SALT LAKE CITY -- KSL is excited to launch a community initiative that gives every Utahn a way to help community charities using our cash and your computer.

KSL Cares gives you a chance to help a Utah charity get $20,000.

KSL Cares

Vote Now!

Go to KSL TV's Facebook page and vote for your favorite local charity, then spread the word.

Like other KSL initiatives, including Read Today and Out in the Light, KSL Cares is about issues that impact our community.

KSL has chosen five worthy nonprofit organizations to be in the running for cash donations. In alphabetical order, they are:

• Catholic Community Services
• Primary Children's Medical Center
• The Road Home
• United Way of Salt Lake
• The YWCA Salt Lake

KSL TV, through The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Foundation, will award one non-profit a donation of $20,000. The other organizations will receive $1,250 each.

"They are local charities that we feel are in need or that serve a great community need," KSL's Tanya Vea, executive vice president of news and cross platform development, said Monday.

She said the primary goal of the contest is to raise awareness for the organizations, prompting more in the community to get involved with the charities, either by providing additional individual donations or volunteering of their time.

Here's how it works and how you can get involved.

To vote, go to the KSL TV Facebook page and hit the "Like" button. Click on the KSL Cares tab on the left-hand side of the page, pick your favorite charity, and click the "share" button next to that charity's profile. It will also post the link on your Facebook wall.

Encourage your friends to "like" your page post, then tell them to go through the same process. The more "likes" for your favorite non-profit organization, the more votes for that charity.

There is one rule: Limit one link-share per Facebook user per day. But you can "like" as much as you want -- every "like" counts.

Voting ends May 28, and the donation allotments will be announced on or before June 10. The votes will be tallied and confirmed by an outside agency to insure accuracy. Other rules can be found online at www.facebook.com/ksltv.

During its 5 p.m. show each night this week, KSL will highlight each of the five participating charities, with Primary Children's on Monday, United Way on Tuesday, the Road Home on Wednesday, YWCA on Thursday and Catholic Community Services on Friday.

"It is unprecedented to dedicate this much news time to raising awareness to the efforts of local charities," Vea said of KSL's social media fundraising campaign. She hopes it is the beginning of a long-standing effort to help local charities gain momentum within the community.

Written by Jennifer Stagg with contributions from Wendy Leonard.

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