Ameriprise Financial Awards $1.1 Million in Grants to Nonprofits

Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) recently completed the first of three funding cycles for 2010, awarding more than $1.1 million to nonprofit organizations. Seventy-two grants were made under the company’s three funding platforms: meeting basic needs, supporting community vitality and volunteer-driven causes.

“Now that the recession has ended, the spotlight is shifting away from the many Americans who still lack basic necessities such as food and shelter,” said Brian Pietsch, head of community relations at Ameriprise Financial. “We remain committed to supporting organizations that will help people meet their basic needs and work towards self-sufficiency.”

Highlights from the recent grant cycle include:

> Supporting Miriam’s Kitchen, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit organization that serves approximately 5,000 homeless men and women annually. A grant from Ameriprise Financial will help the organization provide nutritious meals and individualized services to some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Thomas Block, an Ameriprise financial advisor in Centreville, Va., volunteers with the organization.

> Helping the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council bring free arts experiences to a larger and more diverse audience. Funding from Ameriprise Financial will enable the organization to present live performances and art installations in public spaces. Productions and exhibits are often staged in unconventional locations, including vacant storefronts, public plazas and parks, which helps restore cultural vitality and provides access to underserved members of the community.

> Funding Hearts & Hammers-Twin Cities, an organization that enables seniors and physically disabled homeowners to continue living independently in their own homes. A grant and volunteer support from Ameriprise Financial will help provide both the financial and physical resources to ensure homes are weatherproof, safe and secure. These renovations typically extend the amount of time people can remain in their own homes and have a positive impact on the surrounding community.

Ameriprise Financial supports domestic hunger relief through its philanthropic partnership with Feeding America. Recently the company held food drives in employee centers across the U.S., collecting more than $50,000 in financial contributions and 2,000 pounds of food, which were donated to local food banks. Ameriprise Financial also supported Second Harvest Heartland’s annual Dish event, matching all contributions of $100 or more. This resulted in a $25,000 contribution to the Twin Cities-based hunger relief organization.

Ameriprise Financial is currently accepting grant applications for third cycle 2010 funding. The application deadline is September 1, 2010. Second cycle grant decisions will be communicated in August.

About Ameriprise Financial Community Relations
Ameriprise Financial is dedicated to utilizing the firm’s resources, talents and volunteer time to improve the lives of individuals and build strong communities. Through grant-making, volunteerism and employee and advisor gift matching programs, the company supports a diverse group of over 5,000 nonprofits across the country.

About Ameriprise Financial
Ameriprise Financial, Inc. is a diversified financial services company serving the comprehensive financial planning needs of the mass affluent and affluent. For more information, visit ameriprise.com.

© 2010 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

Grants Awarded: First Cycle 2010

Meeting Basic Needs – 36 grants: AccessAbility, Inc.; Admission Possible; American Indian OIC, Inc.; AMICUS, Inc.; Bestprep; Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis; Centro Cultural Chicano, Inc.; Club Horizon; Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio, Inc.; Economic Empowerment Initiative, Inc.; Greater Green Bay Habitat for Humanity, Inc.; Homefront, Inc.; Housing Opportunities for Women; Jeremiah Program; Junior Achievement of Brazoria County, Inc.; Junior Achievement of Hawaii; Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest; Junior Achievement of West Central Florida; Junior League of Minneapolis; Junior League of Salt Lake City, Inc.; Kulshan Community Land Trust; La Oportunidad; Minnesota AIDS Project; Minnesota Indian Womens Resource Center; Miriams Kitchen; People Serving People, Inc.; Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger, Inc.; Project Women; Inc.; Rebuilding Together - Twin Cities; RESOURCE, Inc.; Southeast Asian Refugee Community Home; Specialized Alternatives for Families & Youth of Oklahoma, Inc.; Twin Cities RISE; Urban League of Greater Hartford, Inc.; Volunteers of America, Inc.

Supporting Community Vitality – 21 grants: Ballet West; Ballet Works, Inc.; Children's Theater Company and School; Denver Museum of Natural History; Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies; Guthrie Theatre Foundation; International Museum of Art and Science; Intiman Theatre; Junior Achievement of Columbia Empire; Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Inc.; Metropolitan Economic Development Association; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Minnesota Opera Company; Minnesota Orchestral Association; Minnesota Shubert Center; Riverview Economic Development Association; SF Urban Community Housing Corporation; Shakespeare Theatre Company; Stages Theatre Company, Inc.; University of Minnesota Foundation - Frederick R. Weisman Art Museum; Walker Art Center, Inc.; Youth Farm and Market Project

Volunteer-Driven Causes – 10 grants: American Heart Association, Inc.; Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association, Inc.; Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Seacoast; Community Hospice Foundation, Inc.; Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery; Hearts & Hammers - Twin Cities, Inc.; Hillsborough County Child Advocacy Center; Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International; St. Joseph Family Center; Visiting Nurse Association of the Inland Counties

Ameriprise Bank Funded Grants – 5 grants: Aeon Homes; Common Bond; Emerge Community Development; Common Ground Community; South Queens Boys & Girls Club