Award certificates are a popular way to express appreciation or recognize accomplishments. At Baudville, we frequently give certificates to winners of games or contests, and use award certificates in our formal recognition programs. 

With June right around the corner, certificates are also a great way to give end of the school year appreciation to teachers, volunteers, school staff, and students. To create and present memorable award certificates, follow these five award certificate tips. 

I attended a conference last spring, given by an organization who shall remain nameless because of what I am about to tell you. It was actually a good conference, filled with useful info that I was able to bring back and apply to my daily work. But what I also brought back was one hideous-looking Certificate of Completion.

I put it up on my wall anyway because I was proud of my accomplishment. But, within moments, one of my coworkers commented on it (quite possibly how that word hideous got planted in my brain). It was shoddily laid out and seemed to just scream that it had been thrown together both quickly and carelessly. Exactly not what a certificate is supposed to portray.

The thing about certificates is that they are meant to be shown off. Which means they should probably look nice. Not just nice, actually, but impressive. And if you’re going to the trouble of giving an award, it should represent the achievement accordingly.

This is not at all hard to do.

1. Start with the paper. Ask yourself: is this a formal or casual occasion? Can I use a preprinted sentiment, or is the award specific enough that it needs to be customized?

Our blank and pre-printed papers run the spectrum from elegant and distinguished to fun and informal. Really, if you can’t find it here, it probably doesn’t exist!

Bestselling Scallop                 Completion                 Bright-Foil Field Day

Award certificates are commonly used for volunteer appreciation, and many organizations will be ordering their certificate paper and getting designs ready as National Volunteer Week approaches! 

Award certificates are especially popular for National Volunteer Week because they are a very affordable recognition option. National Volunteer Week will be here soon, April 10-16, so we’ve put together a few resources that will make your award certificate creation easy! 

Award ceremonies are common during the fourth quarter as organizations host holiday gatherings and recognize the outstanding performances from the year. When planning your award ceremony and award presentation, make sure you also plan photo opportunities with the award winners. 

You can use pictures of your award ceremony in many ways. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are five uses of award ceremony pictures: 

Year end award ceremony and office holiday party planning are in full swing this time of year! To help your events go as smoothly as possible – and to bring some cheer to the office – download these resources for free from our Recognition Resource Center.