Abu Dhabi: The Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD) has introduced the ‘Third Sector Awards.’ Through integrating work from all relevant sectors and putting plans and programs into action, the third sector is essential to accelerating sustainable development in the emirate.
The Third Sector Awards honor the initiatives and accomplishments of Abu Dhabi’s volunteer groups, CSR contributors, and third-sector organizations (social enterprises and nonprofits). Announcing and honoring the winners at the end of 2024 is the plan.
By enabling the third sector to play its part in community support through a variety of skills, experiences, and resources, the awards aim to inspire third-sector entities to support Abu Dhabi’s agenda to improve community members’ quality of life. This will improve services, have a positive social impact, and improve people’s quality of life overall.
Four domains are covered by the Third Sector Awards: Corporate Social Responsibility, Social Enterprises, Non-Profit Entities, and Volunteering.
The Not for Profit Entity of the Year 2024 and the Most Impactful Not for Profit Entity are the two categories found in the Non-Profit domain. The Most Impactful Social Enterprise and Social Enterprise of the Year are the two awards offered in the social enterprise arena.
The CSR Initiative of the Year is within the Corporate Social Responsibility domain, whereas the Volunteer domain has one category, the Volunteer Team of the Year.
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 recognize 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 clarified that the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi (DCD), government enablers, and Third Sector entities have complementary roles and relationships, which are embodied in the Third Sector Awards. Al Balooshi further emphasized that the DCD and its partners would keep creating projects and programs that showcase these initiatives and promote industry expansion.