By Patrick Baron
BLOOMINGTON – State Farm is preparing to accept applications for its seventh annual Neighborhood Assist program.
The nationwide program awards 40 organizations with a $25,000 grant for each cause. State Farm will begin accepting applications for the program beginning Wednesday; the application process will extend until 2,000 applications have been received or June 15, whichever comes first.
State Farm Public Affairs Specialist Dave Oloffson said there are three categories people can file applications in.
“There’s an education category, a safety category, and a community development category,” Oloffson explained. “Basically anybody from a community can submit a cause that they see there is a need for in their community.”
Once the applications are in, a review committee will narrow down the submissions from 2,000 to 200. Oloffson explained while the submissions are usually nonprofit organizations, there isn’t a strict guideline for what sort of organization can submit an application.
“For right now, anyone can make a submission,” said Oloffson. “It can be a school, a fire department, a police department, a nonprofit organization. It’s pretty open to who is able to submit right now.”
Once the top 200 have been decided, voting will open for the final 40 at www.neighborhoodassist.com. Winners will be announced on September 25 at that web address.
Patrick Baron can be reached at [email protected].
