Abu Dhabi Celebrates Sustainable Development With Inaugural Third Sector Awards

The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD) has introduced the Third Sector Awards. These awards aim to recognise and celebrate the contributions of third-sector entities, including Not-For-Profit organisations and Social Enterprises, as well as volunteering teams and CSR contributors in Abu Dhabi. The winners will be announced at the end of 2024.

The awards are divided into four main domains: Non-Profit Entities, Social Enterprises, Volunteering, and Corporate Social Responsibility. Within the Non-Profit domain, there are two categories: Not For Profit Entity of the Year 2024 and Most Impactful Not for Profit Entity. The Social Enterprise domain includes Social Enterprise of the Year and Most Impactful Social Enterprise awards.

The Volunteer domain features one category, Volunteer Team of the Year. Meanwhile, the Corporate Social Responsibility domain includes the CSR Initiative of the Year award. These categories aim to motivate third-sector entities to support Abu Dhabi’s agenda to enhance community life quality.

To ensure widespread participation, DCD will conduct workshops targeting Third Sector entities, volunteering teams, and CSR contributors in Abu Dhabi. These sessions will cover competition conditions and eligibility criteria while addressing inquiries from licensed institutions in the emirate.

Mohamed Al Balooshi, Executive Director of the Community Engagement and Sports Sector at DCD, highlighted the importance of these awards. He stated, "The Third Sector Awards, in their inaugural edition, serve as a platform to recognise the contributions of not-for-profit entities, social enterprises, the private sector and community leaders, fostering a culture of engagement innovation and social responsibility in Abu Dhabi."

Al Balooshi further explained that these awards reflect the collaborative efforts between DCD, government enablers, and Third Sector entities. He emphasised that DCD will continue developing initiatives and programmes to highlight these efforts and promote growth within the sector.

The Third Sector Awards aim to encourage third-sector entities to contribute to Abu Dhabi’s development by leveraging diverse skills, experiences, and resources. This initiative seeks to create social impact, improve services, and enhance overall quality of life for community members.

By recognising outstanding contributions across various domains, these awards aim to foster a culture of engagement and social responsibility within Abu Dhabi. The initiative underscores the vital role that third-sector entities play in accelerating sustainable development in the emirate.

The awards programme is designed to integrate efforts across all relevant sectors by implementing initiatives and programmes that align with Abu Dhabi’s development goals. This approach aims to create a cohesive strategy for improving community life through collaborative efforts.

In conclusion, the Third Sector Awards represent a significant step towards recognising and encouraging contributions from various third-sector entities in Abu Dhabi. By celebrating these efforts, DCD aims to foster a culture of innovation and social responsibility that will benefit the entire community.

With inputs from WAM