Applications are open to all Australian organisations including business, not-for- profits and government and their representatives. The judges will be looking for programs and/or the individuals that have demonstrated excellence in workplace giving. Applications must address all selection criteria for each category. For more information, please refer to the Award category section. 

An independent judging panel reviews the Award applications. The judging panel  comprises expertise including:

• industry thought leaders
• collective giving advocates
• experienced practitioners and champions of workplace giving.

Eligible applications which meet the criteria will be processed for judging.

In judging the applications, scores will be given with the following weighting: 

• Intent (20%)
• Input (20%) 
• Output (20%) 
• Impact (30%) 
• Supporting Materials (10%)

In the first round of judging, judges will review and score entries independently. The scores will be sent directly to the Awards administrator, Workplace Giving Australia, for tabulation and verification. In the second round, the panels convene to discuss the shortlisted entries. 

Winners will be nominated at the discretion of the judges based on the scoring system and the collective assessment of the panel. The judges' decisions are final. 

Give yourself enough time. Be sure to prepare your application and keep in mind the timeline. A judge knows immediately who spent time preparing a thoughtful award submission and who didn’t. 

Stay on point. Make sure your answer addresses the question directly. Stay on topic and know the judge is most grateful when they have an answer they can quickly grade. 

Don’t skip questions. Sounds obvious, right? You’d be surprised how many people skip questions. Every question left unanswered results in a judge marking down your application. Judges almost always work on a points system where the highest score wins. 

Stick to the word count. Word counts are designed to ensure judges have enough time to complete all the entries in the allotted time. Going over word count does not impress anyone. 

Prepare a draft.  This also allows you to share internally for approvals and feedback.

Tell a story.  You can make your entry stand out by deploying brand storytelling techniques.

Quantify results. One of the first things you learn when writing fiction is the ‘show, don’t tell’ rule. The same applies to award entries. Don’t say you’re a leading provider; give facts and figures to show you are. Winning entries always show proof of the claims they’re making. 

Q. Why should I enter?

A. The Awards recognise Australia's most outstanding workplace giving programs and performers. Winning an award can motivate and instil pride in your employees, inspire stakeholders, and create an overall sense of achievement across your organisation.

Q. My organisation would like to apply for a Workplace Giving Award. Where can I find information about the available categories? 

A. Awards information can be found here: www.workplacegiving.org.au/2025-awards. Prior to applying, we encourage all applicants to read the award information for the relevant categories – including the terms and conditions.  

Q. Can we submit multiple entries?

A. Yes, we encourage you to view all categories and consider applying for more than one. 

Q. How will we know my application has been received? 

A. You will receive a confirmation on screen when you submit the entry. 

Q. Who should be involved in helping to develop my entry?

A. Include all relevant stakeholders. For example, if applying for the Best Corporate + Charity Partnership, both the corporate and charity partner will need to be involved in developing the application. 

Q. What if something changes in my contact details after I submit my entry?

A. Please reach out to our Awards team here.

Q. How will I know if I'm selected as a finalist?

A. All applicants will receive an email in early October 2025 notifying them of the results of their applications. 

Q. When will the Award winners ceremony take place? 

A. The Awards ceremony will be held in Sydney in October (Date TBA), by invitation only. 

Q. Do I get feedback on my application?

A. All applicants are offered the opportunity to receive feedback. If requested, feedback will be distributed after the Awards ceremony.

Q. If I have more questions, who can I contact?

A. Please contact our Awards team here. We will answer all questions via return email within two business days of receiving the enquiry form.

Learn about best practice corporate giving from the 2024 Australian Workplace Giving Awards winners including SEEK, Origin Energy Foundation and UNICEF. Click here to view all 2024 Award case studies