Don Johnston Award-
About the Donald J. Johnston Award

Purpose

To recognize and honour in perpetuity the spirit, imagination, dedication and contribution to the profession of financial planning in Canada – as exemplified by Financial Planners Standards Council (FPSC) founding president, Donald J. Johnston.

To create a platform for annual public recognition and appreciation of the significant contributions made by individuals (or groups) to the profession of financial planning in Canada – thereby raising general awareness of the progress being made to benefit consumers of financial planning services and inspiring further contribution to the advancement of the financial planning profession.
 

About the Award Criteria

The 2007 D.J. Johnston Award Committee judged the nominees for the Donald J. Johnston Award (D.J.J. Award) according to criteria that can be assigned generally to the following five categories. The weighting assigned to each category is determined by each year's Award Committee, and the criteria and categories can be added to, deleted and in other ways refined according to their relevance in any particular year. This flexibility is meant to allow for the evolving nature of a profession-in-the-making and for the different stages through which this emerging profession will pass in years to come.

Criteria:

Advancement of the Status of Profession:
Plays or has played a leading and/or inspiring role in increasing nation-wide industry and/or consumer recognition of:

• the importance of the work that is done by professional financial planners; and
• the importance of the standards of excellence (as represented by CFP certification) to which planners must be held so as to serve the public interest and so as to enhance the reputation of the planner community.

Advancement of the Standards of the Profession:
Plays or has played a leading or inspiring role in developing or expanding the up-take or adoption of CFP standards and planning activity that serve the public interest and enhance the reputation of the planner community.

Reflection / Embodiment of the Profession:
Has attained the highest levels of skill and competence and whose work reflects the commitment to ethics that collectively represent the foundation of standards on which the financial planning profession is built.

Industry Visibility and Knowledge:
Is knowledgeable of and known to the industry and its key constituents, and has earned their respect/support.

Impact of Contribution:
The breadth (national, regional) and depth (profound, formative and relevant) of the tangibly positive impact on the profession and the public it serves that has been made through example and/or contribution of the nominees. This could be interpreted as the impact of contributions made in support the work of FPSC or CFP certification. It could also be interpreted as the impact of contributions made to or on behalf of the end users of financial services or the industry and organizations through which these services are widely offered, or to or on behalf of custodians of the industry and its stakeholders (SROs, provincial and federal regulatory and legislative bodies, professional membership organizations, etc.). It should be noted that the importance of the tangible impact on the profession vs. the importance of the tangible impact on members of the public served by the profession is left to each committee to determine, while recognizing they are mutually enhancing.

Acknowledgements

The annual recipient of the Donald J. Johnston Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession of Financial Planning in Canada will be honoured at the Annual FPSC Board of Directors Reception in June 2007. Award recipients will be announced in FPSC news releases, FPSC print and electronic communications and on the FPSC website. Each recipient receives a trophy engraved with the details of their distinction as an award recipient and have their name placed on an award plaque in the FPSC offices in Toronto. Also, a $10,000 donation will be made to the charity or charities of the recipient's choice. Other publicity opportunities will be directed by FPSC staff.