Sprint to award $50,000 in grants in 2013 to outstanding Denver non-profits

Application period for 2013 Sprint Local Giving Program runs May 1 through June 14

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), April 11, 2013 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) announced today that it will award three grants to Denver-area non-profit organizations this year, totaling $50,000. Grants will be awarded in the amounts of $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 through the Sprint Foundation, Sprint’s philanthropic arm, as part of the Sprint Local Giving Program. This is the fourth year Sprint has offered the program to Denver non-profits.

“Every year, the caliber of applications we receive from Denver is impressive,” said Debby Ballard, director of Community Affairs for Sprint. “For the first time this year, we ask that submitted ideas use technology in some way to make a positive difference for K-12 students. We can hardly wait to see the creative thinking that comes from Denver’s dynamic non-profit community in 2013.”

How the Sprint Local Giving Program works

The Sprint Local Giving Program is a competitive grant program that will award grants to 501(c)3 not-for-profit organizations to fund programs that serve K-12 youth while using technology to provide a meaningful impact in one or more of the following Sprint focus areas:

• Youth development (including mentoring, leadership and academic achievement)
• Arts and culture
• Environmental stewardship

Eligible organizations must be located in the Denver area (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties). Additional eligibility requirements can be found at http://www.sprint.com/localgiving.

Nominations for the Sprint Local Giving Program will be accepted between 9 a.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, May 1, and 6 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, June 14, at www.sprint.com/localgiving.

Sprint will then review all applications and notify the three finalist organizations, each of which will receive one of the three available Denver grants – $25,000, $15,000 or $10,000. Sprint will also provide the three finalists with video-capable Sprint mobile phones for a three-week period. The three finalists will use these devices to create short videos highlighting the programs for which they are requesting funding. These videos will be judged by Sprint to determine which level of funding will be awarded to each organization. (Additional details about the video will be provided to the finalist organizations at the appropriate time; organizations applying for a Sprint Local Giving Program grant should not submit video applications until they’ve received instructions from Sprint.)

By the end of September, Sprint will notify the finalist organizations which level of funding they have received. A local reception will be held near the end of the year, during which Sprint will present the award checks.

Local non-profit organizations can learn more about this program at www.sprint.com/localgiving.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 55 million customers at the end of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in both its 2011 and 2012 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.