The winners of the 13th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards (Citizens Awards) are involved in different industries, but they all demonstrate one thing: the competition to be the best in corporate social responsibility just keeps getting better and better.

DSM, Google, Qualcomm, and WellPoint Foundation were recognized with the top honors at  the U.S. Chamber’s Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) annual presentation last night. Each of the evening’s winners demonstrated how their corporate core competencies could significantly impact the world.

“The 2012 Citizens Awards winners represent the true spirit of business and what it can do to empower society,” said U.S. Chamber BCLC Founder and Executive Director Stephen Jordan. “In every case, their corporate citizenship shows the exceptional ability of business to innovate, solve problems, and help people realize their potential.”

BCLC presented awards in the following categories:

Best U.S. Business Neighbor — It’s well recognized that small business is the backbone of the American economy, yet 58% of those businesses do not have a website. Google, through its “Get Your Business Online” program, has assisted more than 300,000 small businesses across all 50 states develop on online presence.

Best International Ambassador — Together with Grameen Foundation, Qualcomm’s Wireless Reach initiative developed Ruma, an Indonesian social enterprise that brings telecommunications through micro franchises to the country’s most remote regions. More than 15,000 Ruma entrepreneurs, serve some 1.5 million customers.

Best Corporate Stewardship — DSM is using its unique capabilities in Life Sciences and Materials Science to find sustainable solutions to micronutrient deficiency and the devastation it brings to families around the world. The company was recognized with this award for embedding sustainability into its corporate culture and making it a business driver in its overall corporate strategy.

Best Partnership — More than 13,000 votes were cast in this people’s choice category with WellPoint Foundation and Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) coming out on top.  WellPoint has helped BGCA expand its triple Play Program through a $5 million grant, corporate volunteers, and access to its corporate expertise.

Additionally, the Association of American Chambers of Commerce presented their award for the Western Hemisphere Corporate Citizenship Award.  Chosen from among a field of companies, trade associations, and American Chambers of Commerce with exemplary models of social and civic leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean, Coca-Cola Foundation of Ecuador (CCFE) is a non-profit organization created in 2000 by Coca-Cola of Ecuador and ARCA Continental.  CCFE has focused its actions under the platform “Live Positively,” to make a positive difference in the world by ensuring sustainability as an integral part of everything they do.

The 13th annual Corporate Citizenship Awards presentation took place at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. and overall recognized 20 leading corporate citizens as winners and honorees.