Thank you for considering nominating a company for the 2012 Rochester ETHIE Award.

You may know of a company (including your own) that is deserving of the ETHIE Award, so in that light we encourage you to invite that company to apply by submitting the Award Nomination form.

The completion of the nomination form is the way to begin the award entry process. Once the nomination form is received, the nominated company will be sent information and instructions to begin the entry process.
 
Please note that if an award entry is not received from the nominated company, a representative of the Rochester Business Ethics Foundation may contact the nominee to gauge interesting in continuing the process. You may also be contacted if it is necessary to verify contact information.

Thanks again for nominating a company for the 2012 Rochester ETHIE Award!

If you are a representative of a company submitting an entry for the ETHIE Award, you may complete your award entry here .

Since 1994, companies across America have competed to earn the American Business Ethics Award, the ABEA . The application process has been a rigorous paper-based effort bringing great benefit to all those who have participated. In 2003, the program came to Rochester, and since then nearly 100 companies have engaged in that same process, leading to 25 companies receiving the Rochester Business Ethics Award, the ETHIE .

This award competition is run by the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation (RABEF) whose stated goals are:

• To foster ethical business practices within the greater Rochester Business community.
• To recognize ethical practices through the annual ETHIE Award.
• To promote community awareness of ethics in business.
• To sponsor scholarships that recognize students who exhibit high ethical standards.

Any Public or Privately-Owned companies may enter this award program. They will be judged in one of three categories based on their number of employees:

• Large (over 150 employees)
• Midsized (51-150 employees)
• Small (50 or fewer employees)

Nonprofit and financial service companies are not eligible to participate. A financial service company is defined as a Bank, Accounting, Law, Insurance, Brokerage, Investment or Financial Planning Firm.

Al Neuharth, famed founder of USA Today, reportedly said "It is more difficult to write something good in 200 words than it is in 2000 words." The venerable Mark Twain’s view on this topic, are captured by his statement, "I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead."

In today’s environmentally conscious, electronic world more emphasis is placed on a digital approach to communication. The paper based world of the past must make way for the future.

With these three crucial facts in mind, the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation invites any interested company to participate in an Online Entry Process for the 2012 ETHIE Award. The entire process will be completed online and entries will be submitted digitally.

Please complete the online questionnaire providing the information requested to submit your company for consideration by our Judges Panel for the 2012 ETHIE . The space permitted for answers is limited, so be concise. The Judges Panel is not looking for volume, but quality of information.

We are told by many who have participated that the entry process, while rigorous, is extremely helpful in developing a sound business ethics program for their company.

The output for consideration by the Judges Panel must be carefully crafted to fit the space allowed. Remember Al Neuharth and Mark Twain as you proceed.

For any questions or clarifications on this process contact the ETHIE Award Entry Committee at the RABEF offices (585) 383-1060 or contact Entry Committee Chair Kevin Stone at
(585) 242-1670 or visit the RABEF website www.rochesterbusinessethics.com .

Thanks again for nominating a company for the 2012 Rochester ETHIE Award!

All submissions become the property of the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation. We reserve the right to make partial or full submission public, but will not do so without prior notice to the submitting company. In order to preserve and protect the integrity of this award, the Judging Committee may perform site visits to provide verification of the information discussed in the Online Application.

The ETHIE is a regional annual program that recognizes local companies that exemplify high standards of ethical behavior in their everyday business practices and in response to crises or challenges. The ETHIE is modeled on the American Business Ethics Award, which was founded in 1994 by the National Society of Financial Service Professionals. The Society of Financial Service Professionals, Rochester, NY Chapter, Inc. established the Rochester ETHIE Award in 2003 under the umbrella of the National Society. The ETHIE Award is sponsored by the Rochester Chapter of the Society of Financial Service Professionals, St. John Fisher College and the Rochester Business Alliance.

Award recipients will be honored at a Gala Award Luncheon on September 18, 2012 at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, at which time the crystal award will be presented to the recipient companies.

A system of support to companies wishing to apply is available to provide guidance in the development of an ethics policy and an application for the ETHIE Award.

Visit the RABEF website www.RochesterBusinessEthics.com or contact the RABEF offices at (585) 383-1060 or ETHIE Award Entry Committee Chair, Kevin Stone, at (585) 242-1670.