# You've got to be in it to win it

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/07/31/you039ve-got-be-it-win-it/
- Published: 2012-07-31T13:51:45+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

I’ve been lucky enough to sit on three judging panels this year for charity awards.
And I’ve been a judge several times over the past few years. Each time I am surprised
at the relatively modest numbers of entries that are submitted. You might imagine
that charities take the decision to focus only on awards that have a cash rather
than kudos value. Not so.

 * “Typically, **200 to 250 organizations are nominated** for the Hilton Humanitarian
   Prize each year” says the [FAQ page at the Hilton Humanitarian Prize](http://www.hiltonfoundation.org/prize/nom-faq).
   Awarded annually to an organisation doing extraordinary work to reduce human 
   suffering, it is worth $1.5 million. How many charities and nonprofits around
   the world could qualify do you imagine?
 * Earlier this month [The REaD Group plc awarded two prizes worth £60,000](https://fundraising.co.uk/two-winners-announced-read-group039s-60000-charity-data-bursary)
   to charities to help them use data more effectively for fundraising. They received**
   54 entries**.
 *  The Institute of Fundraising’s National Fundraising Awards received around **
   250 entries** this year.

Of course, charities shouldn’t spend time entering all awards: they need to choose
the relevant ones and those that will be a genuine reward to them. But there is 
only one way to win any award – and that is to enter it.

By not entering relevant awards, you guarantee that another organisation will win
it, and you make the judges’ lives a little easier.

## Advertisement

I do hope the figures above encourage you to think you do have a better chance than
you imagined. Given UK Fundraising is partnering with Blackbaud Europe for its first
Digital Fundraising Awards, I’ll take this opportunity to encourage you to enter
those by the end of this week: 3 August is the deadline [**now extended to 24 August
2012**]. There is no fee. Good luck!

www.digitalfundraisingawards.co.uk

 * **[Blackbaud and UK Fundraising announce Digital Fundraising Awards finalists](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/09/20/blackbaud-and-uk-fundraising-announce-digital-fundraising-awards-finalists/)**(
   20 September 2012)
 * **[Blackbaud creates mobile app for Raiser's Edge users](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/10/08/blackbaud-creates-mobile-app-raiser039s-edge-users/)**(
   8 October 2012)
 * **[Blackbaud Europe launches new consultancy bb1](https://fundraising.co.uk/2012/10/29/blackbaud-europe-launches-new-consultancy-bb1/)**(
   29 October 2012)