Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form



Use this form to nominate a dairy company or facility for the Outstanding Dairy Processing
& Manufacturing Sustainability Award.
Please refer to the appropriate form if you are submitting a nomination for a different
category.
Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, December
4, 2015.
Nomination Process
The fifth annual U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards will be presented in May 2016 by the Innovation
Center for U.S. Dairy® (Innovation Center). The awards recognize dairy farms, businesses and
collaborative partnerships for practices that deliver outstanding economic, environmental and/or
social benefit, all helping to advance sustainability of the dairy industry and food system.
Overall Award Categories
Companies or facilities may be nominated for any of the following awards:
 Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Award
 Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability Award
 Outstanding Achievement in Resource Stewardship Award
 Outstanding Achievement in Community Partnerships Award
Nomination Eligibility & Process
 Completed nomination forms and accompanying information will be accepted until 11:59 p.m.
CST on December 4, 2015.
 Nominees must:
o Be open to an assessment for validation of the submitted information, as needed.
o Be willing to share information with the industry, media and/or public about the
submission.
 Nominations may be submitted by any individual, group or organization involved with or part
of the U.S. dairy* industry and may be submitted on behalf of themselves or others.
 The nominated program, project or practices must have been implemented in the U.S.
 There is no fee to enter this nomination.
 Nominees are eligible to submit a new nomination each year.
 Previous winners are eligible for nomination after two full program years have elapsed.
*Milk derived from dairy cows
1 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
Selection Criteria
Nominations will be evaluated in three areas: results; learning, innovation, and improvements; and
potential for adoption by other dairy farms or businesses. Successful nominations will recognize dairy
processors and manufacturers whose businesses exemplify the triple bottom line of sustainability,
having demonstrated steps to measure and communicate progress and corporate commitment.
Details are included in each section of the form beginning on Page 4.
Judging Process
Evaluations will take into consideration differences in size, region and scope of projects as needed.
An objective judging panel will make the final assessment and selection. The judging panel will
include experts from academic institutions, government and nongovernmental organizations, and the
agricultural/dairy/food industries.
Award Winners
Winners will be notified by April 1, 2016. Winners will receive:
 An official commemorative plaque.
 Recognition via public relations and other promotional activities, including at an awards
ceremony during a meeting of the Innovation Center’s Sustainability Council, the industrywide
leadership team. This event is expected to be held in May 2016.
 Use of the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards logo for marketing purposes for up to one year.
 Case studies about their stories featured on USDairy.com/Sustainability.
Honorable mentions also may be identified at the discretion of the judging panel.
Submission Process
 Nominations will be accepted via mail or electronically and must be received by 11:59 p.m.
CST on Friday, December 4, 2015.
 Photos, slides, videos or news articles will not be evaluated. Although these materials are
great examples of storytelling, only the written application and supporting letters will be
reviewed.
 The nomination form and accompanying information will not be returned.
 The Innovation Center reserves the right to publish all or part of the information provided in
the nomination form.
 Email a scanned or PDF version to: InnovationCenter@USDairy.com OR send by mail to:
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy
Attention: U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards
10255 W. Higgins Road, Suite 900
Rosemont, IL 60018
Questions?
 Go to USDairy.com/Sustainability/Awards; email InnovationCenter@USDairy.com; or call
John Monaghan at 847-627-3324.
Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on December 4, 2015.
2 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
About the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment
The U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment is an industrywide effort to benchmark and increase
the economic, environmental and social sustainability of the dairy industry. It was launched in
2008 through the leadership of dairy producers and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy®.
The Sustainability Commitment has the support and participation of more than 800 industry
professionals and experts from academic, private industry, governmental and nongovernmental
organizations working together to provide nutritious dairy products in a way that makes our
industry, the Earth and its people economically, environmentally and socially better — now and
for future generations.
U.S. Dairy Sustainability Vision:
For more information about the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment, go to
USDairy.com/Sustainability.
3 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form



Use this form to nominate a dairy company or a facility for the Outstanding Dairy
Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability Award.
Please refer to the appropriate form if you are submitting a nomination for a different
category.
Nominations must be received by 11:59 CST on Friday, December 4, 2015.
Section 1 — Organizational Overview
1. Name of dairy processing/manufacturing operation or cooperative:
- Please specify if the nomination is for a single facility or for a corporation-wide initiative.
2. Please provide a brief description of the organization: (limit 200 words)
Include, for example:
- Primary brands/products produced or sold
- Number of employees at the nominee facility or company, whichever is being nominated
- History of operation
Judging Criteria (0 points) — Judges will not be evaluating Questions 1 and 2.
3. Please provide a brief summary describing why national recognition is deserved in the
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing Sustainability Award category (limit 200
words)
Please include the following:
- Briefly describe key programs, projects and/or practices.
- Describe what is important, new or innovative.
- Summarize the goals and results. What did the company/facility strive to achieve and how
was it successful?
- If nominating a single facility, how has its success influenced change in other areas of the
company?
Judging Criteria (4 points) — Judges will be evaluating if the summary is clear and concise.
Section 2 — Telling the Sustainability Story
1. Need: What problem or opportunity was addressed? Were there external factors that
encouraged or pressured action? (limit 250 words)
Judging Criteria (4 points) — Judges will be evaluating if the need is clear and relevant.
