Carl Mitchell Community Impact Award

• Nominees must be alumni of the University of Toronto to be eligible for the award. To qualify as alumni, the nominee must have successfully completed at least four (4) full courses at the University of Toronto.
• Nominees cannot be currently sitting politicians or elected officials, or currently serving on the UTAA Board of Directors or in any University governance capacity.
• Posthumous nominations will not be accepted.
• This award will be presented to an individual only and is not a group award.
• The Carl Mitchell Community Impact Award is intended primarily as a volunteer award recognizing individuals for their outstanding community impact through generous contributions of time and talent.
  • Activities and contributions made as part of a paid position may occasionally be considered by the selection committee, however, these will be held to an additional threshold of expectations and review to ensure their appropriateness and eligibility.
  • In the case of contributions made as part of a paid position, the nomination package must clearly demonstrate to the selection committee how the candidate’s compensated contributions significantly impact the community within the context of the selection criteria below, keeping in mind this is not a career award.
  • Note that these nominations are not automatically eligible and will be assessed for eligibility by the selection committee.

The nominee’s contributions and activities must meet one or more of the following criteria, which will be considered by the Selection Committee:

• Demonstrated leadership in supporting and promoting equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) directly through their community volunteer contributions
• Tangible impact and concrete outcomes of their EDI-focused contributions, as felt across the community in breadth and depth
• Increase awareness of bias and issues relating to equity, and significant efforts towards reducing barriers and advancing opportunities pertaining to race, socio-economics, religion, physical disability, mental health, sexual diversity, and gender diversity through their outreach, activism or advocacy
• Sustained commitment to initiatives resulting in the reduction of systemic barriers and in tangible long-term systemic change (for example, but not limited to, significant efforts in the areas of adapting or changing procedures or policies to ensure fair, equitable and inclusive practices within community organizations or the community more broadly, and the resulting long-term impact of this work)
• Development and implementation of projects or initiatives promoting or supporting broader community engagement in EDI initiatives
• Fostering mutual respect among groups and creating a sense of belonging to ensure open and welcoming spaces for community engagement in EDI initiatives

Complete nomination packages should be submitted to the selection committee via email at CarlMitchell.Award@utoronto.ca by the nomination deadline. Reference the award nomination tips and FAQ prior to assembling your submission. Nomination packages must include:

1. The nomination form, completed by the nominator.
2. A comprehensive letter from the nominator demonstrating the nominee’s impact through their contributions and initiatives. Note: the nominator does not need to be a U of T alum.
3. Up to, but not more than, two (2) letters of support from individuals other than the nominator.
   • These endorsement letters should come from individuals who have direct knowledge of the nominee’s activities and contributions as they pertain to the criteria, and who can speak to clearly demonstrated examples of these activities.
   • Examples of endorsers include supervisors, peers, or direct beneficiaries of the nominee’s activities.
   • Endorsement letters must demonstrate the tangible impact and outcomes of the nominee’s contributions.
   • An endorsement letter signed by multiple individuals will be considered as one letter.
   • Endorsement letters do not need to be signed by U of T alumni.
4. A comprehensive biography or CV is strongly recommended, but not required.

Important: if the nominee is a non-volunteer (i.e., candidate is nominated for contributions made as part of their paid work and is not being nominated for their volunteer contributions), one additional support letter is required. This letter must be signed by the nominee’s supervisor/immediate manager:

• This letter must demonstrate clear examples of the nominee’s impact and contributions as they pertain to the criteria, and that are clearly above and beyond the daily responsibilities and parameters of their job.
• The letter must also clearly state where the expectations of their job end with respect to the additional contributions for which they are being nominated.
• The onus is on the nominator and endorsers to clearly demonstrate for the Selection Committee how the nominee’s contributions went beyond the expectations of their paid employment to meet the eligibility criteria for the award.

• Nominations are currently open and will close on Friday, February 7, 2025.

• It is the responsibility of the nominator to ensure that nomination packages are complete, and that the information provided is comprehensive. Incomplete nomination packages will not be considered by the Selection Committee.
• All letters of support are confidential and will be viewed by members of the Selection Committee only. Those who wish to view the letters for publicity or information purposes must obtain permission from the individual who wrote the letter.
• It is the responsibility of the nominator to retain copies of the complete nomination package for future reference.
• It is recommended that the nomination remain strictly confidential and that the nominee is not notified of the nomination.
• Nominations received each year may be carried forward, at the discretion of the Selection Committee.​​​​
• Questions about the award may be sent to CarlMitchell.Award@utoronto.ca