Championing Cause-Based Communications Excellence

ENTRY DEADLINE: October 17, 2025
LATE DEADLINE: October 24, 2025

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Championing Cause-Based Communications Excellence

PRNEWS’ Purpose & Impact Awards honor the changemakers redefining public relations—not just by telling better stories, but by building a better future. This prestigious program recognizes excellence in communications that advance equity, sustainability, innovation, employee culture, and social good. Across six purpose-driven tracks, we celebrate the organizations and individuals using PR to lead with values, inspire change and earn trust. 

Categories

ESG Leadership

Recognizing excellence in environmental, governance, and sustainability communications.

    • Climate Action Campaign
    • ESG-Focused Investor or Stakeholder Relations
    • ESG Report
    • ESG/Sustainability Campaign
    • ESG/Sustainability Program
    • Most Impactful Environmental PR Initiative
    • Responsible Supply Chain or Ethical Sourcing Campaign
    • Social Responsibility Campaign

    • DEI in Action

    Honoring programs that advance diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and accessibility.

    • Accessible Design and Communications
    • DEIB+ Campaign
    • DEIB+ Program
    • Gender Equality Campaign
    • Inclusive Brand Campaign
    • LGBTQIA2+ Campaign
    • Mental Health Campaign
    • Multicultural or Bilingual Campaign of the Year
    • Racial Equality Campaign
    • Scholarship Program
    • Supplier Diversity Program

    • CSR & Social Impact

    Celebrating purpose-driven work that creates meaningful change for society and communities.

    • Community Resilience or Disaster Relief Initiative
    • Corporate-Community Partnership
    • Corporate CSR Program
    • Corporate Foundation Impact Campaign
    • Education Campaign
    • Fundraising Campaign
    • Human Rights/Humanitarian Aid Campaign
    • Nonprofit Partnership of the Year
    • Philanthropy Communications
    • Public Health/Safety Campaign
    • Public Service Announcement
    • Purpose-Driven PR Campaign
    • Skills-Based Volunteering or Employee Engagement Program
    • Social Good Campaign
    • Social Justice Campaign

    • Responsible Innovation

    Highlighting communications around ethical tech, AI governance, digital transparency and innovation for good.

    • Communications Supporting Ethical AI Use
    • Digital Responsibility or Data Transparency Campaign
    • Responsible Innovation in Health or Access
    • Tech for Good Narrative of the Year
    • Transparency/Trust Campaign/Initiative

    • Employee Impact:

    Recognizing internal culture-building, employee-led programs and workforce-driven initiatives.

    • Employee Engagement
    • Employee/Internal Communications
    • Employee Volunteer/Community Relations Program
    • Internal CSR/DEI Storytelling
    • Voices from Within: Employee-Led Campaign

    • Nonprofit Impact & Advocacy

    Honoring mission-driven campaigns by or in collaboration with nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups.

    • Cause Advocacy Campaign of the Year
    • Fundraising Campaign (Nonprofit-led)
    • Grassroots or Community-Led Campaign
    • Internal Publication
    • Member Communications
    • Nonprofit + Corporate Partnership
    • Nonprofit Awareness Campaign
    • Policy/Legislative Advocacy Campaign
    • Pro-Bono Campaign
    • Public Education or Behavior Change Initiative
    • Volunteer Engagement or Supporter Mobilization

    • Deadlines & Entry Fees

    EARLY DEADLINE
    October 17, 2025

    LATE DEADLINE
    October 24, 2025

    All entries must be submitted by October 24, 2025. Finalists will be notified in Spring 2026.

    REMIND ME

    Who’s Eligible?

    The Purpose + Impact Awards are open to all agencies, corporations, nonprofits/associations, and government organizations. National and international entries are accepted. To be eligible, the campaigns or initiatives you are highlighting must have been fully or partially completed within 12 months of the entry deadline date.

    Entry Fees

    The price of the first entry is $450. Any additional entries are $349. A late fee of $199 will be applied to entries submitted after October 24, 2025. Payment in full must accompany the entry. Entry fees are not refundable.

    Submission Requirements

    Campaigns

    All campaigns entered will be required to submit a synopsis describing campaign content including all of the following areas:*

    • What was the goal of the campaign?

    • What metrics set the stage for the work your campaign sought out to do?

    • What was the thinking and the strategic approach behind your work?

    • What actions did your campaign take or how was your campaign implemented?

    • How was success measured for this campaign? What metrics show that this campaign performed well and met its goals?

    • Supporting Materials can include anything that best represents the success of your work. Examples include:

      • Websites
      • ROI Stats
      • Media Coverage
      • Press Materials
      • Testimonials
      • Research Documents
      • Videos
      • Photos

    *NOTE: Each section of the application has a 300 word limit

    FAQs

    • The Purpose + Impact Awards are open to all individuals and teams worldwide at for-profit and non-profit organizations including corporations, PR agencies, public affairs and IR agencies, publicity firms, associations, government, and NGO teams, and sole practitioners.

    • We evaluate your entry based on creativity, innovation, sound planning implementation, results as well as proven impact on the communities targeted. Judges will be looking for strategic initiatives that further social good and will evaluate campaigns on the innovativeness of execution and idea as well as the impressiveness of the results.

    • The Purpose + Impact Awards are open to all agencies, corporations, nonprofits/associations, and government organizations. National and international entries are accepted. To be eligible, the campaigns or initiatives you are highlighting must have taken place (either in part or in full) one year from the entry deadline date.

    • Emphasize the goals of your campaign, as well as your campaign’s achievements in your synopsis. Provide as many concrete and specific examples of success as possible, and explain clearly and succinctly your research, planning, implementation and measurement of the campaign. For people and team categories use metrics to specifically outline achievements and explain the impact of the person or team’s overall work. Highlight the individual or teams unique qualities and how they use those to create landmark campaigns.

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    Questions

    Award Questions

    For questions about the PRNEWS Purpose & Impact Awards, contact:

    Mary-Lou French
    PRNEWS
    mfrench@accessintel.com

    Sponsorship Opportunities

    If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

    Danielle Sikes
    PRNEWS
    dsikes@accessintel.com