The Jenzabar Foundation Recognizes FORGE as the Inaugural Winner of the Social Media Leadership Award

The Organization Received a $3,000 grant from the Foundation to Continue Advancing it's Cause through Social Media

Boston, MA (Vocus) June 17, 2009 -- The Jenzabar Foundation (www.thejenzabarfoundation.org) announced the selection of FORGE (www.FORGEnow.org) as the inaugural winner of the Social Media Leadership Award and the $3,000 grant. Upon reviewing the submissions from a number of non-profit organizations, The Jenzabar Foundation recognized FORGE as this year's winner due to their exceptional understanding and utilization of social media technologies to support their organization's current and future endeavors.

FORGE, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that works with impoverished refugee communities in Africa to support social entrepreneurship, was one of the fifteen nominees for the award. All nominees submitted their organizations for consideration by posting on The Jenzabar Foundation's blog (www.thejenzabarfoundationblog.com) and detailing how they utilize new and social media strategies to bolster their awareness and funding campaigns. In addition to demonstrating a mastery of social media strategies and tactics, FORGE displayed adeptness at rallying online supporters by eliciting a total of 616 comments of support for its blog post.

"We are incredibly excited to recognize such an inspirational and committed organization with our first-ever Social Media Leadership Award," said Robert A. Maginn, Jr., Chairman of the Jenzabar Foundation and CEO and Chairman of Jenzabar, Inc. "The dedication that FORGE exhibits to its mission of restoring peace to the African continent is well demonstrated by its effective execution of online strategies to increase awareness and support for it's cause."

Since the organization's founding in 2003, FORGE has been dedicated to rebuilding war-torn communities in Africa and empowering refugees to build and sustain conditions for lasting peace. The organization will utilize the $3,000 grant from The Jenzabar Foundation to implement new media technologies that provide the refugees with a platform to articulate their stories to, and better connect with, FORGE's donors and supporters, as well as the mass of individuals who use the internet to learn about important social causes.

"FORGE is extremely thankful to The Jenzabar Foundation for choosing our organization over all of the unbelievably admirable causes that were considered for this award," said Kjerstin Erickson, Founder and Executive Director of FORGE. "We will make effective use of the Foundation's grant by implementing video sharing technologies to our website in order to enable our African beneficiaries to spread their stories of perseverance to supporters around the globe."

Kjerstin Erickson also spoke at The Jenzabar Foundation's 2009 Student Leadership Awards ceremony on May 28 where she gave an inspirational speech to the award recipients, higher education institution representatives and other invited guests. More information on FORGE and all of the other nominees for the award can be found on The Jenzabar Foundation's blog at www.thejenzabarfoundationblog.com.

About The Jenzabar Foundation

The Jenzabar Foundation issues grants to institutions of higher education and other charitable organizations with similarly aligned missions, and helps promote the activities of grant recipients within their communities and on a global level. The Jenzabar Foundation is a charitable and educational organization that received its initial funding from Jenzabar, Inc., but is now seeking financial support from the general public. Foundation grants are managed by the Foundation itself or through cooperating educational organizations. For more information please visit The Foundation Web site at www.thejenzabarfoundation.org.

About FORGE

FORGE is a US-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to build upon the capacity of African refugees to cultivate empowered communities and lay the foundation for peace and prosperity in their countries. FORGE works in three refugee camps in Zambia, with refugees from DR Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, Angola, and Burundi.

For more information about FORGE or www.FORGEnow.org, please contact us at (510) 735-9398 or email info@FORGEnow.org.

Contact: Carina Ganias, The Jenzabar Foundation

Carina.Ganias@jenzabar.net

617-492-9099 ext. 365

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