“We’re again donating $25,000 in free public relations and newswire services to worthy non-profit and charitable organizations to celebrate our 29th anniversary,” said Neotrope founder and CEO, Christopher Laird Simmons. “With this expansion, we’ve now added $25,000 in online marketing services to the program for the first time. This new component gives the grant recipients far more visibility online by running their advertising in ROS campaigns on our news network; we will even create banners for the recipients if they don’t already have them.”

Neotrope previously donated services as part of its Non-Profit PR Grants Program in 2011, 2009, 2005 and 2000. In 2010, Neotrope “adopted” various charities in lieu of providing the PR Grant program, and has provided discounted or free services to various non-profits for almost 30 years. Neotrope’s Send2Press(R) Newswire service provides the online news dissemination component of the grants program for getting press releases in front of interested media.

Past recipients of the Non-Profit PR Grant Program include Children Awaiting Parents, Girls Write Now, Paws of Life Foundation, Special Equestrians, The Bob Moog Foundation, The Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Native Voices Foundation, World Savvy, and many others.

“Neotrope has played an important role in our success in the last couple years,” said Dana Mortenson, Executive Director, World Savvy. “The Neotrope PR Service Grant in 2009 was tremendously helpful in a critical year of our growth. With Neotrope’s help spreading the word for our youth engagement programs, we were able to engage more than 6,000 youth and 1,100 educators in our programs during the 2009-2010 school year.”

“Neotrope has done more to raise our profile than we could have ever imagined, and we thoroughly enjoyed working with them,” said Tammy Westney, Executive Director, Special Equestrians.

How to Apply for 2012 Grant Program:

Non-profit organizations may apply online through January 15, 2012. Organizations will be selected by January 30, 2012, and the amount donated to each selected non-profit will vary, but typically $2,500 in PR services per recipient plus the additional online marketing/advertising component (total value approximately $5,000 per recipient; this is not a cash grant). Two of the grants will be provided to California-based non-profits, who will receive additional promotional assistance through California Newswire(R). Additionally, all 501(c)(3) organizations automatically qualify for a 15% service discount.

The 2012 Neotrope PR Grant application for U.S. based IRS recognized 501(c)3 charitable non-profits can be found at http://www.Send2Press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

About Neotrope:

Since 1983, Neotrope (www.neotrope.com) has been helping small-to-medium businesses, non-profits, and entertainment companies establish their brand and grow revenue. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 listed company in 2009. The Neotrope(R) marketing team includes Christopher Laird Simmons, who is an award-winning designer, photographer, musician and digital artist. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and ASCAP. Simmons has been widely interviewed by publications as diverse as Entrepreneur, Chicago Post Tribune, Medical Office Front Desk Pro, Monster.com, Nutraceuticals World, PCWorld, Produce Merchandising, and TrendWatch. He has written for a number of national print publications including Digital Imaging, Print on Demand Business, the Graphic Artists Guild newsletter, and he sold his first article in 1984 to Polyphony (now Electronic Musician). Other team members include accredited public relations professionals, working journalists and SEO experts.

“The U.S. economy the past two years had been hard on small business, and even harder on small charities and non-profits. This PR Grant program is our way of supporting some of the numerous smaller organizations we feel need ongoing help to ‘get the word out’ about their worthwhile efforts,” said Neotrope CEO and co-founder, Christopher Simmons. “We’ve been very helpful to numerous organizations to increase visibility both online and off, and hope to continue this program into the future.”

Founded in 1983, Neotrope has previously donated services as part of its Non-Profit PR Grants Program in 2011, 2009, 2005 and 2000, and has provided discounted or free services to various non-profits for almost 30 years.

Neotrope, and its service division Send2Press Newswire (www.Send2Press.com), have also sponsored art benefits contributing to aid efforts for the homeless in Chicago, groups providing environmentally sustainable housing in areas of the world where disaster has left people without adequate shelter; and to orgs who raise money for AIDS orphans.

