• “Children's Safe Drinking Water – Four thousand children die needlessly every day from drinking contaminated water. This program aims to address this issue through an innovative and low-cost technology that effectively purifies and cleans water while removing bacteria, viruses, and parasites.” 
• “Plant A Million Trees - Global Reforestation – From forest fires to rain forest destruction to natural water disasters to overdevelopment, trees are disappearing in vast numbers all over the globe. This plan suggests planting millions of trees where they are needed most.”
• “Restore our U.S. National Parks – The United States National Parks and Historic Sites are in disrepair and funding is needed to repair and refurbish. This project aims to provide funding to the landmarks that define our nation.”
• “Teachers ask.  You choose.  Students learn. – This program aims to create a website where public school teachers can request specific educational projects for their classrooms, and individuals can log on to choose which projects to fund, in turn, providing educational tools for students from low-income families nationwide.”
• “Wind and Solar for Residential – This project plans to create a small power generating unit that is small and powerful enough to be placed into every residential home.  The ultimate goal of the project is to create a community of homes to help generate power for the power companies to use.” 

American Express worked with an Advisory Panel of renowned thought-leaders in a variety of fields to review the top-rated projects, as rated by the Cardmembers, and select the top 50 project ideas.

Advisory Panelists include:

• Geoff Canada – President and CEO, Harlem Children's Zone
• Ellen DeGeneres – Comedian and Talk Show Host
• Dr. Jane Goodall – Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and UN Messenger of Peace
• Dr. Sanjay Gupta – CNN Chief Medical Correspondent and Neurosurgeon
• Rosabeth Moss Kanter – Harvard Business School Professor
• Dr. Michael Lomax – President and CEO, United Negro College Fund
• Wynton Marsalis – Artistic Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center
• Gabrielle Reece – Professional Volleyball Player and Sports/Fitness Expert

The Members Project, which is a part of American Express' new brand campaign, “Are You a Cardmember?(sm)”, highlights the value of being part of the American Express Cardmember community.

American Express and Membership
American Express has been synonymous with “Membership” since it introduced “Member Since” dates on its Cards in 1964 and has continued to develop a sense of membership through the special benefits and exceptional services offered to Cardmembers.

American Express and Giving Back
Giving back is a core value of American Express and being a “good citizen” is a hallmark of the brand. American Express was the first company to launch a cause-related marketing campaign, which was a program benefiting the Statue of Liberty in 1983, and the Company has continued to roll out successful initiatives around the world that have supported and enhanced the communities where we live and work.

Over the years, American Express has supported causes that are important to Cardmembers, merchant partners and the general public, from reopening the Statue of Liberty after 9/11 to fighting hunger and preserving historic sites around the world. Through these programs, including The Members Project, American Express is providing an outlet for consumers' desire to “do good.”

About American Express
American Express Company (www.americanexpress.com) is a leading global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850.

* Cardmember's project descriptions are in their own words.