University Development and Alumni Relations

Overview

Spot Awards recognize special contributions to a specific project or task. Spot Awards acknowledge significant contributions over a period of time and include outstanding work from employees who have met Berkeley’s “Achieve Together” performance management criteria. Staff participates in activities throughout the year that contribute to the mission of the university and the goals of their units. We should nominate staff for a Spot Award if they have qualified for one or more of the following levels of performance:

1. Their work performance and accomplishments are the result of a major achievement as part of a big project.
2. A staff member engages in a sustained effort to take responsibility for professional development in an area that adds value to their work and results in significant improvement to their unit or contributes to the unit’s achievement of a broader goal. 

Eligibility (who can receive an award?)

Eligible:

• Non-represented staff.
• Represented staff in the Clerical (CX) bargaining unit
• Nominees must have received a minimum of a “well done” in their last Achieve Together rating and have no pending or outstanding disciplinary action.
• Award limits:

  • One award per eligible employee unless budget permits for additional awards (up to two for a separate significant contribution/project or major achievement).

  • The scope of the Spot Award budget set by campus must feasibly permit all second nominations to be awarded a second Spot Award, otherwise secondary awards will not be viable for allocation. 

  • Employees may be eligible for multiple Spot Awards (for a separate significant contribution, project, or major achievement), budget permitting.

  • *Note: UDAR’s Spot Award budget is set by campus annually and allocated to the division. 

Not Eligible:

• UDAR Management Team, which includes the UDAR Senior Management Team, which has recused itself from receiving awards.
• Staff who started on January 1, 2026 or later.
• No self-nominations.
• No team awards.
• STAR Plan cash awards are strictly discretionary and may not be promised or guaranteed in advance.

Nomination Timeline

• Begins: Monday, March 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. PST.
• Submission deadline for nomination forms: Friday, April 3, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST.
• Spot Awards committees review preparation begins: Week of April 6, 2026.
• Spot Awards committees review process begins: Monday, April 13, 2026.
• Spot Awards committees review deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST.

Amount

• For 2026, UDAR’s total award allocations are 87 Spot Awards.
• Each Spot Award is an allocation of $500 (set forth by P&C).
• Each of the following three committees will have allocated a certain number of Spot Awards.

Process Steps

For UDAR staff and managers:

1. Any campus colleague can nominate a UDAR staff member as an award recipient; consider nominating individuals who have not received a Spot Award in the past but have demonstrated and met the necessary criteria to earn an award.
2. To streamline the approval process, someone who wishes to nominate a colleague can fill out and submit a nomination form via Smartsheet by Friday, April 3, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST.
3. Nomination forms will route to the appropriate UDAR organizational and functional unit committees for review and approval.
4. Committee members will meet to review and approve awards:
   1. Based on the financial allocation of awards designated throughout the organization and assessment of award criteria, committees will decide how to prioritize award allocation.
   2. Review deadline: Friday, May 15, 2026, at 5 p.m. PST.
   3. After tabulating nominations, TOM will send out a separate email on Monday, May 18, 2026 to managers for them to verify their direct report’s eligibility.
   4. Committee leaders will complete the Spot Award process by submitting all awardee results through online administrative forms by Friday, May 15, 2026.
5. After tabulating award decisions, Talent and Organizational Management (TOM) will send out a separate email directly to awardees with award letter, award certificate and nomination along with copying the Manager and Nominator.
6. Payment plans are for no later than July 2026 if awarded.

 If you have any questions, please feel free to contact udartom@berkeley.edu. 

Review Committees

Awards will base on the volume of employees per grouping.

• Advancement Operations: 3-5 members.
• Development: 3-5 members.
• All Other UDAR Business Teams: 3-5 members

Some UDAR units have more employees within their organizational structure than others. We determined the committee size by the number of prospective Spot Award nominations and submissions.

Designated Committees

1. Advancement Operations
   1. Advancement Information Services
   2. Information Strategy and Analytics
   3. Finance and Administration
   4. Fund Stewardship and Compliance
   5. Gift Services 
   6. Donor Relations
   7. Talent and Organizational Management
2. Development
   1. Alumni Relations
   2. Annual Programs
   3. External Relations and Marketing Communications
   4. Office of Gift Planning
   5. Major Gifts
   6. Student Experience and Diversity
3. All Other UDAR Business Teams
   1. Constituent Programs
   2. Prospect Development
   3. Office of the Vice Chancellor
   4. Foundation Operations
   5. Principal Gifts & Strategic Initiatives
   6. Foundation Relations and Corporate Philanthropy

 Committee Member Expectations

1. Staff will be invited to volunteer as committee members.
2. Committee reviewers are eligible for a Spot Award nomination. Their nominations will not be reviewed by the committee for which they serve. Instead, another review committee will review nominations and prospective award allocation.
3. Committee members will agree to be available to meet regularly between April 6, 2026 through May 15, 2026 until all nominations are reviewed and awards are allocated.
4. Committee members will adhere to the confidentiality of the nomination process.
5. For each committee, one member will be designated as the leader of the group.