How to Apply for 2012 NonProfit PR Grant Program:
Non-profit organizations may apply starting November 15, 2011 through January 15, 2012. Organizations will be selected by January 30, 2012, and the amount donated to each selected non-profit will vary, but typically $2500 in services per recipient (this is not a cash grant). Three of the grants will be provided to California-based non-profits, who will receive additional promotional assistance through California Newswire(R). Additionally, all 501(c)(3) organizations automatically qualify for a 15% service discount.

The 2012 Neotrope PR Grant application can be found at http://www.Send2Press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

About Neotrope:
Since 1983, Neotrope (www.neotrope.com) has been helping small-to-medium businesses, non-profits, and entertainment companies establish their brand and grow revenue. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 listed company in 2009. The Neotrope(R) marketing team includes Christopher Laird Simmons, who is an award-winning designer, photographer, musician and digital artist. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and ASCAP. Simmons has been widely interviewed by publications as diverse as Entrepreneur, Chicago Post Tribune, PCWorld, Monster.com, and TrendWatch. Other team members include accredited public relations professionals, working journalists and broadcast veterans.

Neotrope(R) is a registered trademark and service mark in the U.S. and Europe. Send2Press and California Newswire are registered service marks of Neotrope. All rights reserved.

“Many of our clients had great growth in the period of 2005-2008, and then when the economy tanked in 2009 and 2010, promotional budgets got constrained, and some companies had to abandon marketing and PR altogether,” said Neotrope CEO, Christopher Laird Simmons; a member of PRSA and ASCAP. “This year we’ve heard from a lot of companies coming back from the brink, and they have asked for discounts or considerations, and we have rolled back our service plan pricing where possible to accommodate our clients.”

Most Send2Press service plan pricing has been reduced back to 2008 levels, which amounts to an immediate 10 to 20% price “roll back” effective August 1, 2011, on most services.

“Many marketing firms and news services arbitrarily raise their rates 5% – 10% each year, and we followed suit this year after holding the line for many years; as it turned out, that wasn’t what our customers needed at the exact moment their budgets again allowed for marketing campaigns,” said Simmons. “This roll-back program will help those clients bring their businesses back up to speed without having to face their own debt crises like the U.S. is experiencing right now.”

About Neotrope:
Since 1983 Neotrope(R) has delivered services to raise organization awareness including brand identity, marketing, public relations (PR), and SEO services. Neotrope is also an entertainment publishing company involved in books, music, software, and online portals. The company pioneered the concept of search optimization of press release content back in 1997. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 company in 2009. More information: www.Neotrope.com .

About Send2Press:
Send2Press(R) (a service of Neotrope) offers best-in-class affordable Direct-to-Editors(TM) news distribution to working print and broadcast media, online and social media, and deep into search engines using proprietary Neotrope ContextEngine(TM) technology. Send2Press is unique because it was the first newswire service with staff entirely comprised of accredited public relations professionals, published authors, working journalists, and marketing experts. Learn more about Send2Press at www.Send2Press.com .

The program for the event, to be held May 1-3 in Washington, DC, is built around this year’s World Press Freedom Day theme, “21st Century Media: New Frontiers, New Barriers.” Dynamic conversations, commemorative, educational and interactive events will be held at the Newseum, the National Press Club, and other venues in Washington, DC. Registered attendees will have the opportunity to take part in more than 15 plenary and breakout sessions which will cover topics ranging from “Social Media: The New News Network?” and “New Barriers: Censorship in the Digital Age” to “New Frontiers: Transforming Media in the 21st Century.”

The United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) organizes World Press Freedom Day commemorations every year on May 3 worldwide. In a statement issued April 2nd, UNESCO Director-General Bokova noted, “The program for World Press Freedom Day 2011 is designed to foster a global conversation around some of the most important questions of our time and to support those around the globe who are on the front lines working to advance free expression.”

Keynote speakers at the event will include UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale, and U.S. Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Maria Otero. Among the more than 80 additional speakers are the leading voices on the front lines advancing and protecting press freedom around the world, including Bob Woodward, Associate Editor, Washington Post ,Wael Abbas, Egyptian journalist and blogger, and John Kampfner, Index on Censorship.

