Over a two stage process, the recipients will be selected against a range of criteria which reflect the hallmarks of effective practice and demonstrate a positive impact on the lives of the children supported.

The specific criteria that STARS is interested in are:

• Delivery of programmes that positively affect the lives of disadvantaged children and an ability to measure and demonstrate impact
• Governance and accountability to stakeholders
• Effective finance and administration
• Use of technology and ICT to enhance delivery of programmes
• Innovation and flexibility
• Networking and collaborating with other organisations
• Development of staff members and/or volunteers
• Inclusion and access

STARS would also like to know how organisations would use the Award if they were to be selected as an Award recipient.

The applicant organisation is eligible to apply for this Award if it answers Yes to all of the following questions. If it answers No to any question, the organisation is not eligible and an application form should not be submitted.

1. Is it non-profit making - a charity, non-governmental organisation, voluntary organisation, or similar?

2. Does it work principally, although not necessarily exclusively, with children in one or more of the areas of Health, Education or Protection?

3. Is it based in one of the African or Asian countries listed below? Does it hire local permanent staff and/or volunteers, and is it registered or legally established there?

For Africa:

Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe

For South Asia:

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan

Please note that STARS cannot accept applications from organisations that have offices or operations in the above countries but are not themselves based there.

4. Does it have an annual income in its last set of audited accounts of more than US$100,000 but less than US$5,000,000 (or equivalent in local currency)?

Please note that we will verify the income stated on your application form using your total income stated in your audited accounts converted at the average exchange rate covered by your accounts.

5. Does it have annual audited accounts?

6. Does it have its own constitution, bank account and independent decision-making power?

7. Does it have an independent Board of Trustees/Directors and complete autonomy over how it spends its money?

8. Does it have objectives that are considered charitable under English Law? For the purposes of this Award, this would mean that the work of the organisation benefits the community in any number of ways such as the relief of financial hardship, the advancement of education, the provision of healthcare for the sick or disabled, or humanitarian assistance, or other comparable objectives. Organisations promoting political or propagandist objectives are not deemed charitable under English Law and are therefore not eligible to apply for the STARS Impact Awards.

9. Does it accept being visited by a person appointed by STARS, on request, as part of the selection process, and its application being subject to checks to assure propriety?

10. Does it accept that the information submitted on the application form may be used in developing case studies and best practice guidance, and may be released for use by researchers and for general publication?

11. Can it agree to the terms and conditions for accepting an Award from STARS? Please see the STARS Website for further information.

Further guidance on all the above is available in the application form. Please click here