OFFICIAL RULES AND GUIDELINES
Celebrating the Organizations That Make Our Communities Stronger
Great communities are built by people who invest their time, talent, and resources close to home. Harvest Community Spotlight was created to recognize the locally owned businesses, nonprofit organizations, and civic groups that help our region thrive.
Each month, we will select one Harvest Community Spotlight recipient from each participating county:
Columbia County, FL
Baker County, FL
Suwannee County, FL
Lowndes County, GA
Selected organizations will be featured through our website and social media channels, giving our community an opportunity to learn more about their work, their story, and the people they serve.
Our inaugural Harvest Community Spotlight season will begin in September.
SAMPLE SOCIAL POST
What Is Harvest Community Spotlight?
Harvest Community Spotlight is a recurring recognition program designed to celebrate organizations with meaningful local ties.
The program highlights the businesses and organizations that contribute to the character, strength, and well-being of their communities. It is not a contest based on organization size or advertising budget. Recipients are selected through a random drawing. Each nomination an organization receives is one entry, so community support improves an organization's odds, but every eligible nominee has a chance.
Who Is Eligible?
Harvest Community Spotlight is open to eligible organizations located in or primarily serving one of the participating counties.
Eligible nominees may include:
Locally owned and operated businesses
Nonprofit organizations
Civic organizations
Community service groups
Volunteer-led local organizations
To qualify, a nominee must:
Have an established presence in Columbia, Baker, Suwannee, or Lowndes County.
Be locally owned, locally operated, or services primarily based in one of the local communities.
Be active and in good standing at the time of nomination.
Provide a product, service, program, or community benefit within the county for which it is nominated.
Be willing to participate in the Spotlight feature if selected.
Who Is Not Eligible?
Harvest Community Spotlight is intended to recognize organizations with genuine local roots.
The following are generally not eligible:
National or international chain businesses that are not locally owned and operated.
Large corporate-owned franchises without meaningful local independence
Organizations without an active local presence
Political candidates or political campaign committees
Individuals who are not representing an eligible business or organization
Organizations promoting unlawful, discriminatory, or harmful activity
Locally owned franchises may be reviewed individually. Eligibility will depend on the degree of local ownership, operation, and community involvement.
How Nominations Work
Members of the public may nominate an eligible organization through comments on the monthly social media posts. Or via the submission form on the website.
For each valid nomination received, the nominated organization will receive one entry into the drawing for its county.
This means that an organization may receive multiple entries when it is nominated by multiple people. However, each person may submit only one nomination for the same organization during a single nomination period.
Comments may be used in the selected organization’s feature, with permission and appropriate editing.
Self-nominations are permitted, provided all eligibility requirements are met.
There is no fee to nominate an organization or participate in Harvest Community Spotlight.
How Recipients Are Selected
At the close of each nomination period:
Nominations will be reviewed for eligibility.
Each valid nomination will be entered into the drawing for the appropriate county.
One recipient will be drawn at random for each participating county.
Selected recipients will be contacted before a public announcement is made.
If a selected organization is ineligible, declines to participate, or cannot be reached within the requested timeframe, another recipient may be drawn.
Selection is random among eligible entries. Receiving the greatest number of nominations increases the number of entries an organization has, but it does not guarantee selection.
What Selected Organizations Receive
Each selected Harvest Community Spotlight recipient will receive promotional recognition through our digital platforms.
The feature may include:
A dedicated feature on our website
Recognition across our social media channels
The organization’s story, mission, or history
Information about its services, programs, or community involvement
Photographs supplied by the organization
Links to the organization’s website or social media pages
Quotes from an owner, leader, team member, volunteer, or community supporter
Inclusion in broader Harvest Community Spotlight promotional content
The exact format and timing of each feature may vary based on the information and materials provided.
Harvest Community Spotlight is a recognition opportunity and does not include a cash prize, grant, endorsement, or guarantee of increased business or fundraising results.
