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RBC kicks off Blue Water Year on World Water Day
Donations of $235,000 on their way to 52 organizations
TORONTO, March 20, 2009 — RBC will mark World
Water Day (March 22) by sending cheques totaling $235,000
to 52 community-based organizations across North America.
These donations, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, are part of
the RBC Blue Water Project, a 10-year, $50 million philanthropic
commitment to supporting organizations that protect watersheds
and ensure access to clean drinking water.
World Water Day 2009 also marks the kick-off for an entire
year of RBC Blue Water Project initiatives. Earlier this week,
RBC released the 2009
Canadian Water Attitudes Study with Unilever Canada,
which found that Canadians think water is the country's most
valuable resource.
Here are some other highlights coming in the year ahead:
- March 20: RBC will host a "clean
water quiz" until the end of April.
- April 15 to September 7: RBC will sponsor the Montreal
Science Centre's Aqua exhibit created by the ONE DROP Foundation,
an initiative of Guy Laliberté— founder of
Cirque du Soleil. Music, sound, lighting, 360-degree
projections and installations will create a voyage into
the world of water. Tickets go on sale March 23.
- April 22: RBC will release a set of environmental
guidelines for its employees and operations worldwide, including
information on how to reduce the company's water footprint.
- July: RBC will announce its 2009 Leadership Grant
recipients, expected to total more than $1.5 million. RBC
received 159 applications earlier in March for these grants,
which will range from $25,000 to $500,000. Short-listing
is currently in progress.
- October: RBC will support a national lecture series
with the Canadian Museum of Nature called "Voices:
A Canadian Perspective on Water", including a traveling
exhibition called
- Canada's Waterways: yours to enjoy, explore and
protect" that will visit 15 cities over 5 years.
- October: RBC will release an economics report assessing
the financial value of water in Canada, in order to support
better water management decision-making at municipal, provincial
and federal levels.
The Community Action Grants being donated today are added
to a growing list of RBC Blue Water Project grant recipients
announced since 2007. To date, RBC has now donated or committed
more than $16 million in grants to 119 organizations worldwide.
Local or community organizations in Canada, the United States
or the Caribbean may apply for Community Action Grants all
year long.
RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and
environmental leaders and is included on the Dow Jones World
and North American Sustainability Indices, the Jantzi Social
Index, the FTSE4Good Index, and the Global 100 Most Sustainable
Corporations ranking. RBC is among 67 companies and one of
only 18 financial institutions worldwide named to the 2008
Global Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index. In 2007, RBC released
the RBC Environmental Blueprint, the company's approach to
lending responsibly, reducing the intensity of its operations
and developing environmental products and services. RBC contributed
$99 million to community causes worldwide in 2008, through
donations of more than $51.5 million, and an additional $47.5
million in sponsorship of community events.
For more information on the RBC Blue Water Project, as well
as grant guidelines and application forms, visit www.rbc.com/bluewater.
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