Frequently Asked Questions

Creating an idea is easy. Just follow these four simple steps:

1. Create an idea that will have a positive impact in your community.
2. Enter it in the Aviva Community Fund competition. (You'll have to register first).
3. Get your friends, family and everyone you know to vote for it using email and social network tools like Facebook and Twitter.
4. Add pictures and videos to help paint a picture for voters.

Create an idea now

You can edit your idea throughout the Idea Entry phase. Edited ideas will be reviewed just like the initial ideas. But unlike previous years, we’ll post your edited idea on the site right away.

1. Sign in to your Aviva Community Fund account.
2. Under "My Dashboard" click on "Update My Idea".

You can remove your idea throughout the Idea Entry phase.

1. Sign in to your Aviva Community Fund account.
2. Under "My Dashboard" click on "Update My Idea".
3. Click on "Delete My Idea" at the bottom of the Edit My Idea page.

Wait a minute! If you delete an idea, there's no way to bring it back, so be really sure before you do it. OK?

To win the Aviva Community Fund, your idea needs to:

1. Meet the eligibility requirements to compete in the competition.
2. Receive enough votes from Canadians in one of the initial open submission rounds to qualify for the Semi-Finals. 90 ideas will move on to the Semi-Final round.
3. Receive enough votes from Canadians in the Semi-Finals to qualify for the finals. 30 ideas will move on to the judging round.
4. Receive top marks from the judges to be one of the ideas that shares the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund.

Visit About The Competition for more info

A great idea is one that you believe passionately will create positive change in your community. To qualify for the Aviva Community Fund it must:

1. Be action oriented
2. Provide positive impact within your community (in Canada)
3. Have a budget of $150,000 or less
4. Be able to be well underway by December 2012

Have a look at last year's winners for inspiration

Visit Eligibility for more info

Glad you asked. It's because we believe good ideas come in all shapes and sizes and so we wanted to make sure that both large and small ideas shared the funding.

The Aviva Community Fund will finance at least one finalist from each category:

• Small (up to $50K)
• Medium ($50K - $100K)
• Large ($100K - $150K)

Also a special Broker competition provides the chance to win up to $150,000 worth of funding. This is a special category reserved for ideas supported by Aviva Brokerages.

We’ll start by choosing one idea from each group (Small, Medium and Large) to share in the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund. After that we determine the winner of the Broker competition. Then we’ll fund additional finalists until all of the money is used up.

Have you already registered? Even if you have, you won't be able to submit an idea before Sept. 26 or after Nov. 30.

Visit the competition Timing page for more

When an idea is first submitted to the competition, our team of moderators reviews the idea to make sure that it's eligible for the competition. Ideas in moderation can't be found using the search tool on our site - the only way to see the idea is to enter the idea's URL in your address bar, or to navigate to it is from your "My supported ideas" page if you've already voted for them. The idea will appear after it has been moderated, which can take up to 2 hours.

It's hard to vote for an idea you can't find. If you can't find the idea you're looking for using the search tool on our home page, one of the following three things might have happened:

1. The idea might be currently under review by our moderators. Ideas in moderation can't be found using the search tool on our site - the only way to see the idea is to enter the idea's URL in your address bar, or to navigate to it is from your "My supported ideas" page if you've already voted for them. The idea will re-appear after it has been moderated, which can take up to 2 hours.
2. The idea might have been removed from the competition by the idea creator. This doesn't happen very often, but if it does, unfortunately the idea gets removed from the competition.
3. You might have entered in an incorrect idea number. Don't worry, we all make mistakes. Try using the city name or postal code to find the idea another way.

The Aviva Community Fund team is dedicated to making sure all ideas have a fair and equal chance in the competition. We keep track of fraudulent voting in the competition, and in order to keep the integrity of the program, we remove these votes on a daily basis.

After you create and submit your idea to the Aviva Community Fund competition, you can edit it right up until the start of the semi-finals. You can edit your idea as many times as you like.

“Broker supported” ideas are ideas that have been submitted or voted for by an Aviva contracted Brokerage. All Broker supported ideas are given a special bonus opportunity to get their idea funded if their idea makes it to the Judging phase of the competition.

To become eligible for this extra chance at funding your idea, all you have to do is opt in to the Broker competition when you create your idea and collect at least one vote form an Aviva contracted Broker.

Already registered an idea? Go to “Edit my idea” to opt in to the Broker competition. Use our “Find a Broker” tool to locate an Aviva contracted Broker in your community.

