FAQs

If your question isn’t answered here please contact [email protected]

What are The Charity Awards?

The Charity Awards is Civil Society Media’s annual awards programme held to identify, recognise and reward those organisations doing exceptional work in all areas of charitable activity. The Charity Awards were established in 2000 by Civil Society Media founder, Daniel Phelan.

Who can enter?

The Charity Awards are open to:

• Registered charities in England & Wales
• Charities registered with OSCR, the Scottish Charity Regulator
• Charities in Northern Ireland recognised by HMRC or registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
• Exempt or excepted charities registered with HMRC in England and Wales

Previous winners include charities of all sizes from household names to small community-based projects.

Can I enter if I’m not a registered charity?

At present we will not accept applications from community interest companies and other social enterprise legal forms. We will accept projects carried out by charity trading subsidiaries and joint ventures partially owned by charities, so long as a charity submits the entry on their behalf.

Do I have to pay to enter?

The Awards are free to enter and shortlisted charities are invited to attend the gala presentation dinner as our guests.

Can I enter more than one project?

Absolutely, there is no limit to the number of projects a charity can enter.

Can I enter an ongoing project?

We are happy to consider both ongoing and completed projects, so long as they remain relevant to the current environment. In general, we recommend that your initiative or project has been running long enough to show a compelling track record of success.

If we have been unsuccessful in the past can we enter again if the project has developed further?

Yes – in fact, previous applicants have entered a second time and gone through to win their category.

Why should I enter?

The Awards provide a perfect opportunity for you to propel your charity’s work into the spotlight, influence policymakers and funders and boost the morale of your staff and stakeholders.

When do entries open?

Entries for the Charity Awards 2025 will open on the 1st of December 2024.

When do entries close?

For 2025, you need to submit your completed entry, along with a copy of your charity’s statutory accounts, if they’re not available from the Charity Commission website, by midnight on the 28th of February 2025.

What if I can’t submit my statutory accounts?

If for any reason you cannot submit statutory accounts – your charity is too new, or has recently merged – please contact us and we will discuss the most appropriate course. We do require some evidence of financial propriety in order to make an award, and would probably recommend delaying entry until you have filed your first set of accounts.

How are the Awards judged?

The independent judging panel will take a range of attributes into account when reviewing the entry forms – we call these the ‘Hallmarks of Excellence’. The project or initiative you are putting forward should be able to demonstrate achievement in most, if not all, of these Hallmarks. Learn more about our judges here.

What awards are presented?

Awards are given out in the ten categories below and an overall winner is chosen from the winners of each category. In addition, the Daniel Phelan Award for Outstanding Achievement is also presented to an individual.

• Animals and environment
• Arts, culture and heritage
• Campaigning and advocacy
• Children and youth
• Disability
• Education and training
• Grantmaking and funding
• Healthcare and medical research
• International aid and development
• Social care, advice and support

When is the shortlist announced?

The 2025 Charity Awards shortlist will be announced in May 2025. We will publish the shortlist on this website and on Twitter @Charity_Awards.

When will the 2025 Charity Awards be presented?

The 2024 Charity Awards will be presented during a gala presentation evening on the 3rd of July 2025.

I have questions that are not answered here, who can I contact?

You can email [email protected] and a member of the team will reply.