Vote for Your Favorite Community Project in Tom's of Maine '50 States for Good'™ Program

KENNEBUNK, Maine, Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Tom's of Maine is asking for the public's vote to determine five non-profit organizations that will each receive $20,000 through its "50 States for Good" initiative. This year, the "50 States for Good" program drew submissions from every state with a special focus on non-profits that need volunteers to help get important projects started in their community or to broaden their reach. These projects can be found at www.50statesforgood.com, where voting runs today through September 10.

With the intention of featuring 40 finalists in celebration of the company's 40th anniversary, Tom's of Maine actually found itself with a tie after the independent judging process; so, 41 community projects have been selected as finalists.

"At Tom's of Maine, we passionately believe in volunteerism and this year we're not only recognizing important projects around the country, but also celebrating volunteers, who are the true catalysts for change," said Susan Dewhirst, goodness programs manager at Tom's of Maine. "The impact of just one volunteer can be so powerful and there are so many opportunities to get involved around the country. It could be with one of our finalists or any other non-profit."

To help engage the public in service and provide the tools needed, Tom's of Maine has partnered with VolunteerMatch, the Web's most popular volunteering network, to make it easy to search and sign up for volunteer opportunities with non-profit organizations based on location and personal interest. At http://tomsofmaine.volunteermatch.org volunteers can also track their hours and share their stories to inspire others to volunteer.

Applications to the "50 States for Good" program were narrowed down to the 41 finalists by a panel of judges based on the organization's use of community volunteers (50%), project achievability (25%) and positive impact on the community (25%). The judging panel was composed of key leaders in the non-profit and goodness community including: Connie Chan with Yahoo! for Good, Beth Kanter, co-author of "Networked Nonprofit", Greg Price with VolunteerMatch, Sam Davidson with Cool People Care and Robert Egger with DC Central Kitchen.

Voting concludes on September 10 and winners will be announced in early October. The five winning organizations will each receive $20,000 and a commitment from Tom's of Maine and VolunteerMatch to help recruit volunteers for the project.

Also, Tom's of Maine and Network for Good will be giving away 40 $100 Good Cards®, a gift card for charity that can be redeemed as a donation to more than 1.2 million organizations through the Network for Good website at www.networkforgood.org/goodcard. Network for Good is a non-profit that makes it easy for donors to support any charity, anywhere online and that helps other non-profits become better online fundraisers.  For a chance to donate to your favorite non-profit, visit www.tomsofmaine.com for details beginning August 23.

Tom's of Maine is a longtime supporter of community involvement programs including clean waterways and greater access to affordable dental care, among many other programs. In addition, the company donates 10% of its profits back to the community and offers employees 5% paid time off, up to 12 days a year, to volunteer in their local community.

The Top 41 Finalists

About Tom's of Maine

Tom's of Maine is a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care.  Tom's of Maine sells high quality toothpaste, mouth wash, dental floss, deodorant, bar soap, and body wash products. The company has a long-standing commitment to supporting people, communities and the living planet.  For 40 years, Tom's of Maine has sponsored hundreds of nonprofit efforts by giving 10% of its profits back to the community and encouraging employees to use 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteer.  Tom's of Maine employees regularly contribute suggestions for improving the company's high sustainability standards. And their ideas, from wind power to ways to improve recycled and recyclable packaging options, are critical to the company's sensitive way of doing business. Tom's of Maine enjoys partnering with its consumers, vendors and many community organizations to support lasting, positive change that is good for the earth and us all. Visit us online at www.tomsofmaine.com.

SOURCE Tom's of Maine