American Express is pleased once again to join the National Restaurant Association in honoring restaurant companies that go above and beyond in giving back to their communities. The National Restaurant Association and founding partner American Express developed the Restaurant Neighbor Award to raise awareness about the restaurants’ contributions to their local communities and to inspire other restaurant operators and owners.

“Nationwide, restaurants contribute nearly $3 billion annually to charitable causes,” reports Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association president/ceo. “And, for over a decade, restaurants across the country have shared inspiring stories of commitment to their communities through the Restaurant Neighbor Award.”

To view videos of 2010 award recipients and learn how they are making a difference in their communities, visit restaurant.org/rna and click on “Watch the 2010 Restaurant Neighbor Award winners.”

Each participating state restaurant association will select winners in their respective states to compete with winners from other states for the national awards, which will be announced in March in four categories: small business, mid-size business, large business/national chain, and Cornerstone Humanitarian. Winners will be recognized at a gala dinner in Washington, D.C. and presented with $5,000 contributions for their charitable initiatives.

Applications for the 2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award are due January 11, 2011.

To apply, visit restaurant.org/rna.