12/03/2013
Citizens Bank renews #GivingTuesday initiative with more than $350,000 in grants
Second #GivingTuesday spotlights Massachusetts nonprofits
Encourages meaningful holiday spending and promotes #UNselfies to inspire giving
BOSTON – Citizens Bank today announced that it is donating $357,500 to nonprofit organizations throughout Massachusetts as part of its participation in the second annual #GivingTuesday initiative. The donation is being made through the Citizens Bank Foundation. #GivingTuesday, which coincides with the kickoff of the holiday shopping season, is a national effort that is aimed at encouraging people to take action to improve their local communities by volunteering their time and donating goods or funds to help nonprofits meet their goals.
“#GivingTuesday is a reminder that the holiday season is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to reach out and make a meaningful difference in the lives of our neighbors in need,” said Jerry Sargent, President of Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens, Massachusetts. “Investing in nonprofit organizations on #GivingTuesday and throughout the year is an expression of our ongoing commitment to strengthening communities across the Commonwealth.”
The grants announced today are being distributed as follows:
- United Way of Massachusetts Bay, Inc. - $50,000
- Community Gems - $50,000
- Moving Debts to Assets - $50,000
- The Neighborhood Developers - $25,000
- Museum of African American History - $25,000
- Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. - $25,000
- Asian American Civic Association - $25,000
- Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance - $25,000
- Crittenton Women’s Union - $20,000
- Citizens Housing and Planning Association - $20,000
- ACCION East, Inc. - $20,000
- Bessie Tartt Wilson Initiative For Children, Inc. -$10,000
- Children's Investment Fund -$5,000
- Paul Revere Memorial Association - $5,000
- Cape & Islands Gay and Straight Alliance - $2,500
The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, a Citizens Bank nonprofit partner, encourages corporations and individuals to embrace #GivingTuesday and help nonprofit organizations achieve positive, lasting results in communities throughout Massachusetts.
“It’s so important that corporations give back to the communities in which they do business. That’s why we are proud to see our corporate partner, Citizens Bank, continue its involvement in the #GivingTuesday initiative,” said Rick Jakious, CEO, Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. “Through a variety of community engagement activities, including volunteerism and financial support to nonprofit organizations, Citizens Bank has shown that they recognize the importance of good corporate citizenship.”
Another aspect of the #GivingTuesday initiative that Citizens Bank is promoting this holiday season is the #UNselfie. From now through the end of December, Citizens Bank is encouraging its customers, colleagues and members of the community to join the #GivingTuesday movement by uploading a selfless ‘selfie’ to Twitter or Facebook.
People who are interested in participating are invited to take a picture of themselves doing good things, or holding up a sign explaining which community cause inspires them. Citizens Bank will be sharing and retweeting posts from users who include the Bank’s handle, @CitizensBank, in their message. Participants are encouraged to use the hashtags #UNselfie, #GivingTuesday and #GoodCitizens to demonstrate how they are giving this year.
Last year, an estimated 2,500 charities, corporations, and foundations around the nation participated in #GivingTuesday. The Christian Science Monitor reported PayPal's mobile donation application, which helps nonprofits easily collect donations, clocked in a 487 percent increase compared with the year before. According to organizers, the Twitter hashtag #GivingTuesday appeared in more than 185,000 tweets.
About the Citizens Bank Foundation
Citizens Bank Foundation is a subsidiary of the Citizens Charitable Foundation, which is a charitable contributions vehicle of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. The foundation’s support is focused on human services, affordable housing and economic development. RBSCFG’s website is citizensbank.com.
