40 Causes Will Receive $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grants: Will One Be Yours?

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign for Mom Central Consulting on behalf of State Farm and I received a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

When I was in college I had the opportunity to serve as the Community Service Chairperson for our Student Government Association.  I helped to arrange community service involvement and participation for our student body with a number of local and national organizations.  Some of them were walks, some were hands-on activities like building houses, some were collecting food or supplies.

One of my favorite projects we participated in, however, was building a playground from scratch.  There was a neighborhood within walking distance of the college that had a large population of kids, but there was no place nearby for them to play safely.  So they polled the kids to find out what elements they would like to have in a new playground.  Funds were collected and then we spent 48 hours straight – even through the night – and built them a brand new play space.  It was exciting to see how much something simple could transform both a neighborhood and the people living in it.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grants

There are hundreds if not thousands of neighborhoods around the country that could also use a similar boost.  A playground, educational programs, healthy meals for families in need, literacy and more.  While their goals are diverse, they all have one thing in common: a need for funds.  The State Farm Neighborhood Assist program aims to help these groups better their communities by providing them with grants.

Nearly 200 groups from the USA and Canada have submitted for grant consideration.  The 40 finalists will each receive $25,000.  That amount of money can make a real impact!  And you can make an impact, as well, when you cast your vote for your favorite causes.  Each day you’re provided with ten votes.  You can use all ten to vote for one organization or you can spread them among a group of favorites.  So far I’ve been choosing to split my votes between a cause here in Kentucky and a cause back in my home state of Maine.

How You Can Vote

To vote simply head over to the State Farm Neighborhood Assist tab on their Facebook page.  You can look at the entire map, filter by state, or filter by type of cause (safety, education, or community development).  Once you’ve found a cause you like just click the “vote” button.  The counter in the top-left corner will tell you how many votes you have left for the day.

Next year I’m hoping to remember this program early enough to nominate some causes here in our local community.  The area could definitely use an expanded play park, opportunities for toddlers, and a place for teenagers to spend their time productively. Maybe something like the skate park built in Nebraska using a 2012 grant.

How could your community use $25,000?  Which cause will you vote for this year?