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RBC Blue Water Project Announces New Focus:
Water Protection and Preservation in Towns and Cities
Deadline for 2013 Leadership and Community
Action Grants Also Announced Today
TORONTO, December 6, 2012 - The RBC Blue Water Project
today announced a new focus for 2013-14 grants, and will now
support initiatives that help protect and preserve water in
towns, cities and urbanized areas.
"Since 2007 we have supported more than 500 charitable
organizations in Canada and around the world that protect
watersheds and promote access to clean drinking water,"
said Gordon M. Nixon, RBC President and CEO. "We are
proud of having supported so many organizations with our funding
to date and are enthusiastic about now turning our attention
to support a focused, urgent issue that is relevant to many
of our clients and employees right where they live."
Most of the world's population now lives in towns and cities,
and this is increasing the strain on water resources in these
areas. Water quality and access are two important issues that
need to be addressed as the population grows in urbanized
centres. As such, RBC will fund programs in towns and cities
with populations of more than 10,000 people that focus on:
- Improving urban water quality;
- Improving management of urban storm and rain water, such
as building awareness about low-impact design or the use
of natural systems to control storm or rain water;
- The efficient use of water in towns and cities; or
- Protecting and restoring urban waterways.
The new focus area applies to both Community Action Grants
(CA $1,000 to $10,000) and Leadership Grants (CA$10,001 to
$100,000). Organizations with projects in any of the countries
and regions in which RBC is located, including Canada, the
United States, Caribbean and the British Isles, may qualify
for RBC funding. RBC has also streamlined the application
process for both Leadership Grants and Community Action Grants.
Expressions of interest for RBC Blue Water Project 2013 Leadership
Grants are being accepted until January 11, 2013. Applications
for Community Action Grants are available online and are due
on February 8, 2013.
Information about the new focus, guidelines, and forms can
all be found at visit www/rbc.com/bluewater
RBC Blue Water Project
Launched in 2007, the RBC Blue Water Project is a 10-year
global commitment of $50 million to help protect the world's
most precious natural resource: fresh water. To date, RBC
has pledged over $36 million to more than 500 charitable organizations
in Canada and around the world that protect watersheds and
promote access to clean drinking water, with an additional
$6 million pledged to universities for water programs. In
2013-2014, the RBC Blue Water Project will focus on supporting
initiatives that help protect and preserve water in towns,
cities and urbanized areas. For further information, visit
www/rbc.com/bluewater.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada (RY on TSX and NYSE) and its subsidiaries
operate under the master brand name RBC. We employ approximately
80,000 full- and part-time employees who serve more than 15
million personal, business, public sector and institutional
clients through offices in Canada, the U.S. and 49 other countries.
RBC is recognized among the world's financial, social and
environmental leaders and is listed on the 2012 - 2013 Dow
Jones Sustainability World Index, the DJSI North American
Index, the Jantzi Social Index and the FTSE4Good Index. RBC
has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers, one of
Canada's 50 Most Socially Responsible Corporations and one
of the Best Workplaces in Canada.
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through
donations, sponsorships and employee volunteer activities.
In 2011, we contributed more than $98 million to causes worldwide
through donations and community investments of more than $64
million, and $34 million in sponsorship of community events
and national organizations.
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For more information please contact:
André Roberts,
corporate communications, 416-974-3678, andre.roberts@rbc.com
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