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AWARDS

District IX Offers 3 Awards for 2025

Ongoing Civic Award

Program Award

All-Star Award

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Please scroll down for specific information for each award. 

All applications should be saved as a PDF

and attached to an email sent to:

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Due December 1, 2025

 Due February 16, 2026

To see award winners presented at our annual meeting and luncheon on March 11, 2025, 

click below.

2025 Excellence in Programs Award

 

This is the second year that District IX is offering this award.  We all know that programs are an essential component of club activities.  Programs are important because our club members are motivated to broaden their understanding of issues pertaining to gardening, to be exposed to current and updated gardening information and practices, and to apply what they learn to their own gardens and the public areas their clubs may support.  This award recognizes excellence both in the development and execution of club programs. 

 

New this year:  Clubs tend to have different year definitions for the programs.  Some start in January, but others may start other months.  Rather than insist you include the programs for the calendar year 2025, please use the definition that your club uses.  This should make your application easier.  And, if you have planned programs that have not yet been experienced, please do your best to communicate what you can about them.  On the other hand, if you prefer to edit the programs to cover the calendar year 2025, that is also an acceptable approach.

 

Below are the questions that award applicants will need to answer, along with their point values.

  1. Please define the year for your programs, be it calendar year or your club defined year.             (3 points)

  2. What was your best program so far in your defined program year and why was it your favorite? (5 points)

  3. Prior to developing your club’s programs for the year, did you refer to a mission statement or an overall strategy statement for your program selection?If so, please describe it . (10 points)

(Examples:  1. This year’s goal for the programs for the XYZ Garden Club is to help ensure that our members are well-informed about issues pertaining to climate change.  2. This year, we decided to have a mix of educational presentations, hands-on experiences, and field trips.

 4.  What approaches do you use to pay for your programs? (5 points)

(Examples include:Club’s budget, partnering with another organization, using free offerings, member presentations, etc.)

  5.  Input in choosing programs:How did you solicit input from members regarding program development? Email? Survey? Meeting Discussion?Board Discussion? Any other approach? (10 points)

  6.  Feedback on programs: Did you provide members with a method or methods to provide feedback on your programs? If so, please describe. (10 points)

  7.  Was a complete listing of your programs included in your yearbook, on your website, and/or provided to members in some type of handout?   (10 points)

  8,  Please include a detailed list of your programs including title, topic, and presenter(s).                  (You will receive all 10 points if you edit out non-programs, such as potlucks or holiday parties.) It is optional to include how your found the presenters and their contact information.

2025 District IX Ongoing Civic Project Award  

 

District IX will again offer the Ongoing Civic Project Award, which seeks to recognize and reward our district garden clubs for their ongoing hard work on projects in their communities. This is a broad category and could encompass many kinds of Civic Projects, from landscape projects to youth and therapy gardens to front yard beautification recognition to community holiday projects.                            

                                                                                                    When preparing the 2-page Award Application Form, be sure to emphasize the impact of your project on your community and what makes it unique. (Please note that landscape plans and photos can exceed the 2-page limit.) We are once again emphasizing ongoing projects, as well as civic impact.  We accept applications for previous project winners if you include the most recent year in which you received an award and how the project has been upgraded since that award, especially with respect to civic impact.                                                                                           

Your application should describe:

  • the location of project

  • the benefits and impact to the community or specific groups within the community

  • involvement of any outside agencies and persons

  • the length of time the project has been in existence

  • what members do as part of the project (list chair/s and number of members participating)

  • financial costs

  • who obtained the financing for the project (club fundraising, provided by a different organization, a grant and who applied for the grant)

  • a landscape plan if applicable (does not need to be professionally drawn)

  • overall photos of the project

  • current publicity or recognition

  • for new projects, details on how the club will support the project in the long-run                                                                                                                      November 1 is the deadline for many state awards. Did you know that your entry for the District IX Ongoing Civic Project Award is also suitable for the GCI #23 Civic Concern Award, which is sponsored and funded by District IX? Duplicate your 2-page entry, fill out the state cover-sheet and submit it to the state Awards Chair. For more information on state awards, see                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          The District IX Ongoing Civic Project Award must be sent digitally.  Please email to Laura Vertz at 

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© 2024 - District IX - Garden Clubs of Illinois
 

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