BLOOMINGTON, Ill., March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Nominations are now being accepted for a contest that gives communities across the United States a chance to win big. State Farm Neighborhood Assist will award 40 communities a $25,000 grant that they will use to help make their hometowns a better place to live. Anyone in the United States can submit a cause now through March 29, 2015. Ultimately, the public will vote to decide which causes receive the grants. For more information on State Farm Neighborhood Assist or to submit a cause, get the free Facebook app at www.statefarm.com/neighborhoodassist.

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Key Dates for State Farm Neighborhood Assist:

• March 9 – March 29     Submit causes, exclusively through Facebook
• March 30 – May 13      YAB identifies top 200 finalists
• May 14 – June 3          Vote for causes, exclusively through Facebook
• June 16                      State Farm announces winners

Returning for its fourth year, State Farm Neighborhood Assist asks individuals to identify causes that would help make their communities safer, stronger and better-educated. Up to 4,000 causes will be able to submit an entry. The State Farm Youth Advisory Board (YAB) will then narrow down the field, using a scoring rubric to identify the top 200 submissions. The public will then have a chance to vote up to 10 times a day on Facebook from May 14 – June 3 for their favorite causes. The 40 causes that receive the most votes will win a $25,000 grant. The nominations and votes will be accepted exclusively through a free Facebook app.

“People are looking for ways to help their communities,” said Kellie Clapper, State Farm Assistant Vice President. “Neighborhood Assist empowers individuals to identify problems in their communities and provides the needed funding to help create a positive impact.”

In the past three years State Farm Neighborhood Assist has given $3 million in grants to support 120 causes. Last year, communities of all sizes rallied their friends and neighbors to support their cause and generated almost 3 million votes. Top vote getters last year ranged from Camp Journey who provides free camp to kids with cancer, to Yummy Bags that helps feed school kids and improve literacy.

“The State Farm Neighborhood Assist grant has been phenomenal. It has allowed us to increase the number of students we can serve food and provide books for our after school-tutoring program. We have been able to increase the number of students we serve from the 15 original, we are now up to 60,” said Pat Mick, Co-Founder of Yummy Bags, a 2014 grant recipient nonprofit that provides weekend meals to school kids. “I don’t have to see the children receive the bags, I don’t even know who the children are. It’s going to make a difference in the life of a child, that’s all I need.”

About State Farm®: 
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 18,000 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve over 82 million policies and accounts – nearly 80 million auto, home, life, health and commercial policies, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 41 on the 2014 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.

About the Youth Advisory Board
The Youth Advisory Board is comprised of 30 students, ages 17-20, from across the United States who serve a two-year term. Their directive is to implement a $5 million-a-year signature service-learning initiative to address issues important to youth and communities. The Board is completely autonomous and youth-driven, and funds projects focused on issues selected by the board that impact youth. It consists of a diverse group of full-time students at high schools and universities. Each member commits about 15 hours a month to the Board and participates in three face-to-face meetings per calendar year. The Board will fund the 40 grants awarded through the State Farm Neighborhood Assist program with a portion of its $5 million funding in 2014. For more information on the Youth Advisory Board, visit www.statefarmyab.com.