communication piece may only entered in one category. By entering your YMCA's materials entrants are giving NAYDO permission to copy and keep the entry for the NAYDO library, web site and/or conference distribution.

All entries must meet the YMCA graphic standards of their country:

CLICK HERE for a copy of the current standards: (NOTE: These files are large and may take a few minutes to access after clicking on the icons provided)

YMCA of the USA Graphic Standards

YMCA Canada Graphic Standards

YMCA Mexico Graphic Standars

Each entry (print or AV) must be accompanied by the Communications Awards Entry Form. Entries without a completed entry form will not be eligible.

CLICK HERE for the Communications Awards Entry Form

To ask questions or submit the printed Entry Form with the materials described above, contact:

                               Gail Glasser,  Awards Chair

                                      YMCA of Central Kentucky

                                      239 East High Street

                                      Lexington, KY 40507

                                      Phone:   859-367-7330 

                                      Email :   gglasser@ymcaofcentralky.org