REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Grant Proposals are due by Friday, August 6, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST

The Verizon Foundation and Verizon Wireless Hopeline are pleased to invite nonprofit agencies in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont to apply for financial grants up to $10,000 that support Domestic Violence solutions. A total of $80,000 will be distributed to organizations in northern New England.

Applicants can apply for the grant online through the Verizon Foundation's web site: www.verizon.com/foundation.

Eligibility:

• Applicants must be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations.
• Nonprofits may apply for grants of up to $10,000 that cover a one-year period - 10/1/10 - 9/30/11.
• Applicants must be organizations whose programs benefit under-served people in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.
• For purposes of this program, the under-served population includes low-income, ethnic, minority, limited-English-speaking, and disabled individuals in rural, suburban, and inner-city regions.
• All grant applications must be submitted through the Verizon Foundation's web site: www.verizon.com/foundation using the "Competitive Grant - Domestic Violence" application.
• All decisions on grant applications are within the sole discretion of the Verizon Foundation and are final.

Domestic Violence Solutions Awards:

• Domestic Violence prevention and awareness programs improved through the use of technology.
• Programs that enable an agency to reach the community it serves more effectively.
• Programs that provide participants with strategies for enhancing their safety and use of community resources.
• Proposals that provide technology (job-related) training for individuals participating Domestic Violence programs.

Funding Restrictions:

• These funds may not be used for any products, goods or services offered by Verizon or any of its affiliates.
• These funds may not be used for capital renovations or furniture.
• No administrative expenses or grant preparation fees may be included in the overall grant request.
• No more than 20 percent of the grant may be used to purchase hardware or software.

Timeline/Review Process:

• Proposals must be posted via the online application process no later than Friday, August 6, 2010, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
• Verizon Foundation representatives will review all proposals.
• Verizon Foundation reserves the right to determine funding levels based on the merits of the programs presented and available resources.
• Verizon will notify recipients of grant decisions by September 15, 2010.

Grantees' Reporting Requirements:

As part of our measurement and evaluation module, applicants will be required to do a progress report at the end of the 12 months. Applicants will be asked to report on financial accountability, anticipated and unanticipated results based upon objectives, participant evaluation and feedback.

How to Apply:

The Verizon Foundation is 100 percent web-based - in order to promote technology and to more effectively serve the nonprofit community nationwide. Applications are only accepted online. For complete information about the Verizon Foundation, please visit our website at www.verizon.com/foundation

Verizon Foundation's website includes grant guidelines, a grant eligibility quiz, best-in-class models and a technology needs assessment section. We strongly suggest that each potential applicant thoroughly review the information contained in these web pages before submitting an application.

To reach our online application, please go http://foundation.verizon.com/login. Please enter the invitation code: 225TSSZNCV on the login page. This indicates you are applying for a 2010 Domestic Violence Solutions Awards and will ensure that your request reaches our Advisory Committee for review.

Any questions regarding the application process may be directed to Sheila Poschman at (617) 743-2497. Please note that if desired you may save drafts of the application before submittal. This will enable you to start and stop the application process to accommodate your own internal reviews and corrections before final submission. For technical support with the application, please go to http://foundation.verizon.com/support on our web site and follow the online directions for assistance.

In addition to an e-mail indicating receipt of submitted grant request, all applicants will receive a disposition notice when the grant decision is announced.

The target date to announce final grant decisions is September 15, 2010.

Verizon Wireless HopeLine

The Verizon Foundation is 100 percent web-based - in order to promote technology and to more effectively serve the nonprofit community nationwide. Applications are only accepted online. For complete information about the Verizon Foundation, please visit our website at www.verizon.com/foundation

This RFP enhances Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program. Through HopeLine's recycling efforts, more than 1.6 million no-longer-used wireless phones have been disposed of properly; more than 170,000 pounds of batteries have been recycled; and more than 200 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills.

HopeLine, Verizon Wireless' exclusive phone recycling and refurbishing program, collects no-longer-used wireless equipment from any wireless service provider at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide or by mail. Phones donated to HopeLine that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and those without value are recycled in an environmentally sound way under a zero-landfill policy. Proceeds from HopeLine are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.

Since 2001, HopeLine has collected more than 7 million phones and awarded more than $7.9 million in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organizations throughout the country. Verizon Wireless has also distributed more than 90,000 phones with more than 300 million minutes of free wireless service to be used by victims of domestic violence.

For additional information on Verizon Wireless' HopeLine program, including store locations, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline. To download a postage-paid label, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopelinemailinglabel.

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About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon Communications, supports the advancement of literacy and K-12 education through its free educational Web site, Verizon Thinkfinity, and fosters awareness and prevention of domestic violence. In 2009, the Verizon Foundation awarded $67.9 million in grants to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. It also matched the charitable donations of Verizon employees and retirees, resulting in an additional $26.1 million in combined contributions to nonprofits. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered more than 5 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.