2. Goals: How did the effort support overall business objectives? What were the specific goals —
environmental, economic and social, as applicable? If nominating a single facility, how do these
goals fit into the goals of the overall organization? (limit 250 words)
4 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
Judging Criteria (4 points) — Judges will be evaluating how well the goals address the need and
to what extent the effort addresses multiple aspects of sustainability (environmental, economic,
social).
3. Approach: Describe the approach taken. (limit 400 words)
Judging Criteria (4 points) — Judges will be evaluating how well the approach matches the need
and if it is unique and/or compelling.
4. Resources: Discuss the use of resources - including money, people, collaborators, and science
or research – in reaching the goals stated in Section 1. (limit 250 words)
Judging Criteria (4 points) — Judges will be evaluating for the effective use of multiple resources
to address the need.
Section 3 — Results
1. Our Planet: Conservation/Environmental Stewardship: How was success monitored,
measured and evaluated? Were efficiencies gained (e.g., the ability to do more with less)? How
were the environmental benefits quantified? Were there additional intended or unanticipated
benefits in other areas? How were the results communicated? (limit 500 words)
Judging Criteria (16 points) —Judges will be evaluating how effectively the activities were
measured and monitored, if the project was evaluated to ensure success in environmental
stewardship, the level of environmental benefits achieved, what long-term environmental benefits
are foreseen and how effectively these results were communicated to others.
2. Our Businesses: Economic Vitality: How was success of the initiative monitored, measured
and evaluated? Were economic efficiencies or new revenues generated? Was there a positive
economic impact on others in the dairy supply chain? Was there a financial payback, and how
was it measured? (limit 500 words)
Judging Criteria (16 points) — Judges will be evaluating the effectiveness of the activity’s
measurements in dollars or equivalencies, if the project was evaluated to ensure economic
success, the level of economic benefits achieved, what long-term economic benefits are foreseen
and how effectively these results were communicated to others.
3. Our Consumers, Communities and Employees: Social: Did the effort have a positive impact
on the community, and/or create a positive perception of your company/facility within the local
community? What influenced the positive perception? Did the effort affect working conditions?
Were there direct or indirect economic benefits to the community? How were these successes
communicated to the local community or other members of the public? (limit 500 words)
Judging Criteria (16 points) — Judges will be evaluating how effectively the activities were
measured and monitored using stories or hard numbers, if the project was evaluated to ensure
success in social responsibility, the level of substantial social benefits that were achieved, what
long-term social benefits are foreseen, and how effectively these results were communicated to
others.
5 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
Section 4 — Lessons Learned and Replication
1. Lessons learned: What key lessons were learned? How were they identified, recorded and
shared with other dairy businesses? How were existing practices leveraged and built upon to
create a superior outcome or innovation? If nominating a single facility, did the success drive
change in other areas of the organization? (limit 200 words)
Judging Criteria (12 points) — Judges will be evaluating how well the project advanced the
sustainability of the dairy industry, what the nominee learned from the project and to what extent
the project built on existing practices for a better outcome.
2. Replication: Explain the benefit and relevance of this work to the dairy industry, other dairy
businesses, the local community and/or other stakeholders. How were results shared with others
for replication? What future plans exist to maintain, improve or build on these efforts? How can
the project, program or practice be adopted by others? Could others follow the lead of the
nominated company or facility? If nominating a single facility, has the success influenced change
and/or replication at other facilities within the organization? (limit 200 words)
Judging Criteria (12 points) — Judges will be evaluating the project’s innovativeness, its
relevancy to other operations and how easily it can be duplicated.
Section 5 — Letter of Recommendation
Please submit one letter of recommendation. Letters should help validate the nominee’s leadership
and achievements in sustainability.
Judging Criteria (8 points) — Judges will be evaluating if the letter of recommendation supports the
sustainability claims of the nominee.
Section 6 — References
Please provide the name, address, phone number and email address of two references that we can
contact in regard to sustainability at the nominated company or facility. These can include
consultants, vendors or suppliers, for example.
Judging Criteria (0 points) – Judges will not be evaluating on this information. The references will only
be contacted to confirm and corroborate the information on the nomination form.
6 of 8
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
Reference 1:
Reference 2:
Name:
Street:
City:
State:
ZIP code:
Phone #:
Email address:
Name:
Street:
City:
State:
ZIP code:
Phone #:
Email address:
Section 7 — Contact Information
Judging Criteria (0 point) — Judges will not be evaluating this information.
Nominator Contact Information
Company:
Contact Name:
Last
First
M.I.
Address:
Street Address
Suite/Unit #
City
Phone:
(
)
State
Email
Address:
ZIP Code
Website:
Nominee Contact Information
If same as Nominator, check here and skip. ☐
Company:
Contact Name:
Last
First
M.I.
Address:
Street Address
Suite/Unit #
City
Phone:
(
)
State
Email
Address:
Website:
7 of 8
ZIP Code
Outstanding Dairy Processing & Manufacturing
Sustainability Award
Nomination Form
Nominations must be received by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, December 4, 2015.
THANK YOU!
Please let us know how you heard about the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards. (Check all that apply.)
☐ Information on USDairy.com
☐ Read about in a publication
☐ Innovation Center Webinar
☐ Referred by colleague/friend
☐ Email from Innovation Center ☐ Other: _________________
8 of 8