This year, the program will award 100 $25,000 grants (vs. 40 grants in previous years) to nonprofit organizations to help fund neighborhood improvement projects. Additionally, we’re doubling the number of cause submissions to 4,000.

“State Farm Neighborhood Assist truly embodies the spirit of what our company has been about for 100 years-being a good neighbor,” said Rasheed Merritt, assistant vice president at State Farm. “We are excited about expanding the program in 2022 to help even more neighborhoods.”

Here’s how the program works:

Submission Phase: Starts February 16 and ends when 4,000 submissions are reached

Individuals can submit a cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com starting February 16 at 1pm ET. You can prepare now by going to the website and downloading the submission guide. We will accept the first 4,000 submissions. The State Farm Review Committee will then narrow the field to the Top 200 finalists using a scoring rubric.

Voting Phase: April 27-May 6

Ultimately, voters will decide which community improvement projects win big. The public will have a chance to vote 10 times a day, every day for 10 days, from April 27-May 6, for their favorite causes from the list of finalists. Voting will take place at www.neighborhoodassist.com.

Winners Announced: June 7

The 100 causes that receive the most votes will each win a $25,000 grant. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, June 7, at www.neighborhoodassist.com

Last year, 125,000 people cast more than 3 million votes in support of their favorite causes, selecting winners from small towns and big cities.

Since the program began in 2012, more than 380 causes have received a total of $10 million to enact change in their communities.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic program. It empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. Non-profits affiliated with each of the top 40 causes receive grants to address them.

“State Farm recognizes the good neighbor spirit in the organizations that will be implementing these community improvement projects,” said Rasheed Merritt, Assistant Vice President at State Farm. “We are proud to support their efforts.”

Two thousand cause submissions were accepted in June at www.neighborhoodassist.com. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists and public voting determined the 40 grant winners. In the 10 years of the program, more than 380 causes have received a total of $10 million to enact change in their communities.

For a complete list of this year’s winning causes, please visit: www.neighborhoodassist.com.

The Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis (DSAGSL), one of 40 $25,000 State Farm^® Neighborhood Assist^® grant winners in 2019, provides an employment program that supports about 25 individuals seeking jobs and internships. One opportunity is the Pop Up Snack Shop Micro-Business. Fourteen individuals with Down syndrome run the business – from marketing to assembly and direct sales. Snack boxes range from healthy to sweet to salty and more options.

“The Pop Up Snack Shop was a way to provide training and awareness in the community, and it blew up,” says Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis Executive Director Erin Suelmann. “It’s grown so much, we can’t keep up with demand.”

Pop Up Snack Shop sets up in a business’s lobby or office and offers snack boxes for $5. All packing, labeling, set up and sales are handled by individuals with Down syndrome in the employment program.

“They learn service skills, executive functions and sales skills with the Pop Up Snack Shop,” Erin says. “Now we can provide more opportunities for job seekers and put additional revenue back into the program by visiting more businesses each month.”

When DSAGSL learned it was a finalist for the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant, a social media and email marketing plan was created to get the community involved in the voting phase.

“We did a ton on social media and have a large number of supporter information in our database. We posted on social media every day to make people aware we were finalists and asking them to vote,” Erin says. “This was a great way to raise awareness about what we do and have people rally around us.”

Eureka, Mo., State Farm Agent Kelly Ruby was featured in a video promoting the DSAGSL employment program. She hired Megan Layton from the program five years ago.

“The organization asked us to support their employment initiative to help adults with Down syndrome gain employment outside of the typical workshop or back office setting,” Kelly says. “We have been so lucky to employ Megan Layton. This employment initiative has blossomed, offering adults with Down syndrome the ability to run their own business. The State Farm grant will help this effort grow.”

With the grant, a new van will be purchased for the snack shop, allowing more stops each month.

“Without support of companies like State Farm in ways like this grant, we would not be able to serve our community,” Erin says. “We rely on support of individuals and company partners to provide programming that is life changing. We’re grateful to State Farm for this grant.”

Through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant program, part of the Neighborhood of Good^®, 40 causes are receiving a $25,000 grant to fund projects in education, safety and community development. In 10 days, 163,000 people cast 4.4 million votes in support of their favorite causes. For a complete list of this year’s Top 40 causes, visit the Neighborhood Assist website.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic grant program. It empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. Non-profits affiliated with each of the top 40 causes receive grants to address them. It is part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good® initiative.

“State Farm is here to help life go right in neighborhoods all across the country,” said Allison Bertsche, Public Affairs Director at State Farm. “We look forward to seeing the impact these Neighborhood Assist grants will have in their communities.”

Two thousand cause submissions were accepted in June at www.neighborhoodassist.com. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists and public voting determined the 40 grant winners. In the eight years of the program, more than 300 causes have received a total of $8 million to enact change in their communities.

