2015 Charity Champions Open for Nominations

By 2015-07-13Featured

MCGREGOR, Texas (July 13, 2015)  With Baylor football’s 2015 home-opener around the corner, The First National Bank —“Your Bank for Life” is seeking nominations for its 2015 Charity Champions at www.tfnbtx.com/charitychampions.  Nonprofits with a service office in Bell, Coryell and McLennan counties are eligible.

From the nominations, six nonprofits will be chosen as the bank’s 2015 Charity Champions to coincide with six Baylor football home games this season.  During each game, one Charity Champion will be spotlighted on the football field, which will raise awareness of the nonprofit organization.

In 2014, 29 nonprofits were nominated.  Of those, the bank selected CASA of McLennan & Hill Counties, AVANCE Waco, Generations Adoptions, Family Abuse Center, Waco Habitat for Humanity and Meals & Wheels Waco. Each organization’s executive director says they see tangible benefits from being named a Charity Champion.

“What it really comes down to is funding, and so often funding is linked with awareness and community support,” said Jessica Attas, executive director of AVANCE Waco. “And the Charity Champions program has helped build public support around our work.”

Each Charity Champion will be the focus of a marketing campaign funded by the bank, including broadcast, print and web advertising and social media. A video about the organization and its work will be played at a Baylor University football game in McLane Stadium. In 2016, the bank will cover costs for Charity Champions board of directors and key staff members to attend executive leadership training by 360 Solutions to empower the nonprofits to achieve their goals.

“We couldn’t afford to have the likes of 360 Solutions come in and do board-of-director and senior-leadership trainings,” said Brenda Shuttlesworth, executive director for Waco Habitat for Humanity. “A really big ‘Thank you’ to the bank and 360 Solutions for making this opportunity available.”

“The community response to Charity Champions has been overwhelmingly positive,” said bank president David Littlewood.  “We are thrilled to enter our second season and hope to double the number of nominees.  If a charity holds a special place in your heart, I encourage you to submit a nomination.”

Littlewood says once a Charity Champion always a Charity Champion, and alumni Charity Champion nonprofits are encouraged to participate in 360 Solutions’ executive training every year.

ABOUT TFNB CHARITY CHAMPIONS

In commemoration of its 125th anniversary in 2014, The First National Bank  — “Your Bank for Life” (TFNB) launched Charity Champions to celebrate and give back to the community. Each fall, from the nominations submitted online throughout the year, six nonprofits are chosen as Charity Champions. The bank covers the costs associated with a marketing campaign focused on the nonprofit as well as an executive leadership training package to benefit the leadership of nonprofits chosen as Charity Champions.  To qualify, a nonprofit organization must have a service office located in Bell, Coryell or McLennan counties. Once a nonprofit is nominated, it will be considered in subsequent years. Visit www.tfnbtx.com/charitychampions for more information.

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