The Better Business Bureau serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia is now accepting nominations for the 2023 Torch Awards for Ethics and encourages the community to be involved in identifying companies that are worthy of this prestigious award.
BBB's Torch Award for Ethics (Torch Award) honors companies and organizations whose leaders demonstrate a high level of personal character and ensure that the organization's practices meet the highest standards of ethics, and consequently generate trust. These companies generate a high level of trust among their employees, customers, and their communities. The Torch Award embodies BBB's mission of advancing marketplace trust.
Once a company is nominated, BBB will ask each business or organization to provide information that documents their commitment to integrity and trust. The judges will be looking for companies that can demonstrate:
-- Character: How the organization's leadership communicates their values and commitment to integrity with their leadership team, employees, customers, and stakeholders in a consistent way.
-- Culture: How the organization works to build a culture of trust and empower employees to help shape that culture.
-- Customers: How the organization ensures honesty and transparency in their relationships with customers.
-- Community: How the organization contributes to the community and/or empowers employees to support community service activities.
BBB's Torch Award is open to for-profit, 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(6) non-profit organizations of all sizes that are physically located within BBB's twenty-one county service area.
The counties include: Bledsoe, Bradley, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Grundy, Hamilton, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Murray, Polk, Rhea, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Walker and Whitfield.
To quality for the Torch Award, companies and organizations must have been in business for a minimum of three years .
For profit and 501(c)(6) applicants must have a "B" rating or higher with BBB. Nonprofit, or 501(c)(3) applicants must complete the Charitable Standards Evaluation process and meet all BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
Companies and organizations must be free from evidence that their entity has failed to meet all financial obligations. BBB Accreditation is not required, but local & state government agencies are not eligible to submit an application.
A panel of judges representing local academia and the business community will review and score all eligible entries. Companies will be judged in one of four size categories based on their number of employees. A separate category is used to consider entries from all charity and nonprofit organizations.
BBB offers an online nomination form at bbb.org/chattanooga or nominations can be emailed to BBB at tngabbb@chattanooga.bbb.org. You can also contact BBB at (423) 266-6144 to submit a nomination.
BBB will need the name, address, and contact information for each nominated business or nonprofit. There is no limit to the number of organizations that can be nominated by an individual. The nomination deadline is February 24, 2023, however the earlier that a nomination is received, the more time a nominated business or organization will have to prepare their entry.
Winners of the Torch Awards and those earning honorable mentions will be announced at BBB's Torch Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, May 3rd at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
Last year the judges selected Lady Bug Exterminating Company, Inc., The Double Cola Company, JHM Certified Public Accountants, and Southern Champion Tray as BBB's 2022 Torch Award winners.
Three local Torch Award winners have also gone on to receive BBB's International Torch Award for Ethics or an honorable mention for the award by the International Association of BBBs (IABBB) over the past few years.
In 2020, Walden Security won IABBB's International Torch Award. In 2021 First Volunteer Bank, now known as Builtwell Bank, received an honorable mention. In 2018, Lawson Electric received an honorable mention.
BBB will also recognize "Student of Integrity" scholarship winners, who are selected from dozens of entries from area high school seniors. Students are judged for their community involvement, leadership, and an essay on the importance of ethics in business and our community.
BBB has been awarding 10 Student of Integrity $1,000 scholarships per year, thanks to the support of local businesses. More information about the scholarships is available at bbb.org/chattanooga, including entry forms and instructions for the required essay.
Students are encouraged to discuss the scholarships with their student counselor and can also email tngabbb@chattanooga.bbb.org or call BBB at 423-266-6144 to get more information.
Michele Mason is president of the Better Business Bureau in Chattanooga.