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Founded in 2009 by Sarah Terzic and Tiffany Rafii, UpSpring is a PR, digital marketing, and creative agency whose expert teams build layered campaigns focused on positioning and elevating a diverse roster of brands ranging from award-winning real estate and architecture firms, product companies, and home decor companies to venture-backed startups, hospitality, and travel companies. In 2024, PRovoke Media named the firm to its Fastest Movers list and honored it as a finalist in the North American Agencies of the Year competition. Additional firm accolades include a feature on Observer’s PR Architecture and Design Power List, and honors in the Hermes Creative Awards and PR News’ Top Women Awards.
Women owned/led nonprofits and not-for-profit organizations will nominate themselves by completing the electronic Launch:HER Awards submission form by 11:59PM ET, November 8, 2024. The submission form can be found here.No physical submissions will be accepted.
Your organization is eligible for the 2024 Launch:HER Awards if it fulfills all of the below criteria:
Participants who submit nominations for consideration must have authority to act on behalf of the nominated organization for their submission to be eligible for consideration. Previous year’s winners are not eligible to re-nominate their organization.
The Launch:HER Awards Official Rules can be found here, and the Terms and Conditions can be found here.
There is no entry fee required to submit your Launch:HER Awards submission.
The form requires contact information for the submitter, details about the organization (name, location, mission statement, website, and tax-exempt status), and other relevant information.A copy of the application can be found here.
Yes, you may begin your application, save, and revisit it at any time prior to the deadline. To access your in-progress submission, you can click the link in your “Continue filling out this form later” email, which was sent to your email from awards@upspringpr.com.Additionally, you can log-into your account and access your in-progress submission that way.
Yes, you may edit your submission at any time prior to the deadline by following the “Edit Link” included in the confirmation email sent to you after you’ve completed your application.
As part of the application process, you’ll be required to include the following images and documentation:
The last day to submit your application is November 8, 2024, at 11:59pm ET.
The important Launch:HER Awards dates include:September 23 - Submissions OpenNovember 8 - Submissions CloseNovember 11-26 - JudgingDecember 9 - Winner Announcement
All entries must be submitted by individuals who have the authority to act on behalf of the nominated organization.
The 2024 Launch:HER judges are Erica Holborn (SANDOW Design Group), Sunny Levine and Vanessa Parish (Queer Food Foundation), and Amanda Vierheller (Playgarden Prep).You can read more about our judges here.
Each organization will be evaluated based on the following criteria:Community Impact: Judges will assess the organization’s impact on its community, considering both tangible outcomes (e.g., people served, societal changes) and intangible contributions (e.g., community engagement, awareness raised).Innovation: This criterion evaluates the organization’s ability to introduce new ideas, approaches, or solutions in their work.Organizational Leadership & Influence:Judges will examine the organization’s overall leadership, focusing on its effectiveness in driving its mission, inspiring action, and mobilizing resources. Consideration will be given to how the organization as a whole demonstrates strong leadership through its strategies, decisions, and influence within the community.Alignment with Mission:This criterion assesses how well the organization’s actions align with its mission and the broader goals of societal and humanitarian improvement.Sustainable Growth Potential:Judges will evaluate the organization’s accomplishments to date and its potential for sustainable growth in the future.Judges will assign 0-20 points per category based on the information provided in the submission form. The three organizations with the highest cumulative scores will be this year’s winners.
The winning organizations will be announced on December 9, 2024 via a press release and across UpSpring’s digital channels. Keep an eye out on our social media and emails!
The three winning women-owned/led not-for-profit and nonprofit organizations will be awarded UpSpring’s pro bono PR and/or marketing services valued at half a million dollars. The awards are as follows:
Winners will also receive press and digital coverage, including mentions in a Launch:HER Awards press release, on the Launch:HER Awards website, and across UpSpring’s social media channels. In addition, winning organizations will receive official digital assets, seals, and a certificate for use on all marketing materials.
Winning organizations will be informed via email prior to the public announcement. Communications will be sent to the submitter of record (the individual who completed the application and provided their contact information). It is the organization’s responsibility to inform UpSpring if that individual changes between the time of the submission and the winner announcement.
