Sweepstakes

Thomas Tesdal, of Morris, was selected as a winner in the America’s Farmers Grow Communities SM program, which gave farmers the opportunity to win $2,500 for their favorite local nonprofit organizations. The Monsanto Fund sponsors the program, and winning farmers designate a local nonprofit organization to benefit from the donations. Tesdal has designated Grundy County Farm Bureau Foundation to receive the donation.

PepsiCo Inc. is revamping a charitable-giving program created to boost its corporate image and sales of its flagship cola but marred by complaints of vote-rigging and other irregularities — with several changes geared toward steering more of the prize money toward community and grass-roots organizations.

With a promise of $20 million in donations for "refreshing ideas that change the world," Pepsi's Refresh Project drew rabid competition for the prize money—perhaps too rabid.

KaBOOM!, a national non-profit dedicated to saving play for America's children, has proven that money isn’t everything when you have friends.  Over the past two weeks, KaBOOM!’s dedicated supporters voted online once a day to help the nonprofit win the Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding contest’s first place prize.

We would also like to congratulate the other nine nonprofits for advancing to the final round of the contest.  Each will receive a second or third place prize to help them continue their brand development journey.

Sage North America announced the winners of its Connect with Sage grant contest: Jazz Foundation of America, Resource Center Dallas, Campaign for Equal Justice, CAMBA and St. Peter’s Episcopal School.

Aaron’s Staff, a nonprofit organization in Helena, is getting many people’s goat this month by threatening to deliver an unruly goat to their front door. The goat giveaway is a fundraiser for the organization where unless participants buy fictional goat insurance, their name will be entered into a raffle to win a goat — whether wanted or not. Aaron’s Staff assistant director Marilyn Shultz said the fundraiser is a fun and different way to raise money for a good cause.

Aaron’s Staff provides respite care for children with disabilities and special needs, she said.

The X PRIZE Foundation, an educational non-profit that designs and administers competitions with prizes of up to $30 million, the Government of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi have formed a partnership to create a global competition to develop and deploy clean and efficient cookstoves. The competition will focus on the development of affordable and clean-burning cookstove technologies (and possibly delivery models) and is a part of the MNRE’s National Biomass Cookstoves Initiative, which was launched in December 2009.

Sage North America today announced the Connect with Sage grant contest for its recently launched Sage Fundraising Online service. The contest will award grants to six nonprofit organizations. Entrants will be in two categories — smaller organizations and larger organizations — based on annual funds, and contest winners will be determined based on the total amount raising using Sage Fundraising Online.

How would you like to win $10,000+ in cash and in-kind services as recognition for all you've done for the community this year? Rally your supporters to nominate you for the 2nd Annual CLASSY Awards. If you have a chapter or have hosted an event/fundraiser/campaign in the Chicagoland area you may be eligible for a CLASSY Award.

Pepsi is donating $1.3 million through its Pepsi Refresh Project, which uses a Web site, refresheverything.com, to determine grant winners by popular vote. That sum is in addition to $20 million that Pepsi has vowed to give away in 2010 in the cause marketing effort, the term for collaborating with nonprofit organizations to bolster both charities and the reputations of companies.

Blackbaud announced the launch of BlackbaudTV, a new resource for the nonprofit community, with videos featuring nonprofit news, technology tools and tips, philanthropy in action, Blackbaud customers, partners, and events.

Blackbaud is holding the BlackbaudTV Inspire Contest to encourage nonprofit professionals to submit videos in response to the question, “How do you inspire supporters to take action?” The two winners receive free registrations to the 2010 Blackbaud’s Conference for Nonprofits – North America.