Canada's recognition of excellence in purpose-led business

The Greater Purpose Awards celebrate the individuals, partnerships, and companies proving that purpose and profit work together—shining a light on the remarkable work happening across Canada and elevating the leaders shaping what business becomes.

Canada's First.
Your Moment.

Canada's purpose-led business leaders have been doing the work without a national stage to match it. The Greater Purpose Awards change that. Launched in 2025, these are Canada's first national awards celebrating social purpose and impact in business—recognizing the courage, innovation, and commitment it takes to lead with purpose.

This is more than a trophy. It's a place inside Canada's defining community for purpose-led business, joining a growing roster of trailblazers and changemakers proving that Canadian businesses can be a force for good.


Award winners gain national visibility through press coverage, social campaigns, and recognition at the Greater Purpose Conference—amplifying the work you're already doing.

The movement is growing. Claim your place in it.

2026 Award Categories

More Categories, More Recognition

For 2026, the program is expanding from 3 categories to 7, to reflect the many ways purpose leadership shows up across Canadian business.

  • Innovative Impact Partnership Award

    Eligibility: Open to partnerships involving businesses and/or charities with operations in Canada. Charities can only apply for awards under this category.


    Celebrates cross-sector collaborations that demonstrate bold, purpose-driven innovation with lasting impact. Judges will look for multi-stakeholder collaboration and advocacy, creative approaches to advancing social or environmental goals, measurable and enduring results, and scalability or replicability of the partnership model.



  • Outstanding Social Purpose Company Award

    Eligibility: Open to businesses operating in Canada, categorized by revenue size:

    • Small: Up to $10M annual revenue
    • Medium: $10M–$100M annual revenue
    • Large: $100M+ annual revenue

    Celebrates companies that fully integrate social purpose into governance, operations, and stakeholder relationships. Judges will look for purpose embedded in governance and decision-making, purpose integrated across operations and culture, measurable social or environmental impact, authentic stakeholder engagement, and leadership in the purpose economy.


  • Social Purpose CEO of the Year Award

    Eligibility: Open to CEOs of businesses operating in Canada, categorized by company revenue size:

    • Small: Up to $10M annual revenue
    • Medium: $10M–$100M annual revenue
    • Large: $100M+ annual revenue

    Recognizes CEOs who champion social purpose from the highest level of leadership, demonstrating that purpose and profit are mutually reinforcing. Judges will look for measurable organizational impact driven by CEO leadership, purpose integration into strategic decision-making and governance, cultural transformation that embeds purpose across the organization, stakeholder engagement that advances both business and social outcomes, and evidence of industry leadership or influence in advancing purpose-led business practices.


  • Social Purpose Leader Award

    Eligibility: Open to individuals in leadership roles within Canadian businesses, categorized by company revenue size:


    Recognizes an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership in embedding social purpose within their corporation. Judges will look for demonstrated impact in advancing purpose within their organization, innovation in approach to purpose-led work, leadership that influences beyond their immediate role, and authentic commitment to using business as a force for good.


  • Emerging Social Purpose Leader Award (Under 40)

    Eligibility: Open to individuals under 40 in leadership roles within Canadian businesses or charities


    Recognizes rising leaders who are shaping the future of purpose-led business and social impact. Judges will look for demonstrated impact despite early-career stage, innovative approaches to purpose integration or social challenges, leadership potential and trajectory, influence within and beyond their organization, and commitment to advancing the purpose economy over the long term.


  • Purpose Reporting Award

    Eligibility: Open to businesses operating in Canada (any size, any industry)


    Recognizes excellence in measuring, reporting, and communicating social and environmental impact with transparency and rigor. Judges will look for comprehensive and credible impact measurement frameworks, clear and accessible reporting that meets stakeholder needs, transparency about challenges and areas for improvement alongside successes, innovation in reporting approaches or use of data to drive decision-making, and alignment with recognized standards or frameworks (e.g., GRI, B Impact Assessment, SASB).


  • Purpose Storytelling Award

    Eligibility: Open to businesses and charities operating in Canada

    Recognizes organizations that authentically and compellingly communicate their purpose and impact, inspiring stakeholders and advancing the broader movement. Judges will look for authentic storytelling that reflects genuine commitment (not greenwashing), creative and engaging approaches that resonate with diverse audiences, demonstrated impact of storytelling on stakeholder engagement or behaviour, strategic use of narrative to advance both organizational and societal goals, and contribution to shifting public understanding of purpose-led business.


Why Apply?

A National

Platform

Winners are celebrated at Greater Purpose Conference, featured across Greater Purpose platforms, and recognized through our media partnership with Postmedia—reaching audiences across Canada.

Credibility

& Influence

Being named a Greater Purpose Award winner positions your organization or individual as a recognized leader in Canada's purpose economy.

Community

and Legacy

Join a growing roster of award recipients who are shaping what business becomes in Canada—and inspiring the next generation of purpose-led leaders.

Valuable

Member Benefit

Greater Purpose members receive complimentary award applications (tier-dependent). Non-members are welcome to apply for a fee.

Timeline

Applications Open:

June 16, 2026

Application Deadline:

August 14, 2026 11:59pm PST

Winners Announced:

October 28, 2026 at Greater Purpose Conference East (Toronto). All winners will be notified in advance and invited to attend the awards ceremony.

Application Fees

Greater Purpose Members:

Unlimited complimentary applications

Non-Members:
$249 per application


Not a member?

Membership includes award applications plus conferences, Impact Circles, and year-round community.

What We're Looking For

Applications are evaluated by a curated panel of judges from across sectors based on:

Impact

Demonstrated, measurable results that advance social or environmental good

Innovation

Creative approaches to addressing challenges or integrating purpose

Integration

How deeply purpose is embedded in strategy, operations, culture, or governance

Authenticity

Genuine commitment to purpose, not just marketing

Leadership

(For individual awards) Evidence of driving change within and beyond the organization

How to Apply

Applications are submitted online through our awards platform.

You'll need to provide:

  • Organization/individual details
  • Category selection
  • Impact narrative (word limit provided)
  • Supporting data and metrics
  • Optional: Supporting materials (case studies, reports, etc.)

Who Can Apply

Outstanding Social Purpose Professional

Recognizes an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership in embedding social purpose within their corporation.


Open to leaders in Canadian businesses. 

Award Categories

Outstanding Social Purpose Professional
Open to individuals in leadership roles within Canadian businesses (any size, any industry).


Most Innovative Social Impact Partnership
 Open to partnerships involving businesses and/or charities with operations in Canada.


Outstanding Social Purpose Company
 Open to businesses operating in Canada, categorized by revenue size:
Small: Up to $10M annual revenue
Medium: $10M–$100M annual revenue
Large: $100M+ annual revenue
Self-nominations and third-party nominations are both welcome.

A group of people are standing in a room talking to each other.

Recognition Levels

 Each category recognizes a Winner and up to 4 Finalists

who have made significant contributions to advancing social purpose

within their organizations and networks.


Applications are now closed.

Award Criteria

Each submission is evaluated using the following criteria:


Leadership & Purpose Integration

01

Clear evidence of purpose-driven leadership and strategy

02

Innovation & Creativity

Demonstration of unique and effective solutions to social or environmental challenges

03

Stakeholder Engagement

Inclusion and collaboration with diverse stakeholders

04

Measurable Impact

Tangible results backed by data and performance metrics.

Scalability & Sustainability

05

Long-term viability and potential for growth or replication

Transparency & Accountability

06

 Ethical practices and open reporting