NBC Bay Area today announced the launch of its annual grant program, 21st Century Solutions, in partnership with the NBCUniversal Foundation. This program will once again award three grants totaling $100,000 to local non-profit organizations in the Bay Area, giving the non-profits an opportunity to compete for recognition of their innovative, community-based programs in the areas of Civic Engagement, Education, Environment, Jobs and Economic Empowerment, Media Arts and Technology.
The grant challenge opens today and submissions will be accepted from qualified 501(c)(3) organizations through August 8 in the Bay Area and the nine other markets where NBCUniversal owns television stations. In total, the program will award 30 non-profit organizations a total of $1.2 million across all markets.
“We’re proud that this program will highlight dynamic organizations implementing progressive ideas that move our communities forward,” said Beth Colleton, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal.
“Serving the people in our communities is at the heart of what we do and we are committed to partnering again with forward looking non-profits to make a positive local impact,” said Valari Staab, President, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations. “21st Century Solutions is our way of supporting the most innovative and impactful local programs and helping them provide even greater services.”
21st Century Solutions supports social innovation in order to encourage non-profit organizations to address community challenges with fresh perspectives. CreaTV San Jose and Mission Graduates are among two of the organizations that were awarded grants last year for addressing ongoing and emerging local matters in new and creative ways.
CreaTV San Jose received a grant for their Media Access Program (MAP) which helps primarily underserved youth learn through digital media projects. The 21st Century Solutions Grant helped CreaTV place media equipment in 17 San Jose Schools. With the media equipment students learn how to produce videos, tell stories and become more confident individuals by sharing their perspectives with the community.
Mission Graduates received a grant for their program Believing the College Dream (BTCD). BTCD focuses on building a culture of higher academic expectations among low income, immigrant and Latino families by engaging parents as advocates of their children’s educational process. The program provides English language development, literacy and math skills to parents so that they can serve as front-line support network of their children’s academic success.
Interested 501(c)(3) organizations wishing to compete in the grant challenge can review the eligibility criteria and complete applications on nbcbayarea.com. One winning organization will be awarded $100,000, and two runners-up will be awarded $25,000 grants each. The recipients will be announced by the end of 2014. The 21st Century Solutions program is funded by the NBCUniversal Foundation with promotional support from NBC Bay Area.
Click here to view a video of how organizations invested 2013 21st Century Solutions grants to make a difference in their communities.
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About NBCUniversal
NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.
