Online Vote Names West Michigan Nonprofits To Compete For Tech, Servcies

GRANDVILLE -- The Michigan technology firm Trivalent Group has launched the final round of voting in CompassionIT (pronounced "compassionate"), a philanthropic initiative that will provide $30,000 in free technology equipment and services to a Michigan nonprofit. 

Five finalists are vying for the prize, including Gilda's Club Grand Rapids, Greater Hopes Family Services, Degage Ministries, Family Network and Catherine's Health Center.The public selected the five finalists during a recently completed online vote and all finalists will receive an assessment service worth at least $4,000 from Trivalent Group.

"All of the 50-plus participating nonprofits are deserving of this award, but we are extremely excited to see the five finalists that the public has selected," said Larry Andrus, CEO of Trivalent Group. "In the season of giving, we are thrilled to be able to help a nonprofit in need of technology support.  It will be a tough decision to select one final recipient."

A six-member selection committee and a public vote will determine the recipient.
The public vote will determine one vote in the selection of the grand prize winner, with each of the selection committee members also receiving a vote. The public vote will run through Dec. 21.

Members of the public can vote at www.TGCompassionIT.com/vote1 and will need to use a Facebook account to cast a ballot. 

The grand prize recipient will be announced at a special ceremony on Jan. 10, 2013.

Selection committee members include Judi Sullivan, president and CEO of Community Bankers of Michigan; Quincy Williams, director of the American Humanics Nonprofit Leadership Program at Grand Valley State University; Larry Andrus, CEO of Trivalent Group; Bjorn Bylsma, senior cloud services engineer at Trivalent Group and concept creator of CompassionIT; Phil Catlett, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Western Michigan; and Michelle Shangraw, senior vice president at Mercantile Bank.

Established in 2003, Trivalent is headquartered in Grandville, with offices in Mt. Pleasant, Kalamazoo, and Battle Creek.