Sprint to award $50,000 in grants in 2014 to outstanding Denver nonprofits

Application period for 2014 Sprint Local Giving Program runs May 1 through June 13

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), April 15, 2014 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) announced today that it will award three grants to Denver nonprofit 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 fifth year Sprint has offered the program to Denver nonprofits.

“We continue to be impressed by the caliber of applications we receive from Denver,” said Debby Ballard, director of Community Affairs for Sprint. “We look forward to seeing the innovative programs that the Denver nonprofit community has in store for 2014.”

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 www.sprint.com/localgiving.

Nominations for the Sprint Local Giving Program will be accepted between 9 a.m. Central time on Thursday, May 1, and 5 p.m. Central time on Friday, June 13, 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 nonprofit organizations can learn more about this program at www.sprint.com/localgiving.

About Sprint

Sprint (NYSE: S) offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint served more than 55 million customers at the end of 2013 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; 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 as the most improved company in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last five years. Sprint has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

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