Why Apply for the Torch Awards

If you had the opportunity to prove your business’ or nonprofit’s ethics, improve internal processes and procedures, and boost your organization’s presence and credibility in the marketplace to attract more donors or customers, would you?

Traditionally, ethics refers to the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior. Business or nonprofit ethics, then, represent a shared set of beliefs that an entire organization operates from. These shared beliefs, when implemented and supported at all levels, become integral to an organization’s operations and culture. They’re also the foundation of a strong application for the BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

Just ask Don Kennedy, President of ProMaster Home Repair & Handyman, and a BBB Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics recipient. Though ProMaster won an award in 2017, it wasn’t the first year the company had applied. On behalf of his team, Kennedy went through the application process several times over the years, determined to improve his company again and again on the basis of the previous year’s results. He believed as much in winning a Torch Award as in the value of the application process for his company and team—but finally receiving a Torch Award in 2017 sure came with its perks.

“Winning the Torch Award in 2017 sparked something in us,” Kennedy said. “The physical award was a constant reminder of the value of ethics, and the importance of continuing in them. Seeing it daily boosted morale throughout the office, which in turn strengthened our relationships with our customers and even brought up our bottom line.”

The application process, according to Kennedy, empowered his team to commit to a shared ethical framework. With guidelines like this in place, employees could easily understand and carry out ethical behaviors, even when conflict occurs. It became possible for every person on the team to make ethically-driven decisions, and for the entire staff to act and respond consistently.

“Think about how many times in your organization you’re involved in the same repetitive loop of ‘problem, resolution, problem, resolution,’” Kennedy explained, “and you think to yourself, ‘an employee should have solved that problem without involving others and creating a bigger issue’—but they didn’t! Why? Because there was a lack of common beliefs, processes, and procedures for how to handle problems like that.”

According to Kennedy, streamlining ethics throughout the staff increased productivity and profitability. The application experience—and input from third-party judges—solidified the company’s beliefs and provided a platform for communicating them to employees. A Torch Award is an iconic reward in itself, but as ProMaster’s story illustrates, the entire process is rewarding to those who value ethics.

Tell us your story. Apply for the Torch Awards for Marketplace Ethics by going to torchapp.org. Deadline is Wednesday, July 31