Capital One® Financial Corporation and America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth are pleased to announce that Capital One® will grant one million dollars over the next two years in support of the Alliance's 100 Best Communities for Young People competition. 100 Best is designed to recognize communities from across the United States for the innovative and successful work they are doing to provide healthy, safe and caring environments for young people. The grant renews Capital One's commitment as the founding sponsor of the competition launched earlier this year.

"Capital One is proud to partner with America's Promise and continue our support of the 100 Best Communities for Young People, said John Finneran, Capital One's Executive Vice President and General Counsel. "Communities, both large and small, have developed innovative partnerships and programs that make a real difference in the lives of young people and we hope that by recognizing their efforts we can inspire others to help make every community in America a great place to grow up."

America's Promise Founding Chairman General Colin Powell announced the launch of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in May 2005. In its first year, hundreds of communities applied for a place on the prestigious list. The 100 Best winners for 2005 were chosen by a distinguished selection panel of civic, business and nonprofit leaders, including United Way of America President Brian Gallagher, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, NBC Washington Bureau Chief and Moderator of Meet the Press Tim Russert, former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. and former Denver mayor Wellington Webb. (A complete list of the 100 Best Communities for Young People for 2005 can be found at www.americaspromise.org.)

To honor the 100 Best communities, the Alliance hosted more than 400 community representatives in Washington, DC, November 2nd at a special daylong national forum where the winning communities explored how they can leverage their successful efforts for children and youth to address other priorities in their communities. That evening, the Alliance held an "American Street Festival" that reflected the diversity and character of the honorees, celebrated their common bonds and captured what makes each of them unique.

"As the founding corporate sponsor of the 100 Best competition, Capital One is a partner that shares our view that our nation's future is dependent on the well-being of our children," said Marguerite W. Sallee, president and CEO of the America's Promise Alliance. "Thanks to their generosity, Capital One will continue to help the Alliance continue to make its vision - to see that every child in America has the fundamental resources he or she needs to be ready for life - a reality."

About Capital One®:
Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank, Capital One, F.S.B> and Capital One Auto Finance, Inc. offer a variety of consumer lending products. Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had 49.2 million accounts and $84.8 billion in managed loans outstanding as of September 30, 2005. Capital One is a Fortune 500 company and, through its subsidiaries, is one of the largest providers of MasterCard and Visa credit cards in the world. Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index.

About America's Promise - The Alliance for Youth:
America's Promise (www.americaspromise.org) is a broad-based Alliance whose members work together to ensure that all young people can realize their full potential.

Alliance partners focus attention and resources to help every child receive the Five Promises essential to success: caring adults who are actively involved in their lives; safe places in which to learn and grow; a healthy start toward adulthood; an effective education that builds marketable skills; and opportunities to help others. Founded by retired General Colin L. Powell, the America's Promise Alliance includes nonprofit, corporate and community groups as well as individuals across the nation. Alma J. Powell currently serves as chair. Among the founding partners are the Corporation for National and Community Service, Points of Light Foundation, The United Way of America, Communities in Schools and MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership.

America's Promise grew out of the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in 1997, where Presidents Bush, Carter, Clinton and Ford, with Nancy Reagan representing President Reagan, challenged the country to make children and youth a national priority. President George W. Bush affirmed his commitment in 2001.

America's Promise Alliance

America's Promise Alliance

The America’s Promise Alliance is the nation’s largest multi-sector collaborative dedicated to the well-being of children and youth.

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