A $25,000 Game Changer - State Farm® invites individuals to submit causes to bring $25,000 to their community

AURORA, ON, Feb. 15, 2013 /CNW/ - Do you have an idea that would make your community a better place to live, and would $25,000 be a game-changer? State Farm is here with the assist. From February 13 through March 6, people from Canada and the U.S. can submit a cause for a chance to win a $25,000 State Farm Neighbourhood Assist™ grant.

Neighbourhood 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 Neighbourhood Assist is that it places decision-making power directly in the hands of the public," said Barbara Bellissimo, State Farm Canada Senior Vice President and Chief Agent. "We hope the 2013 Neighbourhood Assist program is able to increase last year's widespread positive impact on Canadian and U.S. communities."

In 2012, State Farm grants reached 40 communities that ranged in population from 222 to eight million people.  Examples of winning causes include helping an animal shelter replace its rescue van and assisting organizations that support the homeless and impoverished. Six neighbourhood parks were built or improved, while more than 65 percent of the causes directly impacted youth.

When the maximum of 3,000 submissions are received, 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 on the Facebook app, the top 40 vote-receiving causes will be announced.

For more information on State Farm Neighbourhood Assist or to submit a cause, get the free Facebook app at www.statefarm.ca/neighbourhoodassist.

To view the U.S. multimedia content associated with this release please go to - www.multivu.com/players/English/60144-state-farm-neighborhood-assist/

About State Farm
State Farm has been serving Canadians since 1938. State Farm is a Fortune 100 company and is the leading Property and Casualty insurer in North America with more than 80 Million policyholders. In addition to providing affordable car insurance rates, State Farm has more than 500 Canadian agents and 1700 employees providing insurance and financial services including mutual funds, life insurance, vehicle loans, critical illness, disability, home and auto insurance to our customers in Ontario, Alberta and New Brunswick. For more information, please visit www.statefarm.ca, join us on Facebook www.facebook.com/statefarmcanada, follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/statefarmcanada, or see us on YouTube www.youtube.com/statefarm.

About the Youth Advisory Board
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.

SOURCE: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co.

John Bordignon - Media Relations
State Farm Canada
905.750.5567 / 416.801.6078
www.twitter.com/SF_JohnB 
www.statefarm.ca