USGBC CAROLINAS COMMUNITY LEADER AWARDS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Do you have any examples of past winners?
A: Yes, you can see past winners on our Carolinas Green Gala website. Select "Awards" from the menu at the top, and the drop-down will have a selection for Past Award Winners. You may also click here.
Q: How do I know which category to apply under?
A: In some cases, your LEED certification determine whether you can apply in a particular category. For example, to apply for the "Interiors" award, your project must be certified under the LEED for Interior Design and Construction rating system. Other categories, such as the Green Schools, are open to LEED projects certified under any rating system. The Health and Wellness in the Built Environment and Rise to the Challenge Award are open to LEED-certified projects, projects certified under WELL or another GBCI third-party rating system, or using Arc. Please read each category description in the Call for Nominations carefully. If you have questions as to whether your project qualifies under a particular category, please contact us.
Q: Can I nominate a project that is still under construction?
A: For most categories, projects must have been awarded certification between January 1, 2020 and May 16, 2022. Projects that qualify to apply for the Health and Wellness in the Built Environment or Rise to the Challenge Award through their use of Arc or Arc Re-entry must currently be using the Arc platform.
Q: How do I know if my project meets the requirement that it be located in the USGBC Carolinas territory?
A: Projects qualify for USGBC Community Leader Awards based on where the projects are located. It does not matter where the owner or nominating company is located. USGBC Carolinas serves both North and South Carolina.
Q: Can I nominate a project for more than one award?
A: Yes, you can nominate a project for more than one award, as long as the project qualifies in each category you are applying in. You will have to fill out a separate application for each award category. Some categories have different questions on the application, and you will want to tailor your answers to fit the category. You will also have to pay a separate application fee for each category you apply in.
Q: I see that the application for some categories asks for my USGBC project profile. What is a project profile? Do I have to have a USGBC project profile to apply? Do I have to complete my USGBC project profile (add pictures and text) to apply?
A: All certified LEED projects not designated in LEED Online as "confidential" will have a project profile on USGBC's website that links to the project's LEED scorecard. We ask for the link to your project profile on the application so our judges can see your project's scorecard. If your project is certified but you cannot find your project in USGBC's project profile database, please check LEED Online to see if your project was certified as confidential. You can change the confidentiality status of your project in LEED Online. In the meantime, we suggest you email us with a copy of your scorecard so we can add it to your application.
You are NOT required to complete your USGBC profile by adding images or text in order to apply for an award. However, if you would like to participate in the People's Choice Award process or if you are selected as an award finalist, we highly recommend that you do update your profile. People's Choice nominees and award finalists will be announced on our website and we will link to your project profile. Completing your project profile allows you to use this opportunity to tell the world about your project.
Directions on how to update your project profile can be found here. Please note, updates can take anywhere from 8-20 business days. We suggest you submit your updates at your earliest convenience.
Q: The application says "ALL AWARD CATEGORIES REQUIRE PROJECT IMAGES." Please provide details on the image requirements (how many, file or size requirements, etc.)
A: You may submit up to SIX IMAGES. The second page of the application will allow you to upload your images as six different files of up to 10 MB each. You may choose to combine images into a single file, as long as it is under the 10 MB limit. If your file contains multiple images, each image counts as one. Please do not submit large portfolios or marketing brochures. Only six images will be passed on to the judges.
Files may be PDFs, PNGs, or JPEGs. Captions are allowed by not required. There are no resolution requirements, but your images should be appropriately sized for screen/web viewing. Your image files will be shared electronically with our judges. Images may also be used digitally in USGBC announcements regarding finalists, People's Choice Award nominees, and award winners, and also during the awards ceremony at the Carolinas Green Gala.
Q: Can I nominate a project that is WELL Health-Safety Rated for the Innovative Project, Health and Wellness in the Built Environment Award?
A: No. The award description states that projects "must be certified under the LEED or WELL rating systems or utilizing Arc Re-entry to apply in this category." A WELL Heath-Safety rating is not the same as being WELL certified and does not qualify.
Q: Is it true that only LEED Platinum projects have a chance of winning an award?
A: No, it is not true that only LEED Platinum projects win. Check out our past award winners to see the diversity of projects that have won.
Q: How many applications do you typically get for the project awards in each category?
A: The number of applications we get in a particular category can vary from year to year. Often, it depends on how many projects were certified in that category during the qualifying period, and then on how many of those projects that were certified decide to apply.
Still have questions? Contact us.