The AIIM Awards

AIIM Award of Merit

The Award of Merit was established in 1954 and is the highest award the association can bestow. This award recognizes lifetime achievement to the association and to the industry.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to receive the Award of Merit, each nominee must:

• Have been enrolled in the Company of Fellows for at least five (5) years prior to nomination;
• Have been an exemplary Fellow and have demonstrated exceptional leadership and contribution to the Association;
• Have made widely recognized contributions which have materially benefitted the growth of the information management industry, such as through new fields of applications, publications, education, or volunteerism;
• Have up to three letters of support from individuals other than the Fellow making the nomination. None of these individuals should be co-workers.

Nomination & Selection

No more than one (1) such award will be made in any one year. The Award of Merit is not necessarily awarded annually.

Nominations shall be made by a member of the Company of Fellows. Awards candidates cannot nominate themselves.

Recipients will be selected by the AIIM Awards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Members of the Board or the Awards Committee cannot make nominations for awards.

No member of the Board of Directors can receive an Association award during his/her tenure on the Board.

Recognition 

Award of Merit recipients receive a glass award and pin. They are celebrated and recognized at the annual AIIM awards ceremony, which is held as part of the AI+IM Global Summit. 

View Award of Merit Recipients

AIIM Company of Fellows

Established in 1963, the Company of Fellows honors those individuals in the association who merit recognition and distinction for their outstanding contributions to the information management industry. Each award is numbered and assigned in perpetuity. Enrollments are limited to no more than four (4) individuals per year.

Eligibility Requirements

Nominees must:

• Have five (5) years of AIIM Professional membership (need not be continuous) and be a current member at time of nomination.
• Be of good character and reputation.
• Have provided exceptional value to the industry through long service to the Association.
• Have demonstrated notable contributions to the information management industry over the immediately preceding five (5) years. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review and complete the scoring rubric to aid in tracking the activities supporting their nomination. The rubric is intended to guide applicants on their journey to becoming a Fellow and will support the nomination review and award selection process.
• Provide three (3) letters of support: one from a Company of Fellows member, and two from individuals familiar with the candidate who are not current co-workers.

Nomination & Selection

Nominations may be submitted by any AIIM member, including self-nomination. Nominations are evaluated using a scoring rubric and selected by the AIIM Awards Committee, subject to Board approval.

The Immediate Past Chair of the Board automatically becomes a Fellow upon completion of their Board service.

Members of the Board or Awards Committee cannot nominate candidates. Board members cannot receive Association awards during their Board tenure.

Recognition 

Inductees to the AIIM Company of Fellows receive lifetime membership to AIIM, glass award, and pin. New Fellows are celebrated and recognized at the annual AIIM awards ceremony, which is held as part of the AI+IM Global Summit. 

Updated by AIIM Board of Directors on October 30, 2025

View AIIM Company of Fellows Inductees

AIIM Volunteer of the Year Award

The Volunteer of the Year Award honors individuals who have made exceptional contributions to advancing information management through their active involvement with AIIM. Originally established in 1973 as the Distinguished Service Award, this recognition celebrates members who give their time and expertise through chapters, committees, content creation, and other volunteer initiatives.

Eligibility Requirements

• Must be an AIIM Professional Member
• Not available to current Board members or Fellows
• Must demonstrate active volunteerism during the past 12 months
• Must show demonstrated service to the information management industry through volunteering and contributing to AIIM

Examples of qualifying contributions include contributions to AIIM chapters or committees, creating educational content or resources, supporting AIIM events and programs, and advancing the profession through AIIM initiatives.

Nomination and Selection

Both self-nominations and peer nominations are welcome. Any AIIM member may submit a nomination.

To nominate, please submit a statement describing the volunteer contributions made during the past year. Reference letters are not required.

All nominations are reviewed by the AIIM Awards Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. Up to 5 recipients are recognized annually.

Recognition

Award recipients receive a commemorative certificate and complimentary AIIM membership for the following year.

View Past Recipients

AIIM Project of the Year Award

New for 2027. The AIIM Project of the Year Award honors an outstanding initiative that shows the value of intelligent information management in action. It recognizes projects that solved a real business problem, such as AI-enabled automation, information governance, content migration or modernizing records programs, and delivered measurable results others in the community can learn from.

Eligibility Requirements

• The project must have been completed, or reached a major milestone, within the past 18 months.
• The project lead or nominating team member must be a current AIIM member.
• The project must show clear, measurable outcomes, such as cost savings, reduced risk, better compliance, efficiency gains or a better user experience.
• Projects may come from any type or size of organization: public sector, private sector or nonprofit.

Nomination & Selection

Nominations open in December. Self-nominations and peer nominations are welcome. Vendors and consultants may nominate a client project with the client organization’s written consent.

Nominations include a written summary of the project’s challenge, approach, results and lessons learned. Supporting materials, such as metrics, screenshots or a short case study, are encouraged but not required.

The Awards Committee reviews nominations and makes its selection, subject to Board approval. Four finalists one grand prize winner are recognized each year.

Recognition

Each of the four finalist projects receives complimentary registration to the AI+IM Global Summit for one presenter and the chance to share their work on stage. The Project of the Year winner receives a glass award and will be recognized at the annual awards ceremony during the AI+IM Global Summit.