What Selected Organizations Must Provide
To create a complete and engaging feature, selected organizations may be asked to provide:
A brief history or organizational overview
A description of their mission, services, or products
Details about their community involvement
Contact information and relevant website links
A logo
Several clear, high-quality photographs
A short quote or interview response
Permission to publish the submitted materials
Requested information should be returned by the deadline provided. Organizations that do not respond or provide sufficient materials may forfeit their Spotlight opportunity.
Recognition Schedule
Harvest Community Spotlight will operate in recurring nomination and recognition cycles.
Each cycle will generally include:
An open nomination period
An eligibility review
A random drawing
Recipient notification
Website and social media features
Specific nomination deadlines, selection dates, and feature dates will be announced through our website and social media channels.
During the inaugural season, the program format, schedule, and participating counties may be adjusted as we learn how to best recognize and serve our communities.
Previous Recipients
A selected organization may not be chosen again during the same Harvest Community Spotlight season.
Previous recipients may become eligible again in a future season at the program organizer’s discretion. This allows more local organizations to receive recognition while keeping future participation open.
Organizations that were nominated but not selected may be nominated again during a future nomination period.
Nominations do not automatically carry over from one drawing to the next unless otherwise announced.
Nomination Guidelines
By submitting a nomination, the nominator confirms that:
The information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge.
The nominee meets the published eligibility requirements.
The nomination is being submitted in good faith.
The submission does not contain offensive, defamatory, misleading, or unlawful material.
The program organizer may contact the nominee to verify information and request participation.
Duplicate, automated, fraudulent, incomplete, or otherwise inappropriate nominations may be removed.
The program organizer may make final eligibility decisions, resolve questions not specifically addressed in these guidelines, and modify or discontinue the program when necessary.
Our Commitment
Harvest Community Spotlight is designed to be positive, inclusive, and community-centered.
Selection does not represent an official certification, financial recommendation, political endorsement, or guarantee regarding any featured organization. Spotlight recipients remain responsible for their own products, services, programs, representations, and business practices.
Our goal is simple: to help our neighbors discover and celebrate the local organizations doing meaningful work throughout our region.
Nominate a Community Organization
Know a locally owned business, nonprofit, or civic organization that deserves recognition?
Submit a nomination during the current nomination period. Every valid nomination gives the organization one entry into its county’s random drawing.
One nomination can help introduce an outstanding local organization to an even wider community.
[Nominate an Organization]
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I nominate my own organization?
Yes. Self-nominations are accepted as long as the organization meets all eligibility requirements.
Can I nominate more than one organization?
Yes. You may nominate multiple eligible organizations, but please submit a separate nomination for each one.
Can I nominate the same organization more than once?
Each individual may submit one nomination for the same organization during a nomination period. Additional duplicate submissions from the same person may be removed.
Does the organization with the most nominations automatically win?
No. Each valid nomination provides one entry into a random drawing. More nominations provide more entries, but selection is not guaranteed.
Are national chains eligible?
No. The purpose of Harvest Community Spotlight is to recognize locally owned, locally operated, and locally focused organizations.
Are franchises eligible?
A locally owned franchise may be considered when it demonstrates meaningful local ownership, operation, and community involvement. Eligibility will be determined individually.
What happens after an organization is selected?
The organization will be contacted and asked to confirm its participation. It will then provide information, photographs, and other materials needed to create its feature.
What if the selected organization does not respond?
If the organization does not respond within the timeframe provided, declines the feature, or cannot meet the participation requirements, another recipient may be selected.
Is there a cost to participate?
No. There is no fee to submit a nomination or to be featured.
Will every county always have a recipient?
Our goal is to recognize one eligible organization in each participating county during every cycle. A county feature may be postponed if there are no eligible nominations or if the selected organization is unable to participate.
Disclaimer. Harvest Community Spotlight is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Instagram, or Meta. By nominating an organization, you release Meta from any responsibility related to this program. Nominations are submitted to Harvest Advisory Group, not to Meta.