We welcome ideas affiliated with religious organizations, under the condition that ideas allow access to anyone of any faith, don’t contain any form of mandatory religious study, and don’t discriminate against any faith or group. Ideas that promote religious advocacy, attempt to convert people to another religion, or attempt to expand membership are not eligible to win the Aviva Community Fund and may be removed at any point throughout the competition.

Your idea can’t support any particular political party or affiliated group. Your idea can’t directly promote or speak negatively about any particular faith, political action, legislation or party, or promote or encourage the violation of any law, as determined in the sole discretion of Aviva.

Registered charities can choose to receive donations through the Aviva Community Fund website.

All you’ll need to do is select your Charity when you create your idea. Once the semi-finals begin, eligible ideas will have their "vote now" button replaced with a "donate now" button. Then, people will be able to donate to your charity from the idea page.

This is an option for ideas that are created by, or affiliated with, registered charities. As soon as these ideas are no longer in the running for the Aviva Community Fund (after all the Semi-Finalists have been selected) the "vote now" button will automatically change to a "donate now" button.

If the idea is a registered charity that has chosen to receive donations through the Aviva Community Fund website, you can donate as soon as the idea is out of the running for the Aviva Community Fund (after all the Semi-Finalists have been selected). You'll know when, because the "vote now" button will change to a "donate now" button.

But to be clear, your donation goes to the registered charity as opposed to the actual idea. You'll have to contact them to know exactly what they've got planned for your donation.

You'll have to register first, then

1. Explore the ideas and find ideas that matter to you. You can view ideas by category, location, budget, or even by the most popular or newest submissions.
2. Click on an idea to learn more, and on that idea detail page, you'll find the Vote button.
3. Click the button to vote.
4. Enjoy! And, thank you (in advance) for voting.

Or, if you registered through your Facebook account, you can vote directly from the Aviva Community Fund Facebook page at Facebook.com/AvivaCommunityFund.

Start exploring ideas now

You should continuously promote your idea:

1. Reach out to friends & family
2. Use social media tools like Twitter & Facebook
3. Contact the press
4. Vote often (remind your supporters)
5. Keep updating your submission

Have a look at last year's winners for inspiration

Visit How To Create A Winning Idea for more

You can share all of your supported ideas with your friends on Facebook or Twitter by clicking on "Share this" at the top of your My Supported Ideas page.

You can also share individual ideas you support from the specific Idea page. Just choose one of the Social Media options under the idea description.

Each eligible person who registers gets fifteen votes for each of the three initial rounds and the Semi-Finals. You can use these votes for different ideas, or use them all for one single idea (note: you can only vote once a day for any given idea).

Remember, in the Finals, the judges will score and rank the Winners.

Visit Voting for more

Have you already registered? Even if you have, you won't be able to vote for an idea between the three initial rounds of voting or after the Semi-Finals when voting is finished. Here are the dates you can vote:

• Round 1: Oct. 3, starting at noon until noon Oct. 19 EST
• Round 2: Oct. 24, starting at noon until noon Nov. 9 EST
• Round 3: Nov. 14, starting at noon until noon Nov 30 EST
• Semi-Finals: Dec. 5, starting at noon until noon Dec. 16 EST

Visit the competition Timing page for more

You get fifteen votes for each of the three opening rounds and fifteen for the Semi-Finals, so if it’s before the Semi-Finals have started, wait, there are more votes coming. If it’s the Semi-Finals, you’re done. But, you can always support your favourite ideas by urging others to vote.

You can promote ideas through your Facebook account. Encourage your friends to vote directly from the Aviva Community Fund Facebook page at Facebook.com/AvivaCommunityFund.

You can share all of your supported ideas on Facebook or Twitter by clicking on "Share this" at the top of your My Supported Ideas page.

You can share individual ideas you support from the specific Idea page by choosing one of the Social Media options under the idea description.

You can't delete votes or try to move them after they're cast, so use them wisely grasshopper.

Visit Voting for more

We know you want your favourite idea to win, but participants in the Aviva Community Fund are only allowed to vote for each idea once per day. That means you can only register once. Creating multiple accounts in order to vote multiple times in the same day hurts the integrity of the program and goes against the ideals of the Aviva Community Fund. Votes may be disqualified at Aviva's discretion if they're identified as coming from the same individual.

We know that everyone needs a vacation, but unfortunately they are no breaks from voting. If you want your vote to count, you've got to use it yourself. Votes may be disqualified at Aviva's discretion if they're identified as not coming from the original account holder.

