The Pepsi Refresh Project has doubled its monthly commitment of $1.3 million to refresh America’s communities by awarding $2.6 million in grants during the month of September. Each month, Pepsi awards up to $1.3 million in Refresh Grants to the 32 ideas that garner the most votes. Through the Pepsi Refresh Project: Do Good for the Gulf extension, Pepsi has allocated an additional $1.3 million to refresh communities in the Gulf Coast for the month.
A record 64 grants are on track to be awarded this month in the project’s six main categories, as well as for ideas submitted to the Pepsi Refresh Project: Do Good for the Gulf. The Do Good for the Gulf initiative was an extension of the national program announced in July, calling on ideas aimed at helping communities most directly affected by the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
The 32 finalists in the Do Good for the Gulf program reflect a diversity of needs, and three trends among the projects emerged, including Animal rescue, Children and education, and Community and economic development.
A full list of the Do Good for the Gulf Finalists can be found here.
Pepsi also has developed a microsite, www.goodforthegulf.com, which aggregates a user’s Facebook network and allows them to see how many of their friends may have been affected by the oil spill. The hub provides an easy way to share this information via Facebook and Twitter, and personalizes the impact of the oil spill.
The Pepsi Refresh Project will also award 32 grants for the top vote-getters in August across its six main categories: education, arts and culture, food and shelter, health, the planet and neighborhoods.
Since January of this year, the Pepsi Refresh Project has awarded $10.6 million in grants to fund community improvement initiatives across America. In a true democratization of the philanthropic process, grants are awarded to the ideas that receive the most votes on www.refresheverything.com. Visitors to website can also access the tools and information they need to submit ideas or to choose their favorite ideas to be funded. More than 1,000 new ideas are up for voting now through September 30.