State Farm® Invites Individuals to Submit Causes to Bring $25,000 to their Neighborhood
Do you have an idea that would make your community a better place to live, and would $25,000 be game-changing? State Farm is here with the assist. From Feb. 13 through March 6, people from the United States and Canada can submit a cause for a chance to win a $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist™ grant.
Neighborhood Assist is a youth-led philanthropic program that empowers people to identify issues in their community. Then the program connects them with a local nonprofit that can help solve the problem by providing an opportunity to receive one of 40 $25,000 grants.
“The beauty of Neighborhood Assist is that the public has the power to say where the money goes,” said spokesperson Amy Preddy. “The goal is to make our neighborhoods – where we all live and work – a better place to be.”
In 2012, State Farm grants reached 22 states and 40 communities that ranged in population from 222 to eight million people. For example, six neighborhood parks were built or improved, while more than 65 percent of the causes directly impacted youth.
One organization in Virginia received a grant in 2012: PACEM in Charlottesville.
PACEM received 18,210 votes from the community. They are a cold-weather shelter that provides refuge as well as coaching to homeless. PACEM provided shelter for 229 people in the winter of 2011-2013 when the chance of freezing on the streets was a very real concern. The grant allowed them to operate the shelter this winter and help those in need find a long term plan to get out of the homeless trap.
When the maximum of 3,000 submissions are received (deadline of March 6), the State Farm Youth Advisory Board will review all submissions and identify the top 200 based on a scoring rubric.
The top 200 causes will be announced on Facebook on April 4 and anyone who has the free Facebook application can vote for their favorite causes with up to 10 votes per day until April 22. On April 29, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced on the Facebook app.
For more information on State Farm Neighborhood Assist or to submit a cause, get the free Facebook app at www.statefarm.com/neighborhoodassist.
Amy Preddy, State Farm Public Affairs, (434) 872-5211
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts - more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
The Youth Advisory Board is comprised of 30 students, ages 17-20, from across the United States and Canada who serve a two-year term. Their directive is to implement a $5 million-a-year signature service-learning initiative to address issues important to youth and communities. The Board is completely autonomous and youth-driven, and funds projects focused on issues selected by the board that impact youth. It consists of a diverse group of full-time students at high schools and universities. Each member commits about 15 hours a month to the Board and participates in three face-to-face meetings per calendar year. The Board will fund the 40 grants awarded through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program with a portion of its $5 million funding in 2013. For more information on the Youth Advisory Board, visit www.statefarmyab.com.
