Q: What is the competition about?

A: To celebrate the launch of the Windows® 7 operating system, we want to discover creative ways that a PC running Windows can help an organization to make an ever greater impact in the community. Submit a short video explaining or illustrating how you would use Windows to help a community organization. The 7 people with the best submissions, as chosen by our judges, will each win a new PC running Windows 7. Each winner's chosen eligible community organization will receive a $7,000 grant. For more details on eligible organizations please review the competition rules.

Q: Why are you holding the competition?

A: The competition challenges people to think creatively about how they can use technology to support the work underway by community organizations. We plan to share all the submissions online, providing non profits and community organizations with a great resource to discover how technology can help support their local work.

Q: How does the competition work?

A: Closing date for submissions was November 11th 2009. The 7 best submissions, as chosen by our judging panel, will be announced between November 16th and November 24th, 2009.

Q: When is the competition taking place?

A: The competition launches on October 21, 2009 and the deadline for entries is November 11, 2009.

Q: How do I win?

A: If you have a great idea on how a new PC with Windows could help a community organization, then create a video, register for the competition here, and submit your entry.

Q: What do the winners receive?

A: The seven people who submit a winning entry will receive a new PC running Windows 7. Each winner can chose an eligible community organization to receive a $7,000 cash grant. For more information on eligibility please refer to our official competition rules.

Q: How many winners are there?

A: There will be 7 winners in the competition.

Q: When will you announce the winners?

A: We will announce the winners between November 16, and November 24, 2009.

Q: Where will you announce the winners?

A: All the winners will be contacted directly. The winners will also be announced online at our Citizenship website, our Citizenship Facebook page and on Twitter

Q: What organizations are eligible for the $7,000 Grant?

A: A broad spectrum of organizations and institutions are eligible for the grant including many nonprofit and educational organizations. The contest requires that the organizations be located in the United States or one of its possessions and be registered with the Internal Revenue Service as a tax-exempt, designated public charity under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or as an instrumentality of a federal, state or local government as provided by Section 170(c)(1) of the code. For more information please review the terms and conditions which provides more detail on eligible organizations.

Q: Can I donate the PC to my preferred nonprofit?

A: Yes. A winner can either choose to keep the PC or they can request Microsoft to donate the PC directly to the eligible community organization.

Q: What other resources does Microsoft offer for non-profit organizations?

Microsoft believes that information technology can change the world. By offering NGOs access to software, knowledge, and best practices, Microsoft can provide a meaningful contribution to organizations that are actively changing the world in their communities. Visit www.microsoft.com/ngo to learn more about resources available for NGOs, including donated software available through Microsoft's nonprofit partner, TechSoup. specialized information about Windows 7, including a special opportunity for NGOs to request donations of Windows 7 upgrades, are available at www.techsoup.org/go/windows7

Q: Who can enter?

Entrants must be a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, and are 14 years of age or older. If you are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Contest. The competition is not open to employees of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; or an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member. It is not open to anyone involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Contest. For full details on eligibility please review the official rules here.

A: Yes they can.

Q: Where do I submit my entry?

A: All eligible entries must be submitted online here.

Q: Is there a limit to the number of entries that I can submit?

A: We will accept up to seven entries per person. You may submit multiple entries for the same organization; however, each entry must be materially unique, as determined by the judges.

Q: Is there a limit for the number of people who can submit entries for an organization?

A: There is no limit to the number of people who can nominate the same organization.

Q: Can multiple people make a single submission?

A: While groups can work together on an idea or a video, only one person can submit the actual video. The person who submits a winning video will receive a new PC with Windows 7. Their nominated eligible community organization will receive a $7,000 grant.

Q: Can you make a single submission for multiple organizations?

A: People who submit a winning entry can nominate one community organization for a $7,000 cash grant.

Q: What kind of video can I submit?

A: The submitted video can be a WMV, MPEG or AVI file and should be less than two minutes long.

Q: Are there any restrictions on the video?

A: The video should not be longer than two minutes. It should not contain any inappropriate content or copyrighted materials without the express written consent of its owner. This includes video, music, logos and other copyright materials. Any video not meeting these requirements will be deemed ineligible. For full details on what constitutes an eligible video entry please refer to the competition rules.

Q: What criteria are you using to select the winners?

A: Submissions will be judged based on three criteria: originality, composition and adherence to the contest theme.

Q: Why do submissions have to involve Windows?

A: Windows 7 has been designed to make your PC simpler, and to make the things you do every day easier. At Microsoft we believe that the power of technology like Windows 7 can accelerate change and help to solve some of society's most pressing issues. To celebrate the launch of Windows 7, we want discover creative ways that a new PC running Windows can help a local community organization.

Q: Can I submit ideas using earlier versions of Windows?

A: Yes, the competition has been designed to discover creative ways to use Windows to support local community organizations.

Q: Can I submit ideas using other operating systems?

A: The winning entries will be those that adhere to the theme of the competition.

Q: What other resources does Microsoft offer for non-profit organizations?

A: Microsoft believes that information technology can change the world. By offering NGOs access to software, knowledge, and best practices, Microsoft can provide a meaningful contribution to organizations that are actively changing the world in their communities. Visit www.microsoft.com/ngo to learn more about resources available for NGOs, including donated software available through Microsoft's nonprofit partner, TechSoup. Specialized information about Windows 7, including a special opportunity for NGOs to request donations of Windows 7 upgrades, are available at www.techsoup.org/go/windows7.

Q: Where can I find the rules of the competition?

A: You can find the full set of official rules here.