TD Bank Financial Group was recognized by charity research organization Imagine Canada on Thursday for its role in a community partnership program in Vancouver.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup — a conservation initiative founded by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation — was awarded a Canadian Business & Community Partnership Award by Imagine Canada.

The awards recognize innovative collaborations between businesses and nonprofit partners that involve more than financial-only support.

“We are very proud to recognize these winning partnerships at this Awards ceremony tonight,” said Marcel Lauzière, president and CEO of Imagine Canada. “In the current economic environment, it is very heartening to see these businesses maintaining, and even growing, their support of Canada’s communities through partnership with charities and nonprofits. These partnerships truly lead by example and we hope others are inspired by their actions.”

To be eligible for a partnership award, projects must be creative, sustainable solutions that meet a community need and must include active involvement and resources from both parties. Entries are reviewed by a jury of Canadian community investment professionals and nonprofit leaders.

The Shoreline Cleanup, which was first started in 1994, is a partnership between TD Bank Financial Group, Vancouver Aquarium, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. It aims to promote understanding and education about shoreline litter issues by engaging Canadians to rehabilitate shoreline areas through annual cleanups.

Vancouver Aquarium volunteers and representatives from TD partner with fellow Canadians to manage, market, recruit and communicate the importance of participating in this initiative. In 2008, this collaborative partnership brought together more than 63,000 Canadians, including nearly 8,000 TD employees, to remove over 135,000 kilograms of harmful littler from shorelines.

The Shoreline Cleanup was one of three community partnerships to receive an award on Thursday. The 12th annual award ceremony came after a two-day Canadian Business and Community Partnership Forum in Vancouver that focused on creating new approaches to charitable partnerships for “new economic times.”

IE