RBC invests more than $2.2 million in Calgary area in 2012

CALGARY, Dec. 27, 2012 /CNW/ - As the effects of the global financial crisis have yet to stabilize, many charities are continuing to face serious reductions in their funding bases from all sectors. At the same time, the demand for their services has grown. Charitable organizations have to look for new sources of funding and companies are wrestling with the question of how to allocate and stretch their dollars.

RBC has designed our community investment strategy so that we can respond to urgent and ongoing requests through our general donation budgets and continue to have a significant social impact by funding specific projects within our eight strategic focus areas: health and wellness, education, environment, arts and culture, amateur sports, social services and civic causes, employee contributions and diversity.

In 2012, RBC through its charitable foundation, donated $2,226,861 to organizations across Calgary and surrounding area. Donations ranging from $500 to $200,000 were given to charitable organizations to support sustainable community programs.

"We believe in the power of communities and the individuals who live in them. That's why we invest in organizations in Calgary that are working to enhance the quality of life in the region," said Tonya Currie, regional vice-president for RBC's Calgary market. "We support worthy causes because we want our investments to make a real difference in people's lives."

In 2012, RBC contributed more than $95 million to causes worldwide through donations and community investments of more than $64 million, and $31 million in sponsorship of community events and national organizations.

Organizations interested in applying for funding from RBC are encouraged to visit our website at http://www.rbc.com/community-sustainability/

The following are some of the organizations in Calgary and surrounding areas that received funding in 2012:

• Airdrie Food Bank
• Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation
• BodyWhys Youth Canada
• Bow Valley College
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Calgary
• Calgary Health Trust
• Calgary Immigrant Women's Foundation
• Calgary International Film Festival
• Calgary Interfaith Food Bank
• Calgary Opera
• Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra
• Calgary Zoological Society
• Cantos Music Foundation
• Cochrane FCSS
• CUPS
• Ducks Unlimited
• Education Matters
• Hull Child & Family Services
• Meals on Wheels
• Momentum
• Mount Royal University
• Sonshine Community Services
• Theatre Calgary
• Telus Spark
• United Way Calgary
• University of Calgary
• Vertigo Theatre
• Weaselhead/Glenmore Park Preservation Society
• Woods Homes Foundation
• Volunteer Calgary
• YouthLink of Calgary
• YWCA of Calgary

About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries operate under the master brand name RBC. We employ approximately 80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15 million personal, business, public sector and institutional clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 49 other countries. RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and environmental leaders and is listed on the 2012 - 2013 Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers, one of Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations and one of the Best Workplaces in Canada.

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SOURCE: RBC Calgary

Kari Peperkorn-Marlowe
Advisor, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs
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[email protected]