Nine Local Nonprofits Receive $40,000 Each in GSK IMPACT Awards for Building a Healthier Philadelphia

December 2, 2014 /3BL Media/ - GlaxoSmithKline (@GSKUS) today (#GivingTuesday) announced the winners of the 2014 GSK IMPACT Awards for the Greater Philadelphia region during a ceremony at GSK’s facility at The Philadelphia Navy Yard. Nine local nonprofits earned $40,000 each in recognition of their exceptional achievements in contributing to a healthier Philadelphia.

The 2014 GSK IMPACT Award winners are:

• After School Activities Partnerships (@PhillyASAP) – Building healthy communities by developing high-quality after-school activities and resources to empower youth and strengthen communities.
• The Center for Grieving Children (@CGCPhiladelphia) – Building healthy communities by supporting the needs of grieving children and families.
• Community Design Collaborative of Philadelphia (@cdesignc_tweets) – Building healthy communities by strengthening neighborhoods through design.
• Gearing Up - A Nonprofit Corporation (@gearingupPhila) – Building healthy communities by providing women in transition from abuse, addiction, and/or incarceration with the skills, equipment, and guidance to ride a bicycle for exercise, transportation, and personal growth.
• Graduate! Philadelphia (@GraduatePhilly) – Building healthy communities by helping adults complete their college degrees.
• Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (@PHS_gardening) – Building healthy and green communities by creating a sense of community through horticulture.
• Philadelphia Youth Network, Inc. (@PYNinc) – Building healthy communities by changing systems and improving educational and economic outcomes for youth.
• University City District (@ucdphl) – Building a healthy, vibrant University City through major investments in public space development, public maintenance, and public safety.
• YouthBuild Philly (@YouthBuildPHL) – Building healthy communities by helping young people to rebuild their lives (earning their diplomas, learning vital job skills, and providing community services).

 “Today’s winners show us what it means and what it takes to build a healthier greater Philadelphia area,” said Katie Loovis, Director, US Community Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, GSK.

Much of what influences our health happens outside the doctor’s office – in our communities. Community factors such as access to healthy foods and recreational spaces, and the support of families and social networks undeniably contribute to our health. The GSK IMPACT Awards recognize nonprofit organizations with sustainable programs that address these critical community factors.

In Philadelphia, the GSK IMPACT Awards are presented in partnership with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey (@PhillySJUnited). “Partnering with GSK to improve lives is what United Way’s work as a convener of the nonprofit and corporate communities is all about, because we know we’re stronger together,” said Anthony J. Conti, interim president and CEO, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. “We congratulate the nine winning nonprofits on this well-deserved accomplishment and look forward to the impact they will create to build healthier communities.”

New this year, each GSK IMPACT Award winning organization has been invited to compete for an additional $10K Challenge grant. Today, during #GivingTuesday, participating organizations are proposing via Twitter what they would do with an additional $10,000 to foster a healthier community. Follow #GSKIMPACT to see the ideas and find out the winner of the $10K Challenge grant. 

About the GSK IMPACT Awards – The awards are one of several charitable programs GSK offers in the U.S. as part of a commitment to building healthier communities and a healthy America. Annually, for nearly 20 years, we have honored up to 20 innovative and evidence-informed nonprofits that improve the health of the communities where our employees live and work (in and around our corporate campuses in the Research Triangle Park, NC and Philadelphia, PA). A panel of local and national health experts and senior GSK representatives evaluate the applications and determine the winners.

To date, nearly 200 exemplary U.S.-based nonprofits have been honored with close to $8 million in GSK IMPACT Awards. Nearly $6 million has been awarded to approximately 150 local nonprofit organizations in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Applications are accepted from nonprofit organizations that addressed at least one of the following health factors and measures: 1) Diet and Exercise; 2) Education; 3) Employment; 4) Family and Social Support; and 5) the Built Environment. Throughout the competitive process, applicants must demonstrate that their organization has stable operations and is in strong financial health, and that their programming is evidence-informed, innovative, collaborative, replicable or scalable, and systemic.

About United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey – UWGPSNJ, serving communities in Pennsylvania’s Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, and New Jersey’s Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May and Cumberland counties, is part of a national network of more than 1,300 locally governed organizations that work to create lasting positive changes in communities and in people’s lives. United Way engages the community to identify the underlying causes of the most significant local issues, develops strategies and pulls together financial and human resources to address them, and measures the results. United Way is advancing the common good in Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey by positively impacting the lives of people throughout the region in the areas of education, income, and health. For more information about United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, visit www.UnitedForImpact.org.

About GSK – GSK, one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer.  For further information go to us.gsk.com, follow us on twitter.com/GSKUS, or visit our blog (www.morethanmedicine.us.gsk.com/blog/). 

View our US fact sheet and Pennsylvania fact sheet for a snapshot of our work building healthy communities in the US.

Join the conversation! Tweet using @GSKUS and #GSKimpact.

View and download photos of the GSK IMPACT Award winners.

Media Inquiries:

Jennifer Armstrong          Jennifer.L.Armstrong@gsk.com       215 751 5664       (Philadelphia)