Open competition for this year's "Virtus" award - Rockefeller Brothers Fund organizes trip to New York for winners

Open competition for the third "Virtus" award for corporate philantropy, which is intended for companies and enterprises that provided outstanding support to some public or non-profitable campaign or organization in 2009.

In addition to four main categories, that is, awards for contribution at national level, contribution to local community, small and mid-sized enterprises, and the most innovative project of the year, the awards will also be granted in two special categories - for long-term partnership between business and non-profitable sector and for media contribution.

The news is that certain number of this year's laureates of "Virtus" award will have the opportunity to travel to New York, thanks to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF), where they will visit specially equipped Pocantico conference center and famous Rockefeller center on the Fifth Avenue.

During their stay in New York, the guests from Serbia will attend series of useful meetings, workshops and round tables, which will be the opportunity for them to meet the representatives of the Fund, US business sector and non-profitable organizations, as well as to exchange the experiences concerning the development of social responsibility and corporate philantropy, and to get familiar with the latest trends in that field. The idea of the organizers - BCIF and RBF - is to additionally reward and stimulate local leaders in socially responsible operations, as well as to give them the chance for further improvement.

All local and foreign companies, public and state-owned, small and mid-sized enterprises, media companies, corporate funds and foundations are free to apply for the awards prior to October 8th, 2009.

The open competition is organized by the Balkan Community Initiatives Fund, with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Institute for Sustainable Communities.