For a complete list of this year’s winning causes, please visit: www.neighborhoodassist.com.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic grant program. It empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. Non-profits affiliated with each of the top 40 causes receive grants to address them. It is part of the State Farm Neighborhood of Good® initiative which inspires and empowers people to turn caring into doing.

“State Farm is here to help life go right in neighborhoods all across the country. We look forward to seeing the changes in these 40 communities because of these Neighborhood Assist grants,” said Allison Bertsche, Public Affairs Director at State Farm.

At least one submission was received from each of the 50 states. The State Farm Review Committee selected the Top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions. In the seven years of the program, more than 250 causes have received a total of $7 million to enact change in their communities.

For a complete list of this year’s Top 40 causes, please visit: www.neighborhoodassist.com.

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One winter morning, the danger of that was fully realized.

Devon Spencer was walking to school with a friend on a February morning in 2016 when he was hit by a teenage driver. The saxophone player and basketball and football star died in the hospital five days later from brain injuries related to the crash. The driver was sentenced to five years in prison.

“It was carelessness. It was a mistake,” says Ria Ricks, Devon’s cousin and State Farm^® Claims specialist – Fire, Weather and Catastrophe.

The City of East Brewton submitted a grant with the state of Alabama to put in sidewalks on both sides of the two-lane road, and now, with the help of a $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist^® grant, the city can provide its portion of the money to start the project. During the voting process, 167,000 people cast 4.5 million votes in support of their favorite causes.

“This grant will make sure the kids have a safe place to walk to school. East Brewton is a really small, rural area with two schools on Williamson Street. There’s a lot of foot traffic,” Ria, who submitted the cause for the grant, says. “This grant will make the children’s commute easier and safer.”

Ria still tears up when she talks about the day her cousin died.

“When everything happened, they found a pair of shoes on the side of the road, but he had his shoes on him. It turns out he had brought an extra pair of shoes for another student who was being picked on,” she says. “He was the sweetest kid, and so talented and smart.”

The East Brewton Sidewalks for Safety in Memory of Devon Spencer is one of 40 causes receiving a Neighborhood Assist grant in 2018. Ten days of voting pushed the winning 40 out of 200 finalists to the top through the crowd-sourced philanthropic grant program.

“State Farm is here to help life go right in neighborhoods all across the country. We look forward to seeing the changes in these 40 communities because of these Neighborhood Assist grants,” said Allison Bertsche, Public Affairs Director at State Farm.

For a complete list of this year’s Top 40 causes, visit www.NeighborhoodAssist.com.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist is a crowd-sourced philanthropic initiative. It empowers communities to identify issues in their neighborhoods. Non-profits affiliated with each of the top 40 causes receive grants to address them.

“State Farm is here to help life go right in neighborhoods all across the country. We look forward to seeing the changes in these 40 communities because of these Neighborhood Assist grants,” said Kellie Clapper, State Farm Assistant Vice President.

At least one submission was received from each of the 50 states. The State Farm Review Committee selected the top 200 finalists from 2,000 submissions. In the six years of the program, 240 causes have received a total of $6 million to enact change in their communities.

For a complete list of the top 40 causes, please visit: www.neighborhoodassist.com.

Forty causes will be awarded a $25,000 grant each to assist their communities. Residents of the United States can submit a cause at www.neighborhoodassist.com from June 7-June 21 or when 2,000 submissions are reached, whichever comes first. Ultimately, voters will decide which community improvement projects win big.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist asks individuals to identify causes that would help make their communities safer, stronger, and smarter.

The State Farm Review Committee will then narrow down the field, using a scoring rubric to identify the top 200 submissions.

The public will have a chance to vote up to 10 times a day, every day for 10 days from August 16-August 25 at www.neighborhoodassist.com for their favorite causes from the list of finalists.

The 40 causes that receive the most votes will each win a $25,000 grant. Winners will be announced on Good Neighbor Day, September 28.

Since the program began, State Farm has awarded $5 million to communities across North America, supporting a wide variety of causes, including:

• Fighting childhood hunger
• Helping homeless veterans
• Revitalizing parks
• Improving literacy
• Offering athletic programs for children with disabilities 

“State Farm has a rich history of giving back to the communities where we live and work, helping make life go right,” said Kellie Clapper, State Farm Assistant Vice President. “From identifying an important cause to rallying your community to vote for it, this program is all about neighbors helping neighbors.”

Last year, 72,000 Americans cast 1.8 Million votes for their favorite causes, selecting winners from small towns and big cities. Be part of the movement and submit your cause to improve your community starting June 7.

You might also be interested in:

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• Finding A New Path