Announcing SEFI President’s Volunteer Service Award

The SEFI President’s Volunteer Service Award honours SEFI members who have made a valued contribution to the strength of the SEFI community and its vision within the last year, meaning the 12 months before the date of nomination.

• Nominations are open all year round and are managed by SEFI HQ. Cut-off: nominations received at least 1 month before the Annual SEFI Conference will be considered for recognition at that conference. Nominations received after the cut-off will be considered for the following year’s conference. There is no limit on the number of awards made each year. Only one nomination per nominee is needed; if the same member or team is nominated more than once at any one time, the nominations will be combined.
• Individual members or teams can be nominated. Members cannot nominate themselves or a team they belong to.
• Award winners receive a certificate, which can be collected at the Annual SEFI Conference. Winners who cannot attend can ask a colleague to collect it on their behalf, or have it sent to them, choosing either a physical copy by post or a digital copy by email.
• The names of all award winners, and their service, are presented at the opening ceremony of the Annual SEFI Conference. Successful nominees will also be announced on SEFI’s social media channels and added to the list of award winners on the SEFI website. Their name and service will only be published once they have given their consent, and they may opt out of social media announcements.

Eligibility and process

Please check both criteria before submitting a nomination:

1. The nominee and the nominator must both have been current SEFI members at the time of the service being nominated.
2. The nominee must not have won this award, or been recognised through any other SEFI award or prize, in the past 2 years.

Please also note:

• Volunteer service only: the award recognises voluntary contributions to SEFI. Work carried out as part of a paid SEFI role, or as part of the nominee’s normal paid employment, is not eligible.
• Conflicts of interest: SEFI HQ staff and members of the SEFI Board, including the Leadership Team (President, Vice-Presidents and Secretary General), cannot be nominated, but they are welcome to nominate others. Any Leadership Team member who is the nominator, or who has a close working or personal relationship with the nominee or nominator, will not take part in the review of that nomination.

Team nominations: every member of a nominated team must meet the eligibility criteria above. If the nomination is successful, each team member will receive a certificate.

What happens after you submit

1. SEFI HQ acknowledges receipt of your nomination.
2. The SEFI Leadership Team (President, Vice-Presidents and Secretary General) reviews the nomination for approval.
3. SEFI HQ informs the nominator, and the nominee if successful, of the outcome. Successful nominees are asked at this point to consent to their name and a summary of their service being published. If a nomination is unsuccessful, the nominator receives feedback and may resubmit the nomination, taking that feedback into account.
4. Successful nominees collect their certificate at the Annual SEFI Conference, where their service is recognised at the opening ceremony.

Timeline and contact

Nominators will hear the outcome of their nomination within 1 month of submitting it. If you have any questions or concerns, please email SEFI HQ at office@sefi.be.