2024 Clarence B. Jones Impact Award Nomination |
Introduction
What is this award?
The Clarence B. Jones Impact Award honors the game-changing effect of smart, strategic communications. It is given by The Communications Network annually to an individual, team, or group whose work best represents the extraordinary impact of our craft.
Why are we giving it?
We aim to showcase effective communications in our sector so that others may learn from it and invest more deeply in the transformative power of communications for good. By drawing attention to the best our field has to offer, we hope to offer evidence and models of what strategic communications for good can accomplish.
Who's eligible?
Any social sector individual, team, or organization is eligible to win. Size and budget don't matter—we're looking for examples of strategic communications campaigns that were innovative and impactful, regardless of the resources available to them. Self-nominations are permitted.
What will a successful nominee look like?
A successful nominee will show strategic communications efforts that have elevated an issue, influenced attitudes, and/or inspired action in ways that are measurable. There is no specific timespan for this work, it may have occurred over weeks, months, or even years.
Preference will be shown to nominees whose work exhibits:
Significance: The nominee's work addresses an issue that is critical to improving lives.
Effectiveness: The nominee has been highly effective in achieving positive change. Their work has a measurable record of accomplishment.
Innovation: The nominee is advancing an innovative strategy that directly improves people's lives. The work represents a leap in creativity or a fundamental departure from usual practice.
Field leadership: The nominee has demonstrated an interest in sharing his or her model within the field for possible replication.
Significance: The nominee's work addresses an issue that is critical to improving lives.
Effectiveness: The nominee has been highly effective in achieving positive change. Their work has a measurable record of accomplishment.
Innovation: The nominee is advancing an innovative strategy that directly improves people's lives. The work represents a leap in creativity or a fundamental departure from usual practice.
Field leadership: The nominee has demonstrated an interest in sharing his or her model within the field for possible replication.
What does that look like in action? Our inaugural Jones Award winner was Truth Initiative, who won for their years-long, data-driven, iterative campaign against Big Tobacco that played a major role in helping teen smoking rates drop from almost 25% in 2000 to less than 6% in 2018. Learn more about all of our past winners.
Timeline
Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM ET on Saturday, April 20, 2024. Award winner(s) will be announced this summer and will be honored at ComNet24 in Kansas City.
Who is Clarence B. Jones?
Dr. Clarence B. Jones is an American hero and self-described “old lion” of the Civil Rights Movement. He served as political advisor, counsel, and draft speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and was also a successful attorney, entrepreneur, and investment banker. He continues to educate and inspire, as well as write and speak widely.