ATHENA Organizational Award® Application Form

The ATHENA International Awards® are brought to you by the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce and its Women’s Council affiliate.

Application Deadline: October 23, 2023

Instructions

The ATHENA Organizational Award® actively supports and celebrates the ATHENA mission of supporting, developing and honoring women leaders, inspiring women to achieve their full potential—creating balance in leadership worldwide. The ATHENA Organizational Award® honors women-owned or woman-led organizations who encourage women to achieve their full leadership potential and  provides and/or supports leadership development opportunities for women and/or girls in their community.  We encourage you to review all of the below information carefully.  However, please note several important items:

  1. Please tell the organization on whose behalf you wish to apply that you are doing so. This will ensure you have the most up-to-date information, as well as important details about their successes that you may not be aware of.

  2. In the interest of fairness, once an application is submitted, you may not change or update any information once the applications are closed. The only exception to this rule is to update a personnel change. Again, this underscores the importance of telling the applicant ahead of time of their nomination in order to ensure all information is accurate and applicable.

  3. We use the application materials to write the introductions for each finalist at the Awards Dinner and, as stated above, we do not accept additional information once the application window is closed. In order to develop introductions that are accurate and reflective of the finalist, please make sure you have created a thorough, detailed submission.

THE CRITERIA

ATHENA Organizational Award® applicants are business or organizations who meet each of the following criteria:

  • Creates an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential

  • Gives back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and/or supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives

  • Is a woman-owned or woman-led organization. For clarity, woman-led means a woman is at the highest level of the company/organization

  • Has a minimum of 5 paid full-time employees that help with the day to day functions of the organization

ATHENA Organizational Award® applicants may represent either the profit or not-for-profit sector. Previous ATHENA Organizational Award® Recipients are not eligible for application, however past applicants may apply again.

You may apply for your own organization or on behalf of another using the following criteria, and you may also submit applications for multiple applicants in each category.  Also, please be as detailed as possible in order to give the selection committee enough information with which to consider the applicant. The more information, the better! 

Please note: an organization is ineligible if they have applied in the two consecutive years prior the current, anticipated application. For example, if the potential organization applied in 2018 and 2019,  they are not eligible for a 2020 application. However,  the applicant may be considered for application again in 2021.  If you are unsure whether an organization meets this criteria, please contact our Chamber Affiliate Liaison at cassidy.franklin@greaterrochesterchamber.com

Whether applying for your own organization or on behalf of one you should address each of the following criteria in detail for the ATHENA Organizational Award® applicant:

I. Creates an organizational culture that encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential.
Provide specific examples of how the organization encourages women employees to achieve their full leadership potential.

II. Gives back to the larger community of women and girls by providing and/or supporting leadership development opportunities and initiatives.
Please provide specific examples of how the organization provides or supports leadership development opportunities and initiatives for women and/or girls in their community.

III. Is a woman-owned or woman-led organization.
For clarity, woman-led means a woman is at the highest level of the company/organization.

IV. has a minimum of 5 paid full-time employees that help with the day-to-day functions of the organization.

Online Submission Only

The more information provided allows the committee to more fully understand the contributions made by the organization that is applying. Therefore, please provide as much information about the organization as possible.  In order to provide such information, we strongly suggest you tell the organization that you are submitting an application and get them involved in the process. Please be sure to review the sample application before you begin filling out the application form as they provide a clear framework of the level of specificity and detail required for each application.  

THE SELECTION PROCESS

  • Rochester Chamber and the Women's Council ATHENA Awards Applications Committee pre-screens applications to ensure all required information is included.

  • Finalists are determined based on the award criteria, the level of detail in the application form submission, and supporting documentation provided.

  • Final selection of the ATHENA Organizational Award® recipient is made by a Selection Committee consisting of a diverse group of leaders from the Greater Rochester Area.

COMPLETING THE ATHENA ORGANIZATIONAL AWARD® APPLICATION FORM

  • Please fill out the application form available below completely, in detail, and accurately. An option to send supporting documents (i.e., letter of recommendation, awards and accomplishments) is available via email. Attachments should directly support the ATHENA Organizational Award® criteria.

  • For strongest consideration, you are encouraged to provide detailed supporting information about the organization when submitting an application. Any additional information regarding the organization that is not included within the application submission and supporting documentation will not be considered as part of the selection.

  • It is highly recommended that you review the application form with the applicant prior to submitting.

QUESTIONS?

For further assistance, please contact our Affiliate Liaison at the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce: cassidy.franklin@greaterrochesterchamber.com

Any attachments (limit is 4) you wish to include in your application,
please send to  athena@rocwomenscouncil.org.