Introduction

Want to help empower the leaders in your chapter by addressing one (or more!) of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) but not sure how to get started? This step-by-step guide is designed to do just that!

Since their inception at the 2015 U.N. General Assembly, the 17 SDGs have been championed by passionate advocates such as yourself who believe in taking tangible steps to make our world a better place for all of us to live in. While the SDG Pitch Competition has continued to evolve since 2020, this year’s evolution empowers local UNA-USA Chapters to host their own SDG Pitch competitions!

This document explains the SDG Chapter Program Pitch’s purpose, outlines the steps to create an SDG Chapter Project Pitch competition, eligible competition applicants, options for hosting the competition, soliciting solicit applications, selection of finalists, evaluation of projects, judging criteria, and finally, distribution of prizes at the end of the competition.

Program Overview

This program empowers you, as chapter leaders, to create a local pitch competition that allows individuals within a chapter to vie for the chance to take their ideas for an SDG-related project and turn it into action! This competition is an opportunity for individuals to take their ideas to advance the SDGs in their communities and hone their presentation skills to compete for the opportunity to implement said ideas.

Who to Involve

Active members of your local chapter! To see who qualifies as an active member, please refer to the UNA-USA Chapter Handbook linked below or reference your most recent Active Membership report. We always recommend promoting programming as an intergenerational opportunity whenever possible. Alternately, use this program as a recruiting tool and invite non-members to participate.

Competition Options

• No Event - Choose not to host an event, but to instead solicit written proposals from competition entrants. Then perhaps publish your applicants' work in your chapter's newsletter, on your website, or both!
• Host a Virtual Event - Choose a virtual platform, such as Zoom, and make your competition a live event. In 2021, UNA-USA asked competition finalists to present using the “Pecha Kucha style” of presentation. (If you are not familiar with the “Pecha Kucha” presentation style and the rules of using this technique, learn more about it here.)
• Host an in-person event - Consider hosting the event during an in-person chapter meeting! You can also consider adding the following elements: live presentations of the finalists, a judges panel, or asking for audience participation.

Steps to Host A Chapter SDG Project Pitch Competition

How to Solicit Applications

• Email all eligible chapter members notifying them when the SDG Chapter Project Pitch Competition will open. We recommend promoting this at least one week before applications open.
• Post on your chapter's social media platforms! Make sure you include the link to the application in your post (or in your bio if promoting on Instagram).
• Send an email announcement when your application for project pitches has opened. Include the link to your application. A sample application is included in the templates section below.
• Post social media announcements across your platforms.
• Promote the application in your chapter's newsletter (if applicable).
• Speak about the competition at local chapter meetings. If your competition is open to non-members, reach out to local schools, universities, and other partner community organizations.

For Participants: How to Create Your Own SDG Project Pitch

Applicants are encouraged to take a creative approach with their projects! Be sure to communicate to prospective participants that they should be prepared to “pitch” to an audience if that is the route your chapter decides to take. Looking for more guidance? Check out the participants of UNA-USA's 2021 competition in the video below.

How to Select Finalists

1. A board reviews all applications and mutually agrees upon the finalists. (It is suggested that the board for the competition is comprised of internal chapter members or chapter officers.)
2. Members of the chapter vote on the finalists.

Choosing A Winner

Depending on the method of competition that your chapter decides to host, we recommend that judges or the audience score the pitches based on the criteria of Creativity, Feasibility, and Impact. A sample rubric can be found in the Templates section below.

Distributing Awards

• Some suggested prizes for the finalists and winners of your competition include:
• Certificate of Completion for all participants or Certificate of Achievement for winners (Samples can be found in the Templates section below)
• Funding to implement the project for the winner (Chapters can assess their budget to see if there are available funds.)
• SDG Swag Bag for winners

Evaluating the Project Post-Competition

We always recommend following up post-competition with your winners to evaluate the results of their project implementation. Create an evaluation form (see sample in the Templates section below) and ensure that all pitch competition winners fill it out at toward the end of their project period. Then share the results with your chapter at a meeting, in a newsletter, on social media, on your website, or all of the above!