Philanthropy competitions seem to be a new fad that are bringing innovative ideas to light and getting people thinking about philanthropy. Recently JP Morgan Chase & Company gave away a total of $5 million to 200 charities through its Summer 2010 Chase Community Giving Campaign and American Express is in the process of deciding on five charities that they will give a total of $1 million to in their Members Project. Unfortunately, these two campaigns are no longer accepting entries, but there are two competitions still open. We’ll give you all the details, as well as some tips on applying.
Pepsi Refresh Project
This year Pepsi decided to allocate $20 million of its Super Bowl budget to launch the Pepsi Refresh Project which will dole out $1.2 million a month to innovative ideas from businesses, individuals and non-profits that will change the world.
The next application round begins on October 1st. Once ideas are approved, voting will begin to determine the best ideas. Winners will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000 each.
The competition is quite intense and not all ideas are accepted by Pepsi. According to the site, projects should be “beneficial, achievable, constructive, and ‘shovel-ready’ (meaning it can be finished within 12 months of funding).”
CBC Canada’s Champions for Change
CBC News and Outpost Magazine have joined forces to produce a unique program celebrating volunteerism in Canada called Canada’s Champions of Change.
The program kicked off on Canada Day and will award two top winners $25,000 and eight finalists $10,000 for the charitable organization of their choice. To apply, all you have to do is nominate an exceptional volunteer in one of the following categories:
- Education, Community & Culture – Volunteering to Foster Growth in People and Communities
- Environment – Volunteering for Mother Earth
- Health & Wellness – Volunteering for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, Personal & Communal Well-Being
- Housing & Structure – Volunteering to Build and Innovate
- Social Justice – Volunteering to Empower
Finalists will be determined by a panel and the winners of the top prizes will be decided by public votes. The deadline for submission is September 30, so better get applying!
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