National Bank Recognized as Outstanding Enterprise of the Year in Philanthropy

MONTREAL, Nov. 15, 2013 /CNW Telbec/ - National Bank is proud to have received the Outstanding Enterprise of the Year in Philanthropy award in the "over 250 employees" category from the Quebec chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals at the Omni Mont-Royal hotel.

"It is a great honour for National Bank to receive this award on National Philanthropy Day. This recognition for the commitment that the Bank and its employees show to their communities is very motivating. They devote many hours to organizing events and collecting donations, and this award acknowledges the impressive support they give to the community," said Diane Giard, Executive Vice-President - Personal and Commercial Banking at National Bank.

From among the many initiatives that led to the Bank receiving this award, the launch of the One for Youth program undoubtedly highlighted the Bank's commitment in 2013. The approach of this program illustrates how inventive and hands-on National Bank's charitable efforts are. In order to effectively align our community involvement with local needs, the Bank set up 12 regional committees across Canada to select organizations with youth initiatives. The regional committees recently selected 104 organizations, out of the more than 1,600 applications, that will share the $1 million raised, so that they can implement inspiring youth-related projects.

In addition to launching the One for Youth program this year, the Bank was also involved in various initiatives and continued support campaigns, including the following:

• The Institute for Entrepreneurship National Bank-HEC Montréal, devoted to entrepreneurship, up and coming entrepreneurs and families in business
• National Bank On the Ball program, which involves recovering used tennis balls to place them on the legs of classroom chairs, creating an environment that is conducive to learning (750,000 balls have been collected to date)
• For the past 10 years, National Bank has been giving financial support to organizations to which the Bank's employees and retirees dedicate their time through its Volunteer Program
• National Bank's Leap to Success program allows young people to meet with National Bank mentors who want to give them tips and share their experience in order to encourage young people's entrepreneurial spirit.
• National Bank also gets involved with the United Way/Centraide yearly campaign. Last year, the Bank's employees and retirees donated more than $3.4 million to the organization, making National Bank the largest corporate donor for United Way/Centraide.

Every year, through its donations and sponsorships program and the initiatives of its employees, National Bank supports hundreds of organizations across Canada. It is particularly committed to supporting health, education, arts and culture, and community outreach, with the goal of generating positive benefits for communities. To find out more, visit commitment.nationalbank.ca.

About National Bank of Canada
With $187 billion in assets as at July 31, 2013, National Bank of Canada (www.nbc.ca) together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canada's leading integrated financial groups, and has been named among the 20 strongest banks in the world by Bloomberg Markets. The Bank has close to 20,000 employees and is widely recognized as a top employer. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Bank's activities via social media and learn more about its extensive community involvement at clearfacts.ca and commitment.nationalbank.ca.

SOURCE National Bank of Canada