Registration is free and open, but space is limited. For World Press Freedom Day 2011 event registration information, please visit www.wpfd2011.org. Many sessions will be live streamed online for those unable to attend in person. Partnerships with Washington, DC-area universities and specialized press centers will provide additional opportunities for members of the media and bloggers to engage in World Press Freedom Day activities.

As part of this grant program, Neotrope(R) is providing PR solutions, news dissemination (through its Send2Press(R) Newswire service), and search marketing for The Bob Moog Foundation to help raise awareness to both media and the public regarding their efforts in education, archiving and restoring Dr. Moog’s works, and Moogseum fundraising efforts. Part of the Foundation’s mission is to protect and restore the Bob Moog Archive, which offers a unique glimpse into electronic music history. The Foundation, based in North Carolina, is working to preserve the entirety of this invaluable collection.

“We’re grateful to have Neotrope aboard to assist our efforts to educate children and archive, rescue and share Bob’s legacy,” stated Michelle Moog-Koussa, Executive Director of The Bob Moog Foundation. “Neotrope has done great work with many other charities and non-profits, and I look forward to working with them in widening the awareness of our efforts.”

“We’re honored in providing assistance for The Bob Moog Foundation, in both keeping alive Bob’s legacy in the music industry, but also in building educational and historical programs that showcase a unique music history,” said Neotrope CEO, Christopher Laird Simmons; a member of PRSA and ASCAP. “Bob was an inspiration to me and hopefully our efforts will, in some small way, help more people learn about the foundation’s archival and educational programs, as well as fundraising for the planned Moogseum.”

Additional information regarding the Neotrope 2011 PR Grants for U.S. charitable non-profits and grant recipients can be found at: http://send2press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

About The Bob Moog Foundation:
The Bob Moog Foundation (http://moogfoundation.org/) was created upon Bob’s passing in August 2005. After witnessing the outpouring of thousands of testimonials from people around the world who had been touched by Bob’s work, Bob’s family and colleagues established the foundation to carry on his legacy.

The Foundation officially launched a year later in August 2006, and is based in Asheville, North Carolina. After volunteering her time as director for over a year, Michelle Moog-Koussa, Bob’s third daughter became the full-time executive director in February of 2007. Over the course of the past four years, Michelle, the Board, and a team of dedicated volunteers have been leading the foundation to fulfill our goals of creating a Moogseum, preserving Bob’s archive and bringing electronic music into the schools as a vehicle to teach children about science, music and innovation.

Over the past three years, we have been supported by donors around the world who are passionate about Bob Moog’s legacy and by organizations throughout the music industry.

The Bob Moog Foundation is an independent non-profit organization which is not formally affiliated with Moog Music, Inc., the company that manufactures Moog(R) instruments. The Foundation’s Board of Directors is Chaired by Bryan Bell, creator of Synthbank .com, music technologist, producer and sound engineer.

About Neotrope:
Since 1983 Neotrope(R) has delivered services to raise organization awareness including brand identity, marketing, public relations (PR), and SEO services. Neotrope is also an entertainment publishing company involved in books, music, software, and online portals. The company pioneered the concept of search optimization of press release content back in 1997. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 company in 2009. More information: www.Neotrope.com .

As part of this grant program, Neotrope is providing PR solutions, news dissemination, and search marketing for World Savvy to help raise awareness to both media and the public regarding their programs, sponsors, partners and other activities. In 2009, World Savvy (WS) was also a recipient of Neotrope’s PR Grants program. Neotrope/Send2Press is also promoting WS to its customers and other partners in order to bring additional resources together to help WS widen its awareness in the small to medium business space.

