Then you could be a 2012 .CA Impact Award winner and receive a cheque for $5,000!

The entry period opens January 9, 2012. (link below)

The Canadian Internet Registration Authority’s (CIRA) is looking for people and organizations that use their .CA sites to truly make a difference in the lives of their users and those around them. Enter yourself or someone you know and help celebrate .CA websites that make a positive impact in the community. Last year the contest gave away a total of $20,000 to winning Web sites.

There are four categories you can enter:

Public Sector and Not-for-Profit: Acknowledging a government, NGO, or association whose website or application is making a difference in the lives of members, donors, and/or the public.

eLearning: Recognizing youth and educators who use their .CA website to share knowledge and promote education.

Small Business Celebrating a company, with fewer than 100 employees, whose website or application has helped a business contribute to its community, foster sales or create jobs.

Applications (including gaming and mobile): Honouring a company whose mobile website, application, or game has made a impact.

The 2011 winners were:

E-Learning - ArtsAlive.CA: Web Host is Primus Business Hosting

ArtsAlive.CA, an educational performing arts website produced by the National Arts Centre, is the pre-eminent resource for performing arts education in Canada, engaging Canadians through information, multimedia and activities.

Small Business - UppercaseGallery.CA is hosted on Webcore Labs servers.

UppercaseGallery.CA is an online artist community, featuring a blog, exhibitions, and a magazine. UppercaseGallery began as a gallery in downtown Calgary that featured the work of emerging and established graphic designers before moving online. Its .CA domain name allows Uppercase Gallery to clearly define itself as Canadian, as much of its web traffic is international.

Not-for-Profit - OpenMedia.CA hosting company is Gossamer Threads

OpenMedia.CA uses its .CA website to protect the open Internet and to promote the innovation and free speech that it enables. OpenMedia.ca is currently the home of the viral Stop the Meter campaign, which brings the public together to fight for a more affordable Internet.

Web Technology and Design - NewPad.CA is hosted with GoDaddy

Newpad.ca is an map-based apartment hunting portal created by a Montreal-based start-up. The site aggregates information from sites such as Craigslist and Kijiji and makes it easy for renters to find a place in any major Canadian city based on their location, price range, and other criteria.

Nominate your website in 2012 .CA Impact Awards