IFA Honored with Awards for Veteran Hiring Initiative by ASAE and PR News

The International Franchise Association has been recognized by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and PR News, the media and marketing industry trade publication, for Operation Enduring Opportunity, IFA’s industry-wide campaign to enable veterans,  military spouses and wounded warriors to start careers in franchising as business owners and team members. IFA will receive ASAE’s Power of A Gold Award, one of the highest industry awards “honoring associations that engage in activities and initiatives that are essential to a stronger America and world,” this Wednesday in Washington. In New York City yesterday,  IFA received the Public Affairs Campaign Award of 2012 in PR News’ Digital PR Awards ceremony. Winners in other categories of the competition included media campaigns by AOL, NBC Entertainment, Coca-Cola, Weber-Shandwick, PBS, and the American Lung Association. The awards recognize IFA’s Operation Enduring Opportunity, a campaign launched last November as part of IFA’s VetFran strategic initiative, to recruit as franchise business owners and hire as team members 75,000 veterans and military spouses, plus 5,000 wounded warriors, by 2014. Since last year, the campaign has enabled over 15,000 veterans to launch careers in franchising, including 4,200 new business owners. "We encourage all franchise businesses, including franchisors and franchisees, to answer the call to offer jobs and career opportunities to veterans, wounded warriors and their families. Not only is this critical for the economic and social stability of veterans and their families, but it is an important component of the U.S. economic recovery,” said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira.     “Operation Enduring Opportunity demonstrates how associations continue to make meaningful contributions to their communities and society,” said P. Allen Haney, chair of The Power of A Awards Judging Committee.  “Through the dedication of association professionals and association members across the country and around the world, we can make a tangible impact in the lives of others.”  The PR News Awards recognize “outstanding digital initiatives among corporations, agencies and nonprofits.” IFA, along with the other honorees, “took chances, made tremendous strides, and understands the power of digital communications in public relations,” according to PR News. In 2010, the Association Advance America Awards and the Associations Make a Better World Awards combined to become The Power of A Award -- launched by ASAE to create awareness about the association community’s valuable contributions on the local, national and global level.