The Priyanka Foundation Selected as a Regional Winner in CLASSY Awards

August 29, 2012 – Minneapolis, Minnesota – The Priyanka Foundation has been selected as the Midwest Region Winner of the Human Services category in the 4th Annual CLASSY Awards. The CLASSY Awards, hosted by StayClassy, is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the country, recognizing top charitable achievements around the world. This year, more than 2,400 nominations were submitted for nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and volunteers. The awards ceremony takes place philanthropy’s biggest night, the CLASSY Awards’ red carpet award ceremony on Saturday, September 22, 2012 in San Diego, CA.

“We are excited and proud to share in the recognition of the most dynamic and effective charitable achievements in the country through our annual CLASSY Awards,” says Scot Chisholm, CEO of StayClassy. “The advancements that the 64 regional winners have made in their industry are undeniable and we are honored to be a part of sharing their stories.”

The Priyanka Foundation, based in Minneapolis, provides life and development services for chronically and terminally ill children and their families in healthcare systems worldwide; preserving childhood, and impacting lives, one child, and one family, at a time. While the medical world works tirelessly in finding the cures for chronic and terminal illnesses, the Priyanka Foundation works on making life easier to live with these illnesses. To learn more about Priyaka’s regional win please visit: http://www.stayclassy.org/classy-awards

“While people worldwide are acutely aware of cancer, only a few have heard of the services that help children deal with cancer and other chronic and terminal illnesses. Classy Awards recognition could dramatically raise worldwide awareness of these proven services. The award also helps us raise the funds needed to offer these life-affirming programs to more children worldwide. I am humbled and honored that we are the winners for the Midwest region,” says Leela Rao, Global Executive Director of The Priyanka Foundation.

The 16 National Winners will be featured in a Charity Auction on eBay Giving Works, appear for one week in the eBay Giving Works’ Give @ Checkout section, receive digital marketing audits from eBoost Consulting, and a one year free subscription to StayClassy fundraising solutions.

New this year to the CLASSY Awards weekend is a two-day lineup of events, including the Collaborative, an exclusive networking event, on Friday, September 21 and the award ceremony Saturday, September 22. Tickets are available at: http://www.stayclassy.org/classy-awards/weekend.

About the Priyanka Foundation

The Priyanka Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in Minnesota. Its purpose is to serve sick children and families by operating Child Life and Development service programs for chronically ill children worldwide and has worked with thousands of children since 2009. The inspiration for this mission began as Leela Rao’s daughter, Priyanka, battled leukemia, for four and a half years. Throughout her extensive and numerous treatments, Priyanka and her family members received tremendous individualized care and support through the Child Life Center at Minneapolis’s Children’s Hospital and Clinics. This child life program helped the entire family minimize the stress of countless emergency room trips, hospital visits, surgeries and other medical procedures. Fulfilling a vow that Leela made with her daughter, she formed The Priyanka Foundation following her daughter’s death in August 2003. The organization’s goal is to ensure sick children and their families in India will have access to a professional network of emotional and non-medical support staff during hospital stays. With their dedicated and passionate efforts, the foundation’s volunteer board members continue making this mother’s dream a reality. To learn more visit http://www.thepriyankafoundation.org/.

About the CLASSY Awards

The CLASSY Awards, presented by eBay and PayPal, is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the country, celebrating the greatest charitable achievements by nonprofit organizations, socially conscious businesses, and individuals worldwide. In 2012, more than 2,400 nominations were cast in sixteen categories, and the nominees’ collective efforts impacted the lives of more than 346,000,000 people in 134 countries worldwide. The CLASSY Awards were created and hosted each year by StayClassy, a leader in online fundraising solutions for nonprofit organizations.

About StayClassy

StayClassy is an easy and affordable way for organizations to raise funds and manage donor relationships online. Based in San Diego, CA, the company develops easy-to-use web-based fundraising software for nonprofit organizations. StayClassy launched its new platform in May 2010, and now powers the fundraising campaigns of more than 3,000 non-profits. StayClassy also organizes and hosts the annual CLASSY Awards, the largest philanthropic award ceremony in the country, now in its fourth year.