BREAKIN' IT DOWN AWARDS

The Awards Subcommittee oversees the coordination and management of the Breakin' It Down Awards Program.   Each year, the Awards Subcommittee chair, together with Annual Conference Committee chair and BID Planning Commmittee chair and vice chair, invites professionals in the field to participate in the Awards Review Subcommittee, in reviewing completed nomination packages and and  determining potential recipients of the Breakin' It Down awards.   Individuals serving on the Awards Review Subcommittee, as well as their affiliate organizations, are not eligible for consideration.    Individuals who are donors or sponsors of Breakin' It Down Awards are ineligible for appointment to the Awards and Awards Review subcommittees.

Breakin' It Down Planning Committee members and invited professionals comprise The Award Review Subcommittee, up to five (5) members who are tasked with determining the recipients of the Breakin' It Down Awards:

• Denise Stennis Awards
• Emerging Leaders Awards

All eligible nomination packages will be provided to each Review Subcommittee member within one week of the review deadline.  All Awards Review Subcommittee meetings will be closed when evaluating the qualifications of individuals or organizations for awards.  The Subcommittee convenes via Zoom, email, and shared database.  In the event of a vote, every Subcommittee member, including the chair, has the right to vote with equal standing. 

The Awards Review Subcommittee conducts in-depth qualitative assessment in order to select nominees and, subsequently, vote to determine the award winner.  If appropriate, the Subcommittee may select one individual award and one organization recipient in the Emerging Leaders and Denise Stennis Awards categories in a given year.  The Subcommittee's selection is reported to the Annual Conference Committee through the Awards Sucommittee's chair. 

In the event that two nominations are tied for first place in a given category, the Review  Subcommittee will review each nomination for a second time and provide new rating numbers for each nomination criteria. The nomination with the highest total ranking number will be the awardee. Results of the tie-breaker rating will be annotated on a separate worksheet ("TIE-BREAKER worksheet") and will be signed by Awards Subcommittee chair or Planning Committee vice chair for authenticity.   In a rare occurrence, the two nominations tied for first place may be concurrently awarded in a category, subject to the approval of the Breakin’ It Down Planning Committee.  

At the discretion of Awards Subcommittee, an Honorable Mention may be recognized.  The Awards Subcommittee may recommend not to present an award if the nominations do not meet the stated award criteria. The awards need not be offered if the BIreakin' It Down Planning Committee so decides in a particular year.  

All decisions of the Breakin' It Down Planning Committees are final and not subject to appeal.

Conflict of Interest Disclosure

Any perceived or real conflicts of interest should be reported and discussed with the Awards Review Subommittee chair. This includes but is not limited to whether a Review Subcommittee member is a relative, partner, program collaborate, funder, employee, former employer, or current or former consultant.   Additionally, if a Review Subcommittee member is currently employed by the same employer or institution of one of the nominees, the Review  Subcommittee chair should be made aware of the situation. The Subcommittee chair will inform subcommittee members of these relationships.  

Confidentiality of Nominations

Names of submitting organizations, institutions and individuals, as well as nomination contents and evaluations, will be kept confidential, except to those involved in the review process, to the extent permissible by law.

Nominations received for the award and prize, and evaluations and opinions concerning the nominess, may not be divulged in connection with the decision of the Awards Review Subcommittee , Awards Subcommittee, or Breakin' It Down Planning Committee concerning the selection of an award of a prize, this may not be included in the record or otherwise divulged.

Potential awardees will be contacted by the   Breakin' It Down Planning Committee vice chair by email provided at the time of nomination and will then be required to complete and submit the online SELECTED NOMINEE DECLARATION AND RELEASE FORM within three (3) days of notification or the award may be forfeited and an alternate awardee may be determined. 

The relevant  IRS  forms  for potential awardees will be sent to the email address submitted at the time of nomination. The required forms must be completed, signed, and returned within three (3) days of date email was sent. 

Return of any award notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and an alternative may be determined.     

The prize verification process is not a final determination that a selected nominee is a winner. Formal notice will be sent tto Selected Nominee by email if they area verified as a winner, and that the decisions of Breakin' It Down as to any eligibility and verification as a winner will be final.

The BID Planning Committee's Communications and Marketing will repare the initial draft of the press release and citation, then share it with the chosen winner (s)for their input. 

