We're Back! The Aviva Community Fund Returns with $1,000,000 to "Insure" Positive Change Across Canada

(3BL Media / theCSRfeed) Toronto - Sept. 26, 2011 - Aviva Canada Inc., one of the country's leading providers of home, auto, leisure and business insurance, is pleased to announce the return of the Aviva Community Fund competition. The third year of the competition opens today, offering Canadians $1,000,000 to lead, empower and support community initiatives across the country.

Starting today, Canadians can go to AvivaCommunityFund.org to submit ideas that will have a positive effect on their local community. After rallying support from friends, family, neighbours and co-workers, the most popular ideas will have a chance to be funded with the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund.

The eleven winning ideas in 2010 ranged from a hockey team for youth with intellectual and physical disabilities in Ottawa, to an animal shelter in Yellowknife, to playgrounds for schools in British Columbia, Ontario and New Brunswick. Launched in the fall of 2009, the Aviva Community Fund competition has already provided over $1.5 million in funding to 19 charities and community groups.

"Helping Canadians is what we do every day at Aviva, and the Aviva Community Fund is an extension of this," said Maurice Tulloch, President and CEO, Aviva Canada. "We've had such an overwhelming response to the Aviva Community Fund that we're back with another $1,000,000 pledge."

While Canadians will still be able to access the competition and vote via AvivaCommunityFund.org, new this year is increased accessibility via Facebook. All ideas submitted to the Fund will be visible and able to accept votes via www.facebook.com/AvivaCommunityFund. Also, for every Like the Aviva Community Fund receives on Facebook, $1 will be donated to Free The Children to support at-risk youth programs in Canada.

To ensure that all Canadians are able to participate, the Aviva Community Fund website features eSSENTIAL Accessibility, an innovative service that ensures the website is fully accessible to individuals with physical disabilities.

Organizations submitting proposals can now also associate their ideas with registered charities. As the competition progresses, the "vote now" button will be replaced with a "donate now" button.  Even if an idea does not garner enough votes to win funding, it can continue leveraging its network to collect donations from supporters. The donation process and tax receipting functionality for the Aviva Community Fund is powered by Benevity (www.benevity.org), a software company that builds giving into business transactions, including cause marketing, community investment and workplace giving programs.

About Aviva Canada
Aviva Canada Inc. is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada, providing home, automobile, recreational vehicle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers. The group has more than 3,000 employees, 30 locations, 1,700 independent broker partners and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of UK-based Aviva plc, the world's sixth-largest insurance group. For more information visit avivacanada.com.

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