Nominations are welcome, both from EKO members and from individuals and organizations that are not EKO members.

No. The EKO Tribute Awards are given every other year (2023, 2025, 2027…)

There are not; nominations are encouraged for all outstanding game changers whose professional and/or volunteer contributions impact kids with disabilities and developmental differences and their families living their best lives.

Each award category is open to individuals, teams, and organizations.

The nomination package is very important. You’ll find some tips below. Each nomination includes four parts:

1. Your information: your name and contact
2. The nominee’s information: who they are and how to reach them
3. Why: What is the nominee’s impact? Show us what they’ve done and why it matters. What is their contribution and significant impact for kids with disabilities and developmental differences and their families? Where do they stand among their peers—are the responsible for a game changer for kids and families? Are they leading social change? Have they forged partnerships that advance understanding or service delivery in ways that are beyond expectation? If there others who make equally vital contributions, you may want to note this or even nominate them as well—it’s to the advantage of your nominee to provide a balanced nomination.
4. At least one and no more than four endorsements. 

Please note: Nominations and endorsements may be submitted in writing (PDF or Word documents), as audio files or as video files.

Yes, at least one endorsement and as many as four from those familiar with the nominee/s’ achievements are required and are very helpful for the Review Committee members’ evaluations.

Endorsements should address the nature of the nominee/s’ work, innovative approaches or advances that have changed practice or policy, outcomes that promote equity, and the unique contributions that positively impact kids with disabilities and developmental differences. 

Good question—the choice of endorsers is crucial. The Review Committee appreciates the judgment of endorsers who are recognized authorities in their field. Each endorser should be personally familiar with the work of the nominee, and able to provide firsthand testimony of its importance and impact. Collectively, endorsers should represent a variety of perspectives and viewpoints in order to show the breadth of that impact. In general, it’s better to choose endorsers from outside the nominee’s own organization. Choose endorsers who can address specific areas of accomplishment in detail and give evidence of the overall reach of their impact.

It’s important to confirm individuals are willing to serve as endorsers for the nominee. Nominators should be confident that the endorser submissions will strengthen the case for the nominee.

At least one and no more than four. Quality is more important than quantity. Nominators are urged to provide two very compelling endorsements from different perspectives, rather than four generic perspectives that don’t provide unique insights.

Yes.

It’s preferred that the complete nomination package is submitted through the online form. If necessary, nominators can let us know that an endorsement for your nominee will be sent directly to info@empoweredkidsontario.ca. Please ask your endorser to note in the subject line Nomination for Tribute Award along with the category, and include the nominator and nominee names in the body of the email.

Endorsements can be submitted as PDF or Word documents, as audio files or as video files.

It’s a good idea to remind the endorsers of the deadline date for submitting the complete nomination package. Endorsement requirements are listed under Guidelines for Tribute Award Submissions, so point them to that page as well as this one, or include the information in your message.

You may want to advise endorsers they need to provide personal commentary that offers concrete evidence of how the nominee’s work generated positive change for kids with disabilities and developmental differences and their families.

A successful nomination package will include endorsements describing the nominee’s impact from different, personal perspectives.

Each endorsement should make it clear that the endorser knows the nominee’s work well and is able to provide unique insights into their achievements.

Endorsements that are general, or that simply echo of the nominator’s comments, will not be regarded as strengthening the case for your nominee.

Endorsements, like nominations, may be submitted as PDF or Word documents, as audio files, or as video files.

Yes. When nominations are open, past nominators can update and submit their nomination—including new endorsements—for consideration. Please be sure to update the nomination to include any additional relevant information.

It may help you to know that each nomination is considered independently of the others being submitted. 

There is no minimum age or experience required. There must be compelling evidence of the nominee’s impact (not just potential). Consider how the nominee has changed perceptions, advanced inclusion, pioneered service delivery, created innovative and effective partnerships, or improved our understanding of disability. Be sure to note how kids and families benefit from the nominee’s work.

EKO convenes a committee to review all nominations in each category. The Review Committee makes its recommendations to the EKO Board of Directors, which has responsibility for the final decision on EKO Tribute Award recipients in all categories.

There is no requirement that awards be presented in each category for every cycle. The Review Committee, and the Board, may choose to award recipients in some categories and not others for that particular year.

The areas of achievement evaluated for Tribute Awards are listed under in the description for each award category.

The EKO Tribute Awards Review Committee and EKO’s Board of Directors assesses all nominations with consideration to:

• Transferability
• Quality impact
• Transformative value
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion
• Reach

Describe the nominee’s/nominees’ impact and the contribution to at least two of the above assessment criteria. Be brief, but also explicit, and provide a succinct example or two supported by qualitative and quantitative information. Indicate the importance of the nominee’s work by describing its specific consequences (e.g., a new line of research taken up by others, a system or product in widespread use, an important policy advanced and adopted). The ideal nominee will have notable and widely regarded accomplishments and a reputation for innovation and impact. 

While it is preferable to present EKO Tribute Awards to living recipients, posthumous awards may be given at the discretion of EKO’s Board of Directors.

No. Once you’ve selected submit, the nomination cannot be changed. You are able to save the draft to review before hitting the submit button.

The Review Committee and EKO’s Board of Directors normally identify the slate of recipients within several weeks of the deadline. All nominators whose submissions were complete by the deadline will receive a notification when the submission is received, and nominators of those selected for the 2025 Tribute Awards will be notified at the same time as the recipient.

Recipients are notified in February 2025.

Yes, all EKO Tribute Award nomination materials are confidential.