2021 Philanthropic Contest - Twelve Charities in the Running to Win a Share of Half a Million Dollars in Donations

QUEBEC CITY, Nov. 4, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - The 12 finalist charities for the fifth edition of the iA Financial Group philanthropic contest have been chosen! Each charity has the chance to win a major donation of $100,000 to support a project that promotes the health and wellness of children under 18. The public has until November 30 to go to donations-contest.ia.caand vote for the projects they find most inspiring.

"Thank you to the hundreds of organizations across Canada who took the time to submit their projects and aspirations. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated individuals making a real difference in children's lives. I now invite the public to be inspired by the projects and to vote," states Denis Ricard, President and CEO of iA Financial Group.

When voting closes, $500,000 in donations will be made among the 12 finalist charities. Four donations of $100,000 will be made to the charities that receive the most votes in the contest's main geographic regions*, and eight donations of $10,000 will be made to the remaining finalists. iA Financial Group's 8,000 employees will also vote on their four favourite charities, which will each receive an additional donation of $5,000. The winners will be revealed the week of December 6.

TOP 12 FINALISTS AND THEIR PROJECTS (FROM WEST TO EAST)

1. Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA), Vancouver, British Columbia
   Through its free Nature Stewards education program, EYA helps youth from low-income communities in East Vancouver develop their knowledge and skills by connecting to nature. This donation would allow EYA to hire two more educators to help better meet the needs of the youth they help.
2. Mealshare Aid, Sherwood Park, Alberta
   In a restaurant, when customers order a meal with the Mealshare logo, they are also providing a healthy, nutritious meal to a child in need. A donation of $100,000 would help make this program go national and provide an additional 1.8 million meals in 2022.
3. CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, Winnipeg, Manitoba
   The pediatric oncology department, with support from CancerCare Manitoba, is working to reduce the incidence of cancer and blood disorders in children. This donation would allow participation in a clinical study of a promising new treatment for sickle cell anemia, a blood disorder that affects a large number of children.
4. Teach For Canada, Toronto, Ontario
   Teach for Canada fights the lack of qualified professionals in 25 remote First Nations. This organization wants to ensure every child has a high-quality education. The donation of $100,000 would have a positive impact on over 3,000 students in these communities.
5. Lung Health Foundation, Toronto, Ontario
   Through its Quash program, the Lung Health Foundation provides the tools and supports needed to help 14–18 year olds avoid the debilitating effects of lung disease caused by tobacco, cannabis or vape products. This donation would allow the organization to expand the program and limit the long-term impacts these youth may face.
6. Autism in Mind Children's Charity, Markham, Ontario
   Autism in Mind wants to help children on the autism spectrum, ages 3 to 6, who are preparing to attend school for the first time, a time that can be anxiety-inducing for a good many people. The program helps future students develop the basic skills needed to grow in a group learning environment.
7. Maison Le Prélude, Laval, Quebec
   The children of abused mothers experience a variety of issues and suffer the consequences. With a donation of $100,000, Maison Le Prélude wants to create a companion guide, in several languages, in order to promote the safety of these children and reduce the impacts of domestic violence on them.
8. Passeport pour ma réussite, Verdun, Quebec
   The Passeport pour ma réussite program provides the support youth ages 13 to 17 living in disadvantaged communities need to graduate from high school and reach their full potential. A donation of $100,000 will help expand Passeport pour ma réussite across Quebec and help achieve the organization's objective of reaching 3,000 students registered by the end of 2022.
9. La Bouchée généreuse, Quebec City, Quebec
   La Bouchée généreuse provides children in need with warm clothing for winter and healthy food through the distribution of new clothing and food baskets. With a donation of $100,000, the organization can meet the ever–increasing demand and help even more people in the Quebec City area.
10. Frontier College, Fredericton, New Brunswick
    Frontier College provides support, resources and tutoring to children in the Fredericton area who are experiencing low literacy. The organization would use the $100,000 donation to help children from grades 2 to 5 who are behind in their reading skills and who need extra help through free personalized after-school support.
11. No Time for That, Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Through powerful presentations, No Time for That (NTFT) works to prevent bullying among youth while empowering them and educating them about the importance of mental health awareness. The organization wants to use the donation to increase the number of visits to schools and share its message on TikTok and other platforms.
12. Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
    Every year, Kids Eat Smart Foundation Newfoundland and Labrador serves 5.3 million meals to students in kindergarten to grade 12 who come to school hungry. The organization would transform $100,000 into almost as many breakfasts so that every child has access to healthy food.

ABOUT iA FINANCIAL GROUP
iA Financial Group is one of the largest insurance and wealth management groups in Canada, with operations in the United States. Founded in 1892, it is an important Canadian public company and is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols IAG (common shares) and IAF (preferred shares).

* The four main geographic regions are Western Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and Northern and Atlantic Canada.

SOURCE iA Financial Group

SOURCE: Pierre Picard, Public Relations Manager | iA Financial Group | ia.ca; MEDIA CONTACTS: Philippe Béliveau | [email protected], 418-559-0580; My-Le Nguyen | [email protected], 438-830-5452

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