“Neotrope has played an important role in our success in the last couple years,” stated Dana Mortenson, Executive Director of World Savvy. “The PR Service Grant in 2009 was tremendously helpful in a critical year of our growth. With Neotrope’s help spreading the word for our youth engagement programs, we were able to engage more than 6,000 youth and 1,100 educators in our programs during the 2009-2010 school year. The announcement about our annual Gala in September 2009, which Neotrope assisted us to distribute prior to the event, helped bring an incredibly generous crowd to the event, which raised a record $140,000. We are grateful for Neotrope’s contribution and look forward to growing our partnership.”

“We’ve been honored in providing assistance for World Savvy, and their work with dynamic youth engagement and teacher training programs that focus on the integration of global content in teaching and learning across disciplines,” said Neotrope CEO, Christopher Laird Simmons; a member of PRSA and ASCAP. “Hopefully our efforts have, and will continue, in some small way to help more people learn about World Savvy and their programs.”

Additional information regarding the 2011 PR Grants for U.S. charitable non-profits can be found at: http://send2press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

About World Savvy:
World Savvy’s mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs, to prepare the next generation of leaders to learn, work and live as responsible global citizens in the 21st century.

A 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, World Savvy was founded in San Francisco by Dana Mortenson and Madiha Murshed in response to a critical need for youth to acquire global knowledge and 21st century skills within the conspicuous absence of global education programs in K-12 education in the United States. World Savvy’s dynamic academic and arts programs for youth and professional development services for educators help youth in middle and high school learn how to think rather than what to think about critical global and community issues, which are often complex and unaddressed in school, and have enormous implications for their local community.

These programs support systemic change in K-12 education, providing every student in every classroom with the content knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be leaders and change makers in their diverse communities, locally and globally. Since founding, the organization has grown from serving 90 students and 20 teachers, to serving more than 6,000 youth and 1,100 teachers annually from three offices nationally: San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York. Cumulatively, World Savvy has worked with more than 10,000 youth and 1,400 educators in its nine-year history. More information: http://www.worldsavvy.org .

Upcoming Event:
Join World Savvy on March 5, 2011, as students from 24 schools around the Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul present their research and solutions to some of today’s most pressing issues related to food.

For more information, go to:
http://worldsavvy.org/events/minnesotas-third-annual-world-affairs-challenge/ .

About Neotrope:
Since 1983 Neotrope(R) has delivered services to raise organization awareness including brand identity, marketing, public relations (PR), and SEO services. Neotrope is also an entertainment publishing company involved in books, music, software, and online portals. The company pioneered the concept of search optimization of press release content back in 1997. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 company in 2009. More information: http://www.Neotrope.com .

As part of this grants program, Neotrope is providing PR solutions, news dissemination, and search marketing for Starlight to help raise awareness to both media and the public regarding Starlight programs, partners and other activities. In 2009 and 2010, Starlight was also a recipient of Neotrope’s PR Grants program. Neotrope/Send2Press is also promoting Starlight to its customers and other partners in order to bring additional resources together to help Starlight widen its awareness in the small to medium business space.

“We appreciate all that Neotrope has done for Starlight through its Non-Profit PR Grant programs,” says Jacqueline Hart-Ibrahim, CEO of Starlight. “We have been able to build awareness, and with Neotrope’s ongoing help, I am certain that Starlight will continue to make great strides toward becoming a household name.”

“We’ve been honored the past couple of years in providing promotional services for Starlight, in order to help raise awareness for its good work with kids and families,” said Neotrope CEO, Christopher Laird Simmons; a member of PRSA and ASCAP. “Hopefully our efforts have, and will continue, in some small part to help more people learn about Starlight and its wonderful programs for families dealing with health crises.”

Additional information regarding the 2011 PR Grants for U.S. charitable non-profits can be found at: http://www.send2press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

About Starlight Children’s Foundation:

When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than 25 years, Starlight Children’s Foundation(TM) has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight’s programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit http://www.starlight.org .

An electronic press kit for Starlight can be found online at:
http://www.starlight.org/epk/ .

About Neotrope:
Since 1983 Neotrope(R) has delivered services to raise organization awareness including brand identity, marketing, public relations, and SEO services. Neotrope is also an entertainment publishing company involved in books, music, software, and online portals. The company pioneered the concept of search optimization of press release content back in 1997. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 company in 2009. More information: http://Neotrope.com .

