Vote For Your State And Nonprofit Causes That Inspire You In The Tom's Of Maine "50 States For Good"™ Program

Top 15 Nonprofits to Share $150,000 for Projects That Help Neighbors and the Environment

Program Judge Ian Somerhalder to Chat About His Passion for Good at Sept. 17 Twitter Party

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Sep 16, 2013, 12:00 ET

KENNEBUNK, Maine, Sept. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Want to make a positive impact in your community? Starting today, a simple vote could bring funding to small nonprofits with big ideas. This year 51 nonprofits – one in every state and Washington D.C. - are asking for your votes in the fifth annual Tom's of Maine "50 States for Good" community giving program. The 15 nonprofits with the most votes will each receive $10,000 to develop and grow important community projects and services. The public can show support and vote daily at 50StatesforGood.com through October 15.

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For the first time, volunteers and nonprofit employees will also be showcased as part of an interactive voting platform that includes information about why the public's support will make a difference. This national community giving program allows the public to direct where all of the funding goes.

"A desire to do more for a favorite nonprofit can often be hindered by a lack of time to volunteer or financial means to make a donation," said Susan Dewhirst, goodness programs manager at Tom's of Maine. "50 States for Good makes it easy for anyone to have an impact and directly help organizations that are bringing goodness to communities in a variety of creative and inspiring ways."

From a pool of nearly 1,000 nominations, finalists were chosen by a judging panel of passionate leaders in the nonprofit community including Sam Davidson, president of Cool People Care, nonprofit strategist and Huffington Post columnist, Lisa M. Dietlin, Matt Petronzio, assistant features editor covering social good for Mashable.com, and star of "The Vampire Diaries" and nonprofit founder Ian Somerhalder.

"At the Ian Somerhalder Foundation, we are inspired every day by how much we can accomplish if we work together," said program judge Ian Somerhalder. "I encourage everyone to check out the great work each '50 States for Good' finalist is doing and cast your votes for the ones that share your values and goals."

Somerhalder, a strong advocate for social good, will join Tom's of Maine on September 17, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. EDT for a Twitter party. He will take live questions and share his thoughts on giving back to the community. Participants should use the hashtag #50StatesforGood to follow along, ask questions and join the conversation.

Listed alphabetically by state, this year's "50 States for Good" finalists are:

Alabama	First Light, Inc.	Birmingham, AL
Alaska	Sitka Local Foods Network	Sitka, AK
Arizona	Watershed Management Group	Tucson, AZ
Arkansas	Good Samaritan Clinic	Fort Smith, AR
California	Cool the Earth	Kentfield, CA
Colorado	EarthLinks	Denver, CO
Connecticut	Connecticut Radio Information System	Windsor, CT
Delaware	Homeless Planning Council of Delaware	Wilmington, DE
District of Columbia	Foster and Adoptive Parent Advocacy Center (FAPAC)	Washington, DC
Florida	Current of Tampa Bay Inc.	Tampa, FL
Georgia	Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Inc.	Atlanta, GA
Hawaii	Kids Hurt Too Hawaii	Honolulu, HI
Idaho	Helping Hearts & Hands	Gooding, ID
Illinois	Southside Education & Economic Development Systems, Inc.	Chicago, IL
Indiana	Washington County SOAR	Salem, IN
Iowa	Gilda's Club Quad Cities	Davenport, IA
Kansas	HIS Helping Hands, Inc.	Wichita, KS
Kentucky	Grow Appalachia	Berea, KY
Louisiana	The People's Advocate	Lake Charles, LA
Maine	Michael T. Goulet Traumatic Brain Injury and Epilepsy Foundation	Saco, ME
Maryland	Neighbor Ride	Columbia, MD
Massachusetts	Cape Ann Farmer's Market	Gloucester, MA
Michigan	Play-Place for Autistic Children	Sterling Heights, MI
Minnesota	Minnesota Association for Children's Mental Health	St. Paul, MN
Mississippi	HealthTrust	Magee, MS
Missouri	Operation BBQ Relief, Inc	Pleasant Hill, MO
Montana	The Poverello Center, Inc.	Missoula, MT
Nebraska	Literacy Center for the Midlands	Omaha, NE
Nevada	Street Teens	Las Vegas, NV
New Hampshire	LostNMissing Inc	Londonderry, NH
New Jersey	One Simple Wish	Trenton, NJ
New Mexico	Walkin N Circles Ranch	Edgewood, NM
New York	Wilton Wildlife Preserve & Park	Gansevoort, NY
North Carolina	The Volunteer Center of Greensboro	Greensboro, NC
North Dakota	Kenmare Wheels & Meals, Inc.	Kenmare, ND
Ohio	Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership	Warren, OH
Oklahoma	Pride In McAlester	McAlester, OK
Oregon	Community Warehouse	Portland, OR
Pennsylvania	RiverQuest	Pittsburgh, PA
Rhode Island	Khadarlis Global	Providence, RI
South Carolina	Columbia Oral Health Clinic	Columbia, SC
South Dakota	Lower Brule Community College	Lower Brule, SD
Tennessee	Chattanooga's Kids on the Block	Chattanooga, TN
Texas	Mission Possible Kids	Plano, TX
Utah	The Utah Society for Environmental Education	Salt Lake City, UT
Vermont	Essex CHIPS	Essex Junction, VT
Virginia	Blue Ridge Land Conservancy	Roanoke, VA
Washington	Skagitonians to Preserve Farmland	Mount Vernon, WA
West Virginia	Mountaineer Food Bank	Gassaway, WV
Wisconsin	Kompost Kids	Milwaukee, WI
Wyoming	Wyoming Food for Thought Project	Casper, WY

To date, the 50 States for Good community giving program has benefited 5.5 million people and dozens of communities through projects as diverse as tree planting, sustainable hiking trails, a community orchard and meals for neighbors in need.

For several decades, Tom's of Maine has donated 10% of its profits back to the community and encourages employees to use 5% (12 days) of paid time off to volunteer every year. For more information, visit tomsofmaine.com.

About Tom's of Maine
Tom's of Maine is a leading natural products company focused on oral and personal care carrying high quality toothpaste, mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant and bar soap products. The company has a long-standing commitment to supporting people, communities and the living planet. For over 42 years, TOMs has sponsored hundreds of nonprofit efforts by giving 10% of its profits back to organizations that support human and environmental goodness and by encouraging employees to use 5% (12 days) of employee time to volunteer. TOMs 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. Most Tom's of Maine products are vegan, kosher, halal-certified and gluten-free. All packaging is recyclable through a partnership with upcycling leader TerraCycle or participating municipalities. Tom's of Maine enjoys partnering with its consumers, suppliers and community organizations to support lasting, positive change that is good for people and the planet. Visit us online at http://www.tomsofmaine.com/ or at http://www.facebook.com/TomsofMaine.

SOURCE Tom's of Maine