More than a dozen cause marketing campaigns were recognized last week as the best in the business.

The Cause Marketing Forum (CMF) bestowed its ninth annual Cause Marketing Halo Awards during its conference last week in Chicago, highlighting successful relationships between nonprofits and corporations in 2010.

Among the 18 category-specific awards, two campaigns received multiple Halos along with four Canadian companies taking home prizes after their first year of eligibility. National Conservation Drive, a program between Liberty Mutual and the Independent Transportation Network won two awards in addition to a partnership of Royal Bank of Canada and Free the Children, Tides Canada and The National Geographic Society.

DonorsChoose.org and online auction site eBay were awarded with Golden Halo Awards, for nonprofit and business, respectively, for leadership in the field of “doing well by doing good.”

“The winners of the year's Cause Marketing Halo Awards demonstrated creativity, innovation and excellence in campaign execution and results for companies and causes,” said David Hessekiel, president of the Rye, N.Y.-based CMF. Cause marketing was the fastest growing area of sponsorship in 2010, he added, predicted to reach $1.7 billion this year.

A complete list of Halo Award winners included:

Best Social Service of Education Campaign

Gold: National Suit Drive (Men's Wearhouse)

Silver: Kohl's Cares $10 Million Contest (Kohl's)

Best Health-Related Campaign

Gold: The Recovery Project (A&E and Faces & Voices of Recovery, National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence and Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America)

Silver: Hyundai Gives Up on Wheels September Childhood Cancer Awareness Institute (Hyundai Motor America)

Best Transactional Campaign

Gold: Community TELUS TV Campaign (TELUS and local charities)

Silver: Huddle to Fight Hunger (Kraft Foods and Feeding America)

Best Message-Focused Campaign

Gold: National Conversation Drive (Liberty Mutual and ITNAmerica)

Silver: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF (Toys “R” Us and US Fund for UNICEF)

Best Video Creative

Gold: American Express Members Project (American Express)

Silver: Blue Water Project (Royal Bank of Canada)

Best Environmental or Animal Campaign

Gold: Blue Water Project (Royal Bank of Canada)

Silver: Hello Green Tomorrow (Avon and The Nature Conservancy)

Best Print Creative

Gold: Child Hunger Ends Here (ConAgra Foods and Feeding America)

Silver: Bulgari for Children's Education (Bulgari and Save the Children)

Best Event Marketing Campaign

Gold: National Believe Day (Macy's and Make-A-Wish Foundation)

Silver: National Conversation Drive (Liberty Mutual and ITNAmerica)

Best Digital Marketing Campaign

Gold: Our School Needs (Microsoft-Bing and DonorsChoose.org )

Silver: The Aviva Community Fund (Aviva)

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