About Send2Press:
Send2Press(R) (a service of Neotrope) offers best-in-class affordable Direct-to-Editors(TM) news distribution to working print and broadcast media, online and social media, and deep into search engines using proprietary Neotrope ContextEngine(TM) technology. Send2Press is unique because it was the first newswire service with staff entirely comprised of accredited public relations professionals, published authors, working journalists, and marketing experts. Learn more about Send2Press at http://Send2Press.com .

“This PR Grant program is our way of supporting some of the numerous smaller organizations we feel need ongoing help to ‘get the word out’ about their worthwhile efforts,” said Neotrope CEO and co-founder, Christopher Simmons. “Many smaller non-profits have been suffering from lower revenues the past couple of years, due to the economy and less visibility than some of the larger charities with Fortune 500 sponsors; and it’s been harder than ever for these orgs to raise awareness. We’ve always taken corporate social responsibility very seriously, and we decided many years ago that it was better to use our expertise to help these causes versus simply writing them a small donation check.”

Neotrope, and its service division Send2Press Newswire (www.Send2Press.com), have previously sponsored art benefits contributing to aid efforts for the homeless in Chicago, groups providing environmentally sustainable housing in areas of the world where disaster has left people without adequate shelter; and to orgs who raise money for AIDS orphans.

Non-profit organizations may apply for free services starting January 7th, through February 10th, 2011. Organizations will be selected as applications are received, and the amount donated to each selected non-profit will vary, but typically $3600 in services per recipient (this is not a cash grant). Three of the grants will be provided to California-based non-profits, who will receive additional promotional assistance through California Newswire(R). Additionally, all 501(c)(3) organizations automatically qualify for a 28% service discount.

The 2011 Neotrope PR Grant application can be found at http://www.Send2Press.com/non-profit/index.shtml .

Past recipients of the PR grant program include Children Awaiting Parents, Girls Write Now, Paws of Life Foundation, Special Equestrians, The Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Native Voices Foundation, World Savvy, and many others.

About Neotrope:
Since 1983, Neotrope (www.neotrope.com) has been helping small-to-medium businesses, non-profits, and entertainment companies establish their brand and grow revenue. Neotrope was an Inc. 5000 listed company in 2009. The Neotrope(R) marketing team includes Christopher Laird Simmons, who is an award-winning designer, photographer, musician and digital artist. He is a member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and ASCAP. Simmons has been widely interviewed by publications as diverse as Entrepreneur, Chicago Post Tribune, PCWorld, Monster.com, and TrendWatch. Other team members include accredited public relations professionals, working journalists and broadcast veterans.

2009 PR Grants Recipient announcement:
http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2008-12-1212-001.shtml .

2009 PR Grants announcement:
http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2008-10-1001-001.shtml .

2005 Grant announcement:
http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2005-01-0128-002.shtml .

2000 Grant announcement:
http://www.neotrope.com/text/news_PR_00-0802.shtml .

“Due to the economy the two last years we were unable to provide our PR Grants Program in 2010,” said Neotrope CEO Christopher Simmons. “Thankfully, things are picking up, so we will be able to offer the grant program again for 2011, but in the meanwhile we’re extending these substantial discounts on our services to help non-profits ‘get the word out’ about their activities. We will be announcing our 2011 PR Grants Program over the next week.”

For more information on the free discount program for non-profits, visit:www.Send2Press.com/nonprofit.shtml .

Information on the 2011 PR Grant Program will be posted to the above page on/about Jan. 6, 2011. The grants program will provide over $28,000 in value services to applicants chosen.

A list of the 2009 PR Grant Program recipients can be found at: http://www.send2press.com/newswire/2008-12-1212-001.shtml .

