ABU DHABI (WAM)

The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD) has launched the Third Sector Awards. The third sector plays a vital role in accelerating sustainable development in the emirate by integrating the work done across all relevant sectors and implementing initiatives and programmes.

The Third Sector Awards celebrate the efforts and contributions of third-sector entities (Not-For-Profit and Social Enterprises), volunteering teams and CSR contributors in Abu Dhabi. Winners will be announced and honoured at the end of 2024.

The awards seek to motivate third-sector entities to support Abu Dhabi’s agenda to enhance the quality of life for community members and enable the third sector to play its role in community support through diverse skills, experiences, and resources, thereby creating social impact, improving services, and overall quality of life.

The Third Sector Awards includes four domains: Non-Profit Entities, Social Enterprises, Volunteering, and Corporate Social Responsibility. 

Awards Categories

The Non-Profit domain includes two categories: the Not-for-Profit Entity of the Year 2024 and the Most Impactful Not for Profit Entity. The Social Enterprise domain includes two awards: Social Enterprise of the Year and the Most Impactful Social Enterprise.

The Volunteer domain includes one category, the Volunteer Team of the Year, while the CSR Initiative of the Year falls within the Corporate Social Responsibility domain.

On this occasion, Mohamed Al Balooshi, Executive Director of the Community Engagement and Sports Sector at DCD, said, “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.”

He explained that the Third Sector Awards embody the complementarity of roles and partnerships between the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD), government enablers and Third Sector entities. Al Balooshi also emphasised that the DCD, together with its partners, will continue to develop initiatives and programmes that highlight these efforts and enable growth within the sector.

The DCD will organise introductory and awareness-raising workshops targeting Third Sector entities, volunteering teams and CSR contributors in Abu Dhabi. The workshops will introduce the conditions of the competition and eligibility for participation, in addition to answering inquiries from licensed institutions in the emirate.