MINNEAPOLIS — General Mills, Inc. announced it will donate a minimum of $200,000 and a maximum of $500,000 to increase economic and educational opportunities for women and girls in Malawi.

The program, called "Join My Village," is a partnership between General Mills and humanitarian organization CARE that encourages individuals to visit an on-line community at JoinMyVillage.com. Visitors to the site may take part in several on-line activities, including answering a quiz question or joining villages that will help them learn more about the women and families in Malawi. In response to the visits, General Mills will make donations to Malawi.

"We’re hopeful that through our partnership with CARE, this initiative will demonstrate how small actions can make a real difference for women, families and communities in Malawi," said Chris Shea, senior vice-president of external relations and president of the General Mills Foundation.

In 2008, the General Mills Foundation allocated $3 million to the African Women and Children’s Hunger project in Malawi and Tanzania to fund a variety of economic development initiatives.