08/21/2013
Citizens Bank and NH Union Leader now accepting applications for Champions in Action program
Two nonprofits will each receive $35,000 grant and media exposure in 2014
Manchester, NH (August 22, 2013) – Citizens Bank and the New Hampshire Union Leader today announced they are seeking applications for the 2014 Champions in Action® program, which provides financial, volunteer and public relations support to local nonprofits. Youth Programming and Strengthening Communities through Family Support are the two focus areas for 2014.
Nonprofit organizations focused on youth programming are invited to apply for the Champions award to be announced in January. Applications can be completed online at www.citizensbank.com/community/champions and must be submitted by Friday, September 20, 2013, at 5 p.m. The Champions in Action program is part of Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities, the bank's program designed to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities. Launched in 2002, Champions in Action is a joint initiative of Citizens Bank and its media partner designed to recognize and support nonprofit organizations for their contributions to New Hampshire communities. To date, the program has given 40 nonprofits more than $1 million in grants and promotional support in New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Union Leader recently joined Citizens Bank as the media partner for the Champions in Action program.
"The New Hampshire Union Leader is proud to partner with Citizens Bank on the Champions in Action program and looks forward to recognizing non-profit organizations that are providing important services and opportunities for children, individuals and families throughout New Hampshire," said Shannon Sullivan, Community Relations Manager for the New Hampshire Union Leader.
The selected Champion in Action will receive:
* An unrestricted $35,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation;
* Coverage from the New Hampshire Union Leader including public service announcements and advertising support;
* Volunteer support from Citizens Bank and New Hampshire Union Leader colleagues;
* Public relations support;
* Promotional support, including advertising in Citizens Bank branches, on Citizens Bank ATMs, and on the Citizens Bank and NH Union Leader websites;
* The opportunity for the organization's executive director to participate in a "president-to-president" mentorship with Citizens Bank and RBS Citizens, New Hampshire President Joe Carelli.
To be eligible for consideration, an organization must:
* Be a New Hampshire-based nonprofit organization that serves New Hampshire and addresses the designated social concern;
* Provide verification of tax-exempt status under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code; and
* Have a total operating budget of $5 million or less.
For more information about the Champions in Action program, visit www.citizensbank.com/community.
Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities is part of the bank's broader Citizens Helping Citizens program addressing five key areas: hunger, housing, economic development, financial education and volunteerism. Get more information about Citizens Bank's community initiatives online.
About Citizens Helping Citizens
Grounded in the belief that a good bank gives back to its community and to the people who live there, Citizens Helping Citizens is a program embracing the community goals of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc. – the commercial bank holding company serving consumer and small business customers as Citizens Bank and Charter One and commercial banking customers as RBS Citizens. The Citizens Helping Citizens program is composed of five key initiatives supported directly by RBSCFG and its nonprofit charitable foundations, the Citizens Charitable Foundation, the Citizens Bank Foundation and the Charter One Foundation: Citizens Helping Citizens Fight Hunger, Citizens Helping Citizens Provide Shelter, Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities (economic development), Citizens Helping Citizens Teach Money Management (financial education) and Citizens Helping Citizens Give (volunteerism and colleague charitable donations). Across all of these initiatives, Citizens Helping Citizens strives to enhance quality of life and economic vitality in local communities.
About Citizens Bank
Citizens Bank is a division of RBS Citizens, N.A., operating its seven-state branch network in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. It has 80 branches and 202 ATMs in New Hampshire.
RBS Citizens, N.A., is a subsidiary of RBS Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $126 billion commercial bank holding company. It is headquartered in Providence, R.I., and through its subsidiaries has approximately 1,400 branches, more than 3,600 ATMs and nearly 19,000 colleagues. Its two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A., and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. RBSCFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in more than 30 states. RBSCFG is owned by RBS (the Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc). RBSCFG's website is citizensbank.com
About New Hampshire Union Leader
The New Hampshire Union Leader and Sunday News is the largest circulated and only statewide daily newspaper in the Granite State. We provide our readers with a package that contains local, state and worldwide news, items of important information, advertising, entertainment and opinion. And whenever news breaks, New Hampshire turns to UnionLeader.com.
