30-day Online Contest Encouraged Participants to Leverage Social Networks to Raise Money for Nonprofit Causes

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF) has received a $25,000 award for its outstanding performance in America's Giving Challenge. TPRF received the award by finishing in second place in the 30-day, national online competition presented by the Case Foundation, Causes and PARADE Publications.

The Giving Challenge was almost halfway through the contest when TPRF entered its Cause, TPRF: Food for People, on Oct. 24, tapping into the existing Friends of TPRF network. Within hours, the Cause began to grow exponentially and still continues to grow each day. When the challenge ended, TPRF had raised over $212,000 including daily awards. Even after the Challenge was over, more people joined, resulting in over 14,000 supporters today and $227,366 in donations. Although the cause came in second in number of donations, it raised the most money of any charity in the Challenge.

Linda Pascotto, President of TPRF, said, "This was a great way to raise public awareness of the valuable assistance non-profit organizations provide, and so much fun. We are grateful for the opportunity America's Giving Challenge offered and pleased that TPRF will be given a helping hand to begin it's third Food for People facility. We are also appreciative that the Foundation will be recognized for the good work that it does. One of our supporters expressed it well: 'Everybody who participated won because of the fun we had putting our small contributions together. And the real winners are the children and the people who will benefit from these gifts and this fantastic project.'"

The first Food for People facility was built in 2005 in Bantoli, India, followed by another facility in Tasarpu, Nepal, in the beginning of 2009. In addition to the Food for People program, TPRF has brought millions of nutritious meals and clean water to people in all parts of the world.

America's Giving Challenge took place on Facebook. Overall awards were given to the Causes that won the most unique daily donations over the 30-day period, and daily awards were given to the Causes that generated the most unique donations that day. Beginning Oct. 27, TPRF won daily awards every day except one.

About America's Giving Challenge

The 2009 America's Giving Challenge, which took place from October 7 - November 6, generated more than 105,000 donations that helped to raise $2.1 million for nonprofit organizations. Causes initially competed to win cash awards totaling $170,000, funded by the Case Foundation, based on the number of donations to their cause, not dollars raised. On October 30, the presenting partners announced an additional $75,000 grant for awards from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Causes hosted the Challenge through its application on Facebook and PARADE Publications helped to launch the Challenge with a cover story about the importance of giving by actor Matt Damon. More information on America's Giving Challenge, including a full list of winners, can be found at www.americasgivingchallenge.com.

About The Prem Rawat Foundation (TPRF)

The Prem Rawat Foundation, created in 2001, works to bring the message of peace of Prem Rawat, known also as Maharaji, and provide essential humanitarian aid worldwide. Food for People (FFP) is TPRF's model food program based on Prem Rawat's vision to help break the cycle of poverty. FFP offers nutritious food, clean water, and hygiene education so that malnourished adults can regain their health so they can work and children can attend school and have a better future. TPRF partners with other charitable organizations to bring food, water, eye care and rapid disaster relief around the world where it is most needed. For more information, visit: www.tprf.org

About the America's Giving Challenge Presenting Partners:

The Case Foundation

The Case Foundation, created by Steve and Jean Case in 1997, invests in people and ideas that can change the world. The Foundation champions initiatives that connect people, increase giving, and catalyze civic action. For more information, visit: www.casefoundation.org.

Causes

Causes empowers anyone with a good idea or passion for change to impact the world. Using our platform, individuals mobilize their network of friends to grow lasting social and political movements. To date, over 95 million Facebook users have installed the application and created and joined more than 300,000 grassroots causes that benefit more than 60,000 nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit the Causes Application (www.causes.com) and Causes Exchange (http://exchange.causes.com).

PARADE

PARADE, the most widely read magazine in America, is distributed in more than 500 of the nation's top newspapers. The magazine, which launched in 1941, now has a circulation of 32 million and a readership of 73 million. Each Sunday in PARADE and every day at Parade.com, our mission is to entertain, inspire and inform Americans about the issues they care most about and move them to action. For more information, visit: www.parade.com.

SOURCE The Prem Rawat Foundation

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