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New International Online Contest from Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Offers $50,000 Prize for One Great Idea

The winner of this new idea prize, presented by the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, Alabama, will take home a cool $50,000 - just for an idea.

Even better, the winning idea is guaranteed to be implemented in phase two of Prize2theFuture.

The contest is open to anyone 18 or older, as teams or individuals, with on-line registration and submission at www.prize2thefuture.org. Submission deadline is March 11, 2011.

Ten finalists will be announced in April, with top winners announced May 5. In addition to the $50,000 top prize, awards include $10,000 for second prize, $5,000 for third and $1,000 each for the remaining seven finalists.

Just hours after the on-line competition opened, hundreds had registered from the U.S. and as far away as Ireland and Israel.

"We are looking for big ideas from around the world," said Kate Nielsen, president of the Community Foundation. "We want ideas that are innovative, exciting and add something special to the great things going on right now in our city center."

An interactive map at www.prize2thefuture.org levels the playing field for contestants and provides dynamic content and photographs about key sites nearby, including Railroad Park, a 19-acre urban park that has drawn thousands of visitors since it opened in the fall of 2010. The Prize website also provides complete rules and other support materials.

The Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham is the oldest and largest community foundation in Alabama, founded in 1959, and ranks in the top 100 community foundations nationwide. Prize2theFuture is the innovative first investment from Community Catalyst Funds, created by contributions from individuals and families who want to drive big, positive change throughout Greater Birmingham.

The Community Foundation is known for leadership in the Health Action Partnership, which received more than $14 million in national grants to fight obesity and tobacco use; the Three Parks Initiative, which raised more than $15 million for Railroad Park, Ruffner Mountain Nature Center and Red Mountain Park, and for grassroots work to support Birmingham City Schools, including creation of the Birmingham Education Foundation.

Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
Emily Rushing, 205-327-3806
erushing@foundationbirmingham.org