American Express and TakePart announced its five organization-based “Members Project” winners, chosen by the public through online voting, which will collectively receive $1 million in funding ($200,00 each) from American Express to advance their missions of serving communities around the country. Winners in the Arts & Culture segment is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater uses the African-American cultural experience and the American modern dance tradition to inspire, enlighten and unite people of all backgrounds; in Community Development is Kiva personal lending marketplace which lets socially conscious Internet users to connect with and make personal loans to entrepreneurs and students around the world; in education is A Better Chance, which has been opening the door to educational opportunities for thousands of young people of color in this nation; in Environment & Wildlife is Defenders of Wildlife, which has led the fight to save threatened and endangered species with innovative approaches that help imperiled wildlife survive in an ever-changing world; and finally in Health & Wellness is the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and its mission to provide cutting-edge medicine and advocacy, regardless of a person’s ability to pay, and help the agency to continue delivering lifesaving HIV/AIDS treatment, care and prevention services to the neediest and most underserved populations in the U.S. and globally. Since March 2010, “Members Project” has enabled its online community to give $4.2 million to 21 non-profit organizations, both domestically and internationally.
Details