The recipient of the award must remember that although they can inform their friends and colleagues about their selection, they should not make any official announcements until the press releases are finalized 

Should a nominee not be selected in the initial year of submission, the nomination will be carried over and considered active for the next award cycle.   Thus, a nomination will be considered at least twice.  The award need not be made to count as an award cycle.  

Updated materials to enhance the original nomination are highly encouraged and may be submitted if such materials are received online at BID's website prior to or on the next appropriate nomination deadline and comply with current eligibility qualifications.  

In all cases, Breakin' It Down will notify the nominator as to the status of the nomination.

The Breakin' It Down Awards are  presented during a virtual or in-person ceremony, to be held as part of the Breakin' It Down Conference or as  a separate event.  The Breakin' It Down Awards recognize leadership excellence in the field of nonprofit, philanthropy, and fundraising.   The recipients will be honored at the event.  The recipients of the awards receive a feature on BID's website and social media channels, a public announcement, commemorative award, monetary award, and complementary full-BID conferenec registration for the awardee and a companion or organization representative.  The nominator(s) of the awardee(s is also invited to the award ceremony and presented with one complementary registration.

The Breakin' It Down Awards are not conferred in absentia.  Awardees must be present at the ceremony to receive the award. If they are not able to be present, they must send someone on their behalf. Organization awardee must send an organization representative.  

TRANSFERABILITY OF AWARD

Awards are non-transferable, ecepting as allowed by IRC Section 74(b).   The IRS treats most prizes and awards as taxable income, whether received in cash or another form.  Under IRC Section 74(b), these awards can be excluded from income if the recipient was selected without any action on their part, does not have to perform future services, and directs the prize’s proceeds to a tax-exempt organization under 501c3 of the Inernal Revenue Code.  For more information on designating a monetary award to Breakin' It Down through its Fiscal Sponsor or another charitable organization, please contact us, planningcommittee@breakinitdownchicago.org.   

POSTHUMOUS AWARDS

Posthumous awards will be made only when knowledge of the individual's death is received after the winner has been announced.  If an individual dies before the awards prescribed as a part thereof is presented to them, it may be presented.

Nominees must be living at the time of their nomination.  Nominations of individuals known to be deceased are not accepted.

FORFEITURE OF BREAKIN' IT DOWN AWARD

A Breakin' It Down Award may be forfeited and an alternative successful nomination may be selected, if:

1. Selected nominee fails to accept the award by submitting the Selected Nominee Declaration and Release Form within three (3) business days of notification.
2. Selected nominee fails to submit the required documents within three (3) days of notification.
3. Selected awardee cannot attend the award ceremony, based on time and date in the agenda.  

By participating in the Breakin' It Down Awards contest and submitting an entry, or agreeing to have an nomination entry submitted, each nominator/entrant agrees to (i) be bound by these Official Rules, including all nomination requirements, and (ii) waive any and all claims against Breakin' It Down and its fiscal sponsor, which is providing the prize(s), if any, and their fiscal sponsor, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, agents, volunteers, licensees, and any and all other organizations and individuals associated with the Breakin' It Down Awards contest, and all of their respective officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, "Released Parties") for any injury, damage or loss that may occur, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the participation in the Breakin' It Down Awards contest or from the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof) or any activity related to the receipt or use of any Prize (or any portion thereof). 

By entering the Breakin' It Down Awards contest or submitting any nomination for the Awards contest, each entrant or nominator gives their express permission to be contacted by Breakin It Down planning committee members and/or its fiscal sponsor by telephone, e-mail and/or postal mail for contest purposes. The winner, by acceptance of the Prize, grants to Breakin' It Down the right to publicize such winner's entry, name, employer, location (city and state), photograph, voice, statements and/or other likeness and prize information for advertising, promotional, and/or any other purpose in any media or format now known or hereafter devised, throughout the world, in perpetuity, without limitation and without further compensation, consideration, permission or notification, unless prohibited by law.  

The Breakin' It Down Awards are subject to all relevant federal, state, and local laws. This awards contest and its Rules and GUidelines are governed and interpreted by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

 Breakin' It Down will post the Nomination Rules and Guidelines,  which are subject to change without notice, at Breakin' It Down Awards | Breakin' It Down Chicago (breakinitdownchicago.org and names of the winners online at www.breakinitdownchicago.org.