Aviva Community Fund "Insures" New Season of Positive Change with $1,000,000
Pledge

Canadians challenged to submit new ideas as the competition returns for a second year

TORONTO, Sept. 28 /CNW/ - Just days after the official first day of fall, Aviva Canada is welcoming a new season of change with today's launch of the second Aviva Community Fund competition.  Building on the success of the 2009 campaign, the company has doubled its pledge, offering $1,000,000 to lead, empower and support community initiatives across the country. 

Starting today, Canadians can submit ideas on AvivaCommunityFund.org that will have a positive effect on their local community.  After rallying support from friends, family, neighbours and co-workers, the most popular ideas will have a chance to be funded with the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund. Ideas can be as diverse as the communities they represent. The eight winning ideas in 2009 supported a range of projects including the installation of a youth centre kitchen in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, constructing playgrounds for schools in Brantford, Ontario and Burnaby, BC, and building a lodge for a camp that supports kids touched by chronic illness on Prince Edward Island.

"The people who live in a community know better than anyone how they can improve it and that is what the Aviva Community Fund is all about," said Maurice Tulloch, President and CEO, Aviva Canada.  "We've made a global commitment to helping children and families with our Street to School program and the launch of the second Aviva Community Fund competition reinforces that mission here in Canada."

To ensure that all Canadians are able to participate, the Aviva Community Fund web site features eSSENTIAL Accessibility, an innovative service that ensures the website is fully accessible to individuals with physical disabilities. 

Additionally, organizations submitting proposals can now associate their ideas with registered charities.  As the competition progresses, the "vote now" button will be replaced with a "donate now" button.  Even if an idea does not garner enough votes to win funding, it can continue leveraging its network to collect donations from supporters.  Benevity (www.benevity.org), a software company that embeds empowered giving into business transactions, is powering the donation processing and tax receipting functionality for the Aviva Community Fund site.

With the website now accepting 2010 submissions, Canadians are encouraged to visit the competition at AvivaCommunityFund.org and submit their ideas for positive change today.  To start the process, entrants simply write a brief overview of their idea and identify whether it's a Small Idea (under $25,000), a Medium Idea ($25,000-$100,000) or a Big Idea ($100,000-$500,000).  Entrants can upload images and videos to help other Canadians connect with their idea and vote for their cause.  The most popular entries will qualify for funding and Aviva will ensure the best ideas receive the financial and practical help they need to get off the ground. 

Canadians are encouraged to visit AvivaCommunityFund.org, as well as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Vimeo for more information about the campaign. Idea submissions will be accepted until November 26, 2010, semi-finalists will be announced on December 2, 2010 and finalists will be announced on Dec 16, 2010.  Winners will be announced January 25, 2011.

About Aviva Canada

Aviva Canada Inc. is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada, providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The group has more than 3,300 employees, 40 locations, 1,700 independent broker partners and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the world's sixth-largest insurance group. For more information visit avivacanada.com.

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