Ford pledges $ 15,000 to 2012 Sri Lanka Environmental Grants Program

Monday, 5 November 2012 00:03 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Ford Motor Company pledged US$ 15,000 to its 2012 Conservation and Environmental Grants Program in Sri Lanka. Marking the program’s tenth year in Southeast Asia and second consecutive year in Sri Lanka, the grant will be made available to deserving local projects dedicated to environmental protection.

Ford Motor Company and dealership partner, Future Automobiles (Pvt.) Ltd., are calling on all individuals, community and non-profit groups with projects in the areas of natural environment preservation, environmental education and conservation engineering to submit their proposals by 30 November 2012. Ford and Future Automobiles will announce the grant winner at a press conference in late December.

“We look forward to receiving more proposal submissions this year from many organisations and individuals in Sri Lanka that are committed to conservation,” said Sujeeva Premaratne, Chief Operating Officer, Future Automobiles. “Last year, the program received an impressive 53 applicants, including proposals from local NGOs, student groups, academics, environmentalists and corporate entities.”

The call for submissions has already commenced. All proposals should reach the organisers by 30 November 2012 and must be made on the official application form with details on the specific project and required funding. The application forms can be downloaded from www.softlogic.lk and to be sent to Future Automobiles, 525, Union Place, Colombo 2.

As in previous years, an appointed jury panel, comprised of independent experts in different areas of conservation, will select winners based on usefulness and practicality, dedication, financial need, originality and the potential to replicate the program.

Judges will also rate applications based on if they demonstrate a well-defined sense of purpose and a commitment to maximising available resources.

Last year, Ford Motor Company selected the Fire Prevention in Knuckles Forest Reserve project as the winning entry in its Conservation and Environmental Grants program in Sri Lanka. The project receivedUS$ 10,000 for prevention measures to minimise the damage caused by forest fires in the southern border of the Knuckles Forest Reserve in the central highlands of Sri Lanka.

Since launching the global grants program more than ten years ago, Ford has awarded more than US$2 million in grants to hundreds of environmental projects in Asia Pacific, the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East and Puerto Rico.

In Asia Pacific alone, Ford has played a pivotal role in advancing more than 60 environmental initiatives and Ford’s Conservation and Environmental Grants program has become an annual event in select markets within Export and Growth’s Asia Pacific region.

“This program is one of the many ways Ford goes further to preserve the environment and improve its communities’ quality of life,” said David Westerman, Regional Manager, Asia Pacific, Ford Export and Growth Operations. “Environmental conservation, protection and education are integral to what we do, both as product innovators and members of the communities we do business in.” Ford Motor Company is dedicated to preserving the environment for future generations and providing ingenious environmental solutions that contribute to a sustainable planet. Initiatives such as Ford’s Conservation and Environmental Grants program evidence a commitment to encourage, support and reward the actions of individuals, groups and non-profit organisations in achieving the same goal.