American Express cardmembers can help pick this year’s projects…
The American Express Members Project, a $2.5 million online initiative that lets cardmembers submit, discuss and vote on projects that will make a positive impact in the world, is in its second year and building on the success of last year’s project. The project offers the opportunity for funding and new ways to create, track and spread the word about innovative new projects. This year’s five winning projects will receive funding from American Express of $100,000 to $1.5 million.
“Our Cardmembers are passionate about making a difference in the world and last year’s inaugural launch of Members Project proved to be a terrific platform for them to put the power of American Express membership to work,” said Jud Linville, president and chief executive officer of Consumer Services, American Express. “This year, we are bringing Members Project back with a panel of world-recognized authorities, a host of new social networking features and what we expect will be active Cardmember and Community participation, in deciding where American Express donates $2.5 million to the causes that Cardmembers support.”
The vetting process to narrow the field to 25 semi-finalists was completed by an advisory panel that was comprised of leaders and experts in the arts, community, education, health and the environment. The panelists reviewed those projects that were the most innovative and achievable with a broad, positive impact. Cardmembers and guests who vote will ultimately select the top five winning project by September 29. The top five will share in the $2.5 million initiative funding awards with the highest vote getter receiving $1.5 million and the four remaining projects receiving $500,000, $300,000 and $100,000 (2).
Help your favorite project make the Top 5. You can vote by registering at www.membersproject.com and clicking on the star next to the project of your choice. Winning projects will share $2.5 million in funding from American Express and be announced Oct. 14.
- Home Alzheimer’s Disease: Early Detection Matters
- Help 100,000 children thrive in the classroom!
- Feeding 1 Million Children Daily
- Saving the Lives of Malnourished Children
- Help Women and Children Survivors of War Rebuild
- Rebuilding New Orleans Green
- Loans That Change Lives
- Girls’ Scholarships in the Developing World
- Stop the traffic! (human trafficking) “
- Project Brain Child Brain cancer
- New, Affordable Treatments with Existing Drugs
- $25 Infant Incubator
- End Human Trafficking:Sustainable Livelihoods
- Marine Conservation & Awareness
- Using the Power of Soccer to Fight AIDS in Africa
- My Little Waiting Room
- Jharkhand Tribal Project
- Kids for Sight: Ending childhood blindness – India
- Protect Cocos Island – World Heritage
- The 3G Project Teach health ed to pre-school age kids
- Helping Poor Mayans to Help Themselves
- Solar Powered Africa-LED Lanterns Lighting the Way
- ASHA – The Livelihood Programme for millions
- Mobile Pediatric Orthopaedic Education
- Advancing Education in Rural Cambodia
Last year’s winner, coming out on top over 8,000 project submissions from across the country, was “Children’s Safe Drinking Water”, a UNICEF project that promotes household water treatment and safe storage options in countries like Angola, Guinea and Tanzania. American Express provided $2 million in funding to UNICEF to bring the project to life. When the project is finished, Members Project funding will help to significantly reduce waterborne diseases by promoting household water treatment, safe storage and a healthy environment, and will provide safe water to more than 3.5 million people for at least two years.
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