The BEAM Awards Put Action at the Center of the Trust Conversation
With entries open through August 31, the BEAM Awards are recognizing the people, organizations and projects showing that when it comes to trust, what you do matters as much as what you say.
We spend a lot of time in communications talking about trust, and for good reason. It has become harder to earn, easier to lose and increasingly important to employees, customers, investors and communities. But for all the discussion about how organizations communicate trust, there is a more fundamental question worth asking: What are they actually doing to earn it?
That is what caught my attention about the BEAM Awards, which were created by B Local NYC, the New York community of Certified B Corporations and B Corp advocates committed to the idea that business can be a force for good. B Corps are companies certified by the nonprofit B Lab based on standards around social and environmental impact, accountability and transparency, while B Local NYC brings that movement together locally through collaboration, education, advocacy and connections among businesses and leaders who share those values.
The BEAM Awards grew out of that commitment and recognize people, organizations and projects that are moving beyond good intentions to create real, measurable impact. The work can be happening in a New York neighborhood, across the country or around the world, which is why the awards are divided into three categories: New York City, National and Global.
Across all three, the focus is on efforts that bridge divides, strengthen communities, advance environmental progress and address some of the larger challenges facing people and the planet. What I particularly like is the emphasis on outcomes rather than simply intentions. It isn't enough to say that an organization cares about an issue or has made it part of its purpose. What changed? Who benefited? What was accomplished? And what can you actually show for the work?
Rai-mon Nemar Barnes, Co-Chair of B Local NYC, believes Climate Week provides an important moment to shine a light on the people and organizations that can answer those questions.
“Climate Week is an important moment for taking on the biggest challenges facing our planet and our society, but meaningful change doesn’t happen through conversation alone. The BEAM Awards give us an opportunity to spotlight the businesses, organizations and individuals who are turning ambition into tangible, real-world impact—whether that’s happening at the neighborhood level or across entire systems.”
There is an important message here for communicators because we are very good at telling stories, articulating purpose and helping organizations explain what they stand for. But audiences today are looking beyond the story, and they should be. Employees, customers, investors and communities want to see the action behind the words, understand the results and know whether an organization is truly accountable for the promises it makes.
“For communicators, that work is especially important,” Barnes said. “In a time when trust is harder to earn and easier to lose, the organizations that stand out are those that have found ways to build trust through action, accountability and measurable results. That is what makes the BEAM Awards so meaningful: they show that communications can do more than tell a story about change—it can help build the trust that makes change possible.”
That last point really resonates with me because communications shouldn't be separate from impact. At its best, our work helps people understand why something matters, brings people into the conversation, creates connections and gives meaningful work a larger platform. But the story becomes far more powerful when there is something real behind it.
That is what the BEAM Awards are celebrating. Last year's winners showed how broadly impact can be defined, and this year's program is again looking for individuals, organizations and campaigns creating meaningful social and environmental progress at the New York City, national and global levels.
If your organization, your client or someone you know is doing this kind of work, the BEAM Awards are worth a look. Submissions are open now, entry is free and the deadline is Monday, August 31.
Submit an entry to the BEAM Awards
At a moment when trust has become one of the most important issues facing organizations and communicators, BEAM offers a useful reminder: the strongest stories about purpose and impact begin with something worth talking about.
