HONG KONG, Aug. 25, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Nominations are now open for The 2014 Yahoo Internet for Good Gold Standard Award, which recognises excellence in the use of the internet in promoting charitable causes and community engagement across Asia Pacific.
Now in its third [ES1] year, the award is conducted in partnership between Yahoo and PublicAffairsAsia, the network for senior professionals involved in public affairs, corporate communications, policy-making and regulation.
Entries should be lodged by September 26 (or by October 5 subject to prior notification under late entry terms) and entry packs can be downloaded from http://www.publicaffairsasia.com/goldstandard
This award is designed to recognise excellence in the use of the internet as an interactive engagement tool by the public, employees, community groups, government, charities or NGOs in promoting charitable, community or volunteer initiatives. It is open to the nomination of non-corporate bodies in Asia Pacific who can illustrate excellence in the innovative use of the internet for good causes.
In 2013, the award was presented to The Internet Society for their project Wireless for Communities (W4C), a community based approach tobringingthe internet to rural India. The Health Promotion Board of Singapore secured a highly commended award for its "I Quit" Club initiative which encouraged Singaporeans to stop smoking. In 2012, the award was won by Sonokids Australia which was honoured in recognition of the "All Abilities ePlayground project" which is directed at increasing internet access to young children with disabilities.
Commenting, Nick O'Donnell, Yahoo's Regional Manager of Public Policy for Asia Pacific, said: "We are delighted to once again support The Gold Standard Award. Since our founding in 1994, we have been committed to being a socially responsible corporate partner in the communities in which we live and work around the world. Just as we challenge our own employees to 'make good a daily habit', this award recognises other individuals to harness the power of the Internet for good."
Mark O'Brien, PublicAffairsAsia's Vice President, added: "Community groups, NGOs and other organizations are harnessing the power of the internet to deliver impact in areas ranging from the environment, healthcare to building stronger local communities. We are proud to be working with Yahoo to recognise achievement in this important area."
Yahoo has embraced a number of social causes globally including Earth Day, Breast Cancer Day and World Aids Day. During the two weeks following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Yahoo, Inc. helped raise more than US$7 million through donate buttons placed across its network. Yahoo also deployed a disaster response donation drive after Typhoon Haiyanin 2013 that raised another $230K towards aid in the Philippines.
The Yahoo Employee Foundation is a 100% Yahoo employee funded and managed organization that awards grants to causes championed by individual Yahoo employees. An average of $2M per year in grants have been awardedto non-profit organisations over the past four years.These grants support clean water initiatives, victims of domestic violence, sustainable farming, and many more.
As a trusted Internet destination that attracts more than half a billion users across the world every month, Yahoo believes that the Internet is more than just a medium that brings down communication barriers; it can also foster positive change.
The 2014 Gold Standard Awards will be judged by a panel of senior government affairs practitioners, corporate communications professionals, business leaders and government figures led by Elizabeth Hernandez, Vice President of Government Affairs for HP.
Awards Criteria:
This award is designed to recognise excellence in the use of the internet as an interactive engagement tool by the public, employees, community groups, charities or NGOs in promoting charitable, community or volunteer initiatives. It is open to the nomination of non-corporate bodies in Asia Pacific who can illustrate excellence in the innovative use of the internet for good causes. There is no entry fee for this category.
About the PublicAffairsAsia Gold Standard Awards
The Gold Standard Awards are operated by PublicAffairsAsia magazine and network and are the industry-leading programme for corporate communications, public affairs and government relations professionals operating Asia Pacific. Founded in 2008, the awards have attracted over 800 entries from a wide range of corporations, NGOs, industry group, specialist consultancies and governmental agencies. For more, visit www.publicaffairsasia.com/goldstandard
About Yahoo!
Yahoo is focused on making the world's daily habits inspiring and entertaining. By creating highly personalized experiences for our users, we keep people connected to what matters most to them, across devices and around the world. In turn, we create value for advertisers by connecting them with the audiences that build their businesses. Yahoo is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and has offices located throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC) and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. For more information, visit the pressroom (pressroom.yahoo.net) or the company's blog (yahoo.tumblr.com).
Contact: For further information contact Mark O'Brien on +66-801-458697 or email markobrien@publicaffairsasia.com
