$10 million COVID awards focus on inequalities

TORONTO and CHERRY HILL, N.J. – The TD Ready Challenge, an annual North American initiative which provides financial support to organizations tackling community issues, is now open and accepting applications until August 13, 2020. The TD Ready Challenge has a total of $10 million (CAD) in grants available to eligible organizations developing innovative and measurable solutions in response to the widespread impacts of the pandemic. New this year, grant amounts will range from $350,000 CAD to $1 million CAD.

“The TD Ready Challenge was designed to catalyze innovative solutions to address complex social, health and economic issues,” said Andrea Barrack (pictured), group head, sustainability and corporate citizenship, TD Bank Group. “This year, the issues of COVID-19 require ideas that can be implemented and scaled to mitigate the unequal impacts in our communities.”

There is growing evidence that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting certain populations across North America. Applications must focus on addressing the inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, through one or more of the four interconnected drivers of change of the TD Ready Commitment (Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health).

The TD Ready Challenge, created and funded by TD, is a key component of the Bank’s overall corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, and this year is part of the $25 million (CAD) that TD has allocated to help strengthen community resilience and COVID-19 recovery through the TD Community Resilience Initiative.

The TD Ready Challenge is part of TD’s efforts to help build more resilient societies. For complete details about this year’s Challenge, please visit td.com/readychallenge. For additional information about the TD Ready Commitment, please visit td.com/tdreadycommitment.

“We are excited to build on the momentum of the previous TD Ready Challenge initiatives, focusing our support to drive change on systemic inequity which has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Through this year’s Challenge, we are committed to working towards making the world more equitable and inclusive for everyone,” said Shelley Sylva, U.S. head of social impact, TD Bank Group.

About the TD Ready Commitment
TD has a long-standing commitment to enriching the lives of its customers, colleagues and communities. As part of its corporate citizenship platform, the TD Ready Commitment, TD is targeting CDN $1 billion (U.S. $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four areas critical to opening doors for a more inclusive and sustainable tomorrow – Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through the TD Ready Commitment, TD aspires to link its business, philanthropy and human capital to help people feel more confident – not just about their finances, but also in their ability to achieve their personal goals in a changing world.

About the 2020 TD Ready Challenge Problem Statement
The 2020 TD Ready Challenge will help support innovative solutions that address the impacts of the pandemic, specifically for communities that are experiencing disproportionate impacts of COVID-19. We are seeking applications that will help drive accelerated, sustained and equitable recovery. Applications must work to explicitly address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as one or more of the four interconnected drivers of change of the TD Ready Commitment.