Award Description

The University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) is pleased to accept nominations for the Carl Mitchell Award for Community Engagement. The award recognises a U of T alumnus/a who has made outstanding contributions to his/her community, and in doing so, has enriched the lives of others.

The award recipient will be honoured at the UTAA’s Annual Celebration in May and a short video will be presented, showcasing the recipient’s work in the community. In addition, a contribution will be made in the recipient’s honour to his/her charity of choice.

History of the Award

The UTAA fosters community engagement amongst alumni through a variety of strategic initiatives. This award was created to honour an extraordinary alumnus/a who has set a high standard for community service. In 2016, the award was named after past-UTAA president Carl Mitchell in recognition of his tremendous commitment to community service and to continue his legacy of supporting and celebrating alumni who volunteer in their communities.  The UTAA will recognise an individual who has made a significant contribution of time and talent as a volunteer to civic and charitable causes. The outstanding contributions of this individual will be showcased at the UTAA’s Annual Celebration to promote community engagement and inspire others.

Selection Criteria

The UTAA Community Engagement Committee is looking for an individual who has done exceptional work in the community – be it at a local, national or global level. In making its decision, the Committee will take into account the nominee’s volunteer contributions to civic and charitable causes. As the Committee looks for extraordinary achievement, the nature, breadth and degree of impact of the nominee’s contribution will also be assessed.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Alumnus/a of the University of Toronto
• Graduates of diploma and certificate programs are eligible
• The successful candidate must be available for the filming of a short video documentary about his/her work, to be shown at the UTAA Annual Celebration and featured on the UTAA website. The video may also be used for other promotional purposes as determined by U of T or the UTAA.
• Nominations for sitting politicians, for current UTAA Board members, and posthumous nominations will not be accepted.

Application Procedures

A complete nomination package for the Award must include the following at minimum:

• Completed nomination form
• Covering letter from the nominator
• Curriculum vitae or resumé for the candidate (optional)
• Minimum of one (1) letter of support

In their covering letter, nominators must address in what way the nominee’s achievements are extraordinary, as they pertain to the award.  The letter should also detail how the individual has contributed in an outstanding and meaningful way to his/her community. It is suggested that letters come from individuals who have either benefited from or who have first-hand knowledge of the nominee’s community activities.

Additional Notes

• Please do not submit more than the required number of documents/letters, as outlined above. Supplementary documents will not be considered.
• It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure that nomination packages are complete. The Committee will not consider incomplete nomination packages.
• All letters of support are confidential and will be viewed only by members of the Committee and the UTAA Board. Nominees who wish to view the letters for publicity or information purposes must first obtain permission from the individual who wrote the letter.
• It is recommended that the nominee be informed of the nomination.
• It is the responsibility of the nominator to retain copies of the complete package for future reference or resubmission

Nominations may be resubmitted for up to three (3) consecutive years. Each resubmission must be accompanied by a new nomination form and a new nomination letter. It is the nominator‘s responsibility to contact all previous supporters for permission to carry forward letters of support.

Nomination Deadline

The nomination deadline has been EXTENDED to April 26, 2017.