ERG Impact Awards
2026 Application
Applications are NOW OPEN until Friday, August 15, 2025.
Seramount’s Annual Employee Resource Group (ERG) Awards-Recognition Program
Employee resource groups, their leaders, and allies deserve recognition for the critical contributions they make to drive change in their workplaces and communities. The ERG Impact Awards offer the opportunity for organizations to nominate outstanding groups, leaders, and/or members of their ERGs in multiple categories including: Business Impact, Community Impact, Workforce Impact, Workplace Culture Impact, ERG Collaboration, Trailblazer, Valued Partner, and ERG Leadership.
Submit Your 2026 Applications!
Nominations will be eligible for ERG work done from July 2024 through June 2025. Application portals will close on Friday, August 15, 2025 at 8 pm ET / 5 pm PT. Honorees (winners and honorable mentions) will be recognized at our annual EmERGe Conference in Spring 2026.
On this page you will find:
- Descriptions of each award category
- A high-level timeline for the ERG Impact Awards, including dates for application deadlines, awardee notifications, and award presentations
- Registration links to virtual Info Sessions
- Application Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions
- Best practice examples from previous honorees
- Instructions on how to nominate an ERG or individual for an award
- Descriptions of each award category
- Online nomination forms and Word files of the application questions
Can’t find what you need here? Contact us at [email protected]
Timeline
- Nomination applications for the 2026 ERG Impact Awards open on Friday, June 13, 2025
- Virtual and on-demand info sessions available June – August 2025
- Nominations DUE Friday, August 15, 2025 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT.
- Awardee notifications go out in February 2026
- Awards will be presented at EmERGe in Spring 2026
Info Sessions
Sign up for a virtual info session to learn more! Our ERG Impact Awards team will review the categories and nomination process while answering any general questions. All sessions will be recorded with materials (recordings, decks, and application links) emailed afterward.
Register for one of the 45-minute Info Sessions below:
- Info Session 1: Wednesday, June 25, 2025 at 1pm EST
- Info Session 2: Thursday, July 10, 2025 at 11am EST
- Info Session 3: Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 3pm EST
- On-Demand Info Session coming soon!
Application Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Updated Application Guidelines and FAQs are now available here . This document contains more information on submission eligibility, application logistics and processes, strong submissions, and recognition.
Read all guidelines before applying to ensure your submission meets eligibility requirements.
Best Practices from Previous Honorees
Honorees from previous years: 2025, 2023, 2022
Nomination Instructions
ERG Impact Awards are presented in group and individual categories. Descriptions of each category are provided below, along with links to the online nomination form and Word file applications.
All nominations must be submitted via the online form with two nominators listed per submission. One of the nominators must be a member of your organization’s Inclusion or HR team that oversees the ERG(s). Word file applications will not be accepted.
ERG Impact Award Categories
Group Categories
The same ERG may not apply to multiple categories, with the exception of the ERG Collaboration category. ERGs may only apply to one of the following group categories: Business Impact, Community Impact, Workforce Impact, Workplace Culture Impact, or Trailblazer. The ERG Collaboration Category is the only exception where an ERG may submit another application (with another ERG) if they have already applied to one of the other group categories. We recommend prioritizing quality over quantity and selecting a category where the ERG had the greatest measurable impact.
Business Impact
Groups nominated in this category have made a clear and significant contribution to their organization’s business goals. They drive innovation, market growth, and organizational competitiveness through inclusive and equitable practices that produce tangible commercial results.
Examples of work in this impact area include, but are not limited to, market insights, product development and innovation, supplier diversity, marketing strategies, targeted campaigns and partnerships, brand reputation, and other business operations.
Community Impact
Groups nominated in this category have made a clear and significant contribution to the external communities in which their organization does business. They foster external engagement, support, and social responsibility initiatives.
Examples of work in this impact area include, but are not limited to, volunteerism and philanthropy, external partnerships with advocacy groups and community-based organizations, educational opportunities and economic empowerment for historically excluded populations, environmental sustainability, disaster relief, overall health of a community, and enhanced visibility for minority-owned businesses.
Workforce Impact
Groups nominated in this category have made a clear and significant contribution to their organization’s efforts to recruit, retain, and advance talent. They enhance the employee experience by positively impacting talent from recruitment through the entirety of the talent lifecycle.
Examples of work in this impact area include, but are not limited to, networking and professional development, talent attraction and recruitment, onboarding, mentorship and sponsorship, retention and career progression, leadership development programming and pipelines, and frontline and hourly workforce engagement.
Workplace Culture Impact
Groups nominated in this category have made a clear and significant contribution to their organization’s inclusive culture. They influence values and behaviors to enhance inclusivity within an organization.
Examples of work in this impact area include, but are not limited to, employee engagement, spaces of belonging, allyship building and intersectionality, inclusive benefits and policies, equitable processes and practices, workplace design and accessibility, and opportunities to increase cultural competency.
ERG Collaboration
Groups nominated in this category have made a significant collaborative effort to contribute to their organization’s inclusion goals in relation to business, community, workforce, and/or workplace culture impact. To be considered for this award, at least two or more ERGs must have collaborated on an initiative within one of the areas of impact above.
Trailblazer
Groups nominated in this category have made a significant trailblazing effort to contribute to their organization’s inclusion goals in relation to business, community, workforce, and/or workplace culture impact despite their size, limited resources, and age since initial ERG formation and charter. To be considered for this award, groups MUST come from a small organization with less than or equal to 2,500 total (global, if applicable) permanent employees AND/OR have two or fewer years of ERG age at an enterprise level.
Individual Categories
The same individual may not apply to multiple categories. An individual may apply to the ERG Leadership category or the Valued Partner category, but not both.
ERG Leadership
A candidate for the ERG Leadership Award is an individual whose resilience and determination have led to the creation, success and/or turnaround of their ERG.
Examples of exemplary leadership include, but are not limited to, a deep understanding of the organization’s inclusion strategy and business goals; the ability to forge partnerships with other ERGs, business leaders, and external organizations to create meaningful impact; and the ability to influence multiple aspects of the organization’s culture, business, workforce, and the community.
The category is not limited to only ERG Chairs. ERG committee leads and highly engaged members are also eligible to be nominated.
Valued Partner
A candidate for the Valued Partner Award must be an executive sponsor, ERG program manager/director, Inclusion or HR team member, or a business/functional leader who serves as a valued partner to one or more ERGs within their organization. These individuals contribute to the success of ERG(s) by providing support, outstanding guidance, and exposure.
Examples of exemplary valued partners include, but are not limited to, leveraging their position within the company to influence senior leadership and build engagement of the C-suite in Inclusion and ERG work, showing a commitment to Inclusion through and beyond active involvement in an ERG, and seeking opportunities to expand a knowledge base to better support the ERG and the business.
We look forward to receiving your applications!