The First Round Goes to the Dogs! (And Cats!)

Roanoke, VA (March 3, 2011) – Foundation for Roanoke Valley announced today the winner of its first “Project Make-A-Difference.”  At the closing bell, friends of Roanoke Valley SPCA (RVSPCA) had filled the agency’s online virtual jar on the Foundation’s website with over 600,000 coins, out of a total of almost ONE MILLION coins “voted” during the month of February.

RVSPCA will receive a Foundation grant of $1,000 from the Community Catalyst Funds.  Kathy Perdue, Director of Marketing & Special Events for the agency, said:  “We are fortunate to have a large group of supporters who really got behind the contest and voted regularly for the RVSPCA.  They really brought home the bone!  The $1,000 grant will be designated to the PET (Pets Eat Too) Outreach Program that supplies pet food to the pets of Meals on Wheels recipients as well as food pantries operated by Bethel Baptist Church, Botetourt County and Manna Ministries.  The grant will provide 12,712 pet meals - helping keep pets and people united in our communities.”

RVSPCA was locked in a friendly but fiercely-fought competition during the month with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia, which was seeking the grant to help develop a “Fit Club” for 160 youth attending the 9^th Street Club.  This program stresses the importance of healthy eating habits and good nutrition.

Project Make-A-Difference is a grants initiative of Foundation for Roanoke Valley that involves the community in “crowd-powered philanthropy”.  The initiative proactively educates the community about local nonprofit organizations and community needs and encourages citizens to take an active role in making a difference in the community – one vote at a time.

Going forward, the Foundation will select two local nonprofit organizations in the Roanoke Valley to participate in the grants contest each quarter.  The two selected organizations will be featured and profiled on the Foundation’s website whereby the community will cast votes in support of their favorite organization.  The voting period will last one month.  At the end of the voting period, the organization with the most recorded votes will receive that quarter’s grant of $1,000.  Foundation for Roanoke Valley will have sole responsibility for final verification of totals and determination of the winning grant.

Qualified charitable organizations in the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the counties of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke are eligible to participate.  To be considered for May, an organization must complete and return the Project Make-A-Difference application by March 31, 2011.  To download an application visit www.foundationforroanokevalley.org/pmad.asp.

Foundation for Roanoke Valley, the region’s community foundation, has served the Roanoke Valley for more than 20 years and currently administers over 240 named endowment funds established by individuals and families on behalf of the community.  # # #