1. What is the Pepsi Refresh Project?

Pepsi is giving away millions each month to fund refreshing ideas that change the world, one community at a time.

Here’s how it works: You have an idea to refresh your community. You invite people to get behind your idea and vote for it. If your idea is approved, Pepsi will help you make it happen with funding from a Pepsi Refresh Project grant.

Sound complicated? It isn't! Voting for ideas you like, commenting on someone else’s idea, or even just “Liking” the Pepsi Refresh Project on Facebook can have a positive impact on our community.

2. Why did we apply for this particular grant?

The purpose of the Pepsi Refresh Project is to make the world a better place, one neighbor and one neighborhood at a time. In Evanston (and beyond) there is a growing need for literacy programs for children ages one to three; safe places for teens and tweens to congregate; and acess to technology to conduct the business and pleasure of daily life. The Mighty Twig has demonstrated its ability to meet those needs in our community and would like to continue our outreach efforts by purchasing gently used books.

UPDATE December 1, 2011:

178 ideas competed in the $10,000 category and the top 15 vote recipients received funding.

The sad news is that The Mighty Twig and our "Right Book, Right Place, Right Person!" idea closed the competition in the #22 slot.

The good news is that folks from across the world heard about us! (seriously. Australia. UK. Germany. Canada. Pakistan. yep, you read that last one correctly)

We might not have gained the funding -- but we sure did gain a following...! Library lovers across the globe showed their support by voting, and by "liking" us on Facebook.

A special shout-out to some grass roots campaigners for tirelessly (and relentlessly!) going after the vote:

Donna McCords classes at Lawrence North High School (IN)

Margo Gremmler (CA), Blogger Extraordinaire

TwigTweens!

Megan Oberly, Halliburton (TX)

The Kalady Girls (PA)

Wiley Blackwell (UK)

and many, many more...!

Thanks to each and every person who voted. Without your support, we would not have gotten as many votes as we did.