After the judges score and rank the finalists, the Aviva Community Fund will distribute funds to one finalist from each group (Small, Medium and Large), starting with the highest ranked. We’ve also reserved up to $150,000 of the million-dollar fund for one Broker supported idea.

Once we’ve funded one idea from each size category, and awarded the Broker prize, we’ll keep funding finalists (general and broker-supported) based on their score and rank, until the entire Aviva Community Fund of $1,000,000 is used.

Visit Funding for more

Anyone who is a Canadian resident or citizen of Canada can participate in the Aviva Community Fund competition. It's open to both customers and non-customers of Aviva, and no purchase is necessary to participate.

Yes, you should. Opting in to be eligible for the Broker competition will increase the odds of making your idea a reality. If a Broker supports your idea by voting for it, you’ll have a bonus chance to see your idea funded.

The Broker prize will be announced on January 25th.

The judges are hand picked by the Aviva Community Fund to evaluate the finalists and choose the winning ideas. Each of our judges brings a unique perspective to the competition to help ensure the best ideas receive the funding they deserve.

Visit Judges for more

In 100 words or less,

1. People like you share ideas to create positive change in their community
2. Canadians vote and the top 90 ideas compete in the Semi-Finals
3. Canadians vote for the semi-finalists and the top 30 make it to the Finals
4. Judges score and rank the finalists and the top ideas share the $1,000,000 Aviva Community Fund

Visit About The Competition for more

Aviva Canada Inc. is one of the leading Property and Casualty insurance groups in Canada, providing home, automobile, leisure and lifestyle, group and business insurance to more than three million customers.

Visit About Aviva for more

In the insurance world we’re acknowledged experts. But we recognize that you know better than anyone what is needed to improve your community. That’s why we created the Aviva Community Fund competition to help make a positive change in communities by funding your ideas.

Visit Why are we holding this competition for more

You can unsubscribe from the emails you requested by either clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email you've already received from us or:

1. Clicking on the "My Settings" link under My Dashboard and
2. Unchecking the options under Notifications.

There is. Registered charities can choose to receive donations through the Aviva Community Fund website. All you’ll need to do is select your Charity when you create your idea. Once the semi-finals begin, eligible ideas will have their "vote now" button replaced with a "donate now" button. Then, people will be able to donate to your charity from the idea page. Cool eh?

Over the past two years, a number of non-winning ideas have also found funding from local community sources. As you promote your great idea, you’ll find that your supporters want to join your cause regardless of whether you win or not.

The more you promote your idea, the more likely you’ll be to find community support. And be sure to use your opportunity to message your supporters at the end of the competition as a way to secure volunteers and donations for your cause.

The Broker prize is an extra chance for finalists who get Broker support to win funding for their idea. In order to win the Broker prize, an idea creator needs to:

• Opt in to the Brokerage Competition when you submit your idea
• Forgot to opt in when you registered? You can opt in now at ‘Edit my idea’
• Get at least one registered Aviva contracted Broker to vote for your idea during the opening rounds of the competition
• Make the finals of the competition

Visit Terms & Conditions for details

The Broker prize is available for ideas supported or submitted by an Aviva contracted Broker.

• Any idea creator can opt in to the Broker Competition
• Ideas become eligible for the Brokerage prize by receiving a vote from an Aviva contracted Brokerage during the open submission period
• Ideas submitted by Aviva contracted Brokerages are automatically eligible for the Brokerage prize
• Ideas that receive funding through Aviva Community Fund general competition are not eligible for the brokerage prize
• Ideas from all size categories are eligible for the Brokerage prize
• The Broker prize will be awarded after the top ranked large, medium and small ideas are selected.

Visit Terms & Conditions for details

You'll need a unique email address. If you're not having issues with your email address, send us an email via Contact Us and describe the problem you're having. We want you to participate and we'll get back to you as quickly as we can.

You should have received a confirmation email from us when you registered. If you haven't gotten it and followed the instructions, you're not actually registered yet. Be sure to check your email spam/junk folder.

If you have completed registration and you're getting errors, click on Forgot Password and follow the instructions to reset your password.

No you shouldn't. AvivaCommunityFund.org uses a secure connection during the registration process to ensure your information is kept secure. Depending on the Internet browser and Firewall security settings on your computer you may be asked or warned about the securing. You can proceed with your registration with the knowledge that your registration information is secure and the site (www.AvivaCommunityFund.org) is trusted.