About Neotrope:
Established in 1983 by creative guru Christopher Laird Simmons (a member of ASCAP and PRSA), and best-selling author J.L. Simmons, PhD, Neotrope(R) is a privately held company involved in brand marketing as well as entertainment publishing. Neotrope (www.neotrope.com) was an Inc. 5000 company in 2009, and is an accredited member of the BBB with an A+ rating. The company has provided discounted services for non-profits for more than two decades, sponsors numerous worthwhile causes, and offers a semi-annual (not every year) PR Grants program.

About Send2Press:
Celebrating its 11th anniversary in 2011, Send2Press (a service of Neotrope) offers best-in-class affordable Direct-to-Editors(TM) news distribution to working print and broadcast media, plus online media and social networks, and deep into search engines using proprietary ContextEngine(TM) technology. Send2Press is unique because it was the first wire service with staff entirely comprised of accredited public relations professionals, published authors, working journalists, and marketing experts.

For more information about Neotrope’s Send2Press services for non-profit orgs, and for small to medium business promotion, visit: www.Send2Press.com . To view the Send2Press Newswire daily news portal for journalists, visit: http://Send2PressNewswire.com .

Volunteer riders included Chet Destefano, head of national retail sales for Capital One; Paul Harris, vice president of sales from Interthinx and Kerri Milam, principal at Depth Public Relations. In addition, several IDS customers and partners made contributions that will go to the Atlanta Habitat affiliate, including Del Mar DataTrac, Churchill Mortgage and Depth Public Relations.

“As a cycling enthusiast, I was excited to combine my love of riding with philanthropy to support a charity like Atlanta Habitat for Humanity that brings shelter to people in need. The IDS team all stepped up and took their turn riding the bike. It was a great way to lead by example,” said Paul Harris of Interthinx.

“This generous support from IDS will help us continue to provide green, quality, affordable housing for working families in Atlanta,” said Larrie Del Martin, president and CEO, Atlanta Habitat. “We have had enormous opportunities to make a difference in our city, and we are grateful to IDS and its customers and partners who contributed to this mission. They keep us going.”

“Sponsoring this type of event at our MBA conference exhibit was something very new to us, but overall, we think it was a success. The Docs in Motion cycling theme is very close to our hearts, as it speaks to both our corporate philosophy and our personal interests. To be able to leverage our brand to support such an important cause that’s so closely tied to our industry is truly an honor. We couldn’t be happier with the outcome,” said IDS President Curt Doman.

About IDS Inc.:
IDS is a nationwide provider of mortgage documents and compliance. IDS services include closing documents, reverse documents, initial disclosures and fulfillment. IDS’s solution, idsDoc, is recognized in the industry for its ability to be customized to meet specific lender needs. IDS backs the system with unsurpassed customer service, cutting-edge technology, compliance and document guarantees and a solid compliance team. Lenders looking to move forward when it comes to doc prep can visit the IDS Web site at www.idsdoc.com or call 800.554.1872.

About Depth Public Relations, LLC:
Since 2006, Depth Public Relations has delivered 100 percent senior-level counsel, industry insight, and tactical intelligence to financial services and financial technology businesses. Its expertise includes precision messaging strategy, keyword analysis and deployment, use of industry-specific B2B networking through online communities and trade media outlets, content development and placement, organic search engine optimization (SEO), and other initiatives that strengthen brand reputation. Principal strategist and client service executive, 25-plus year PR and marketing veteran Kerri Milam remains immersed in each client service engagement from planning based on business objectives to measurement based on agreed-upon metrics.

About Atlanta Habitat for Humanity:
Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, one of more than 1,500 U.S. affiliates of Habitat for Humanity International, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing to Atlanta’s working families. Since 1983, volunteers from corporations and from faith-based and civic organizations have worked in partnership with qualified homebuyers to construct affordable, green, quality homes in Atlanta, which are then purchased through no-interest loans. From 1983 through 2008, Atlanta Habitat built nearly 1,100 houses in the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. Since 2008 Atlanta Habitat has been able to serve families in 10 metro Atlanta counties. For more information about Atlanta Habitat for Humanity, please visit www.atlantahabitat.org or call 404-223-5180.