Each Receives a Multiyear Grant & Comprehensive Leadership Training to Expand Critical Services Locally
St. Louis, MO –
Specifically, both St. Louis nonprofits are each awarded a $200,000 grant over two years, comprehensive leadership training for each organization’s executive director and an emerging leader, and access to a national network of nonprofit peers. Since the program’s inception in 2004, 35 nonprofits have been selected as Neighborhood Builders in St. Louis, with the bank investing more than $7 million in philanthropic capital into these nonprofits.
Nationwide since 2004, Bank of America has invested over $300 million into nearly 1,800 nonprofits and helped more than 3,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills through the Neighborhood Builders program.
“This year we celebrate 20 years of strengthening St. Louis nonprofits that provide solutions to local challenges and promote economic advancement,” said Marilyn Bush, president, Bank of America St. Louis. “Providing these nonprofits with funding and comprehensive leadership training helps them address critical needs and create meaningful lasting change in our communities. Countless individuals, families and neighborhoods have felt the profound impact that these 35 Neighborhood Builder nonprofits have had in St. Louis over the past two decades.”
Connections to Success is a nonprofit organization, founded 26 years ago, whose mission is to inspire individuals to realize their dreams and achieve economic independence by providing hope, resources and a plan. Since their founding, they have helped more than 25,000 people by providing coaching, training, and resources to help individuals, families, and communities achieve their economic and personal goals. Their signature program, Pathways to Success, offers a 60-hour professional training course that has helped participants to find, maintain and excel at their jobs. This new grant funding will expand upon the Pathways to Success program by providing resources to address mental health needs.
“Thank you Bank of America for this honor,” said Brandi Jahnke, CEO, Connections to Success. “We look forward to building upon the Pathways to Success program, providing more individuals with the needed resources to become economically self-sufficient, and adding a professional mental health consultant to our staff.”
St. Louis Public Schools Foundation raises funds and provides resources to support students, families and educators of the St. Louis Public Schools District. They specifically partner with school district leadership and other community organizations to increase reading proficiency levels, and college and career matriculation rates, while also expanding access to mental health resources for students and educators. The bank’s funding will help the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation increase awareness, access and life supports for high school scholars in pursuit of a college degree or industry credential.
“We are thrilled to be named a 2024 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder,” said Haliday Douglas, CEO, St. Louis Public Schools Foundation. “This funding will help us increase supports such as on-site counselors, books and fees, tutoring, transportation, etc. that help optimize the success of scholars in the St. Louis Public Schools District who are pursuing their high school diploma while also earning credits toward their associate’s degree at Harris-Stowe State University and St. Louis Community College. The Foundation is proud to continue to partner with the school district and local colleges to deepen and expand early college awareness and access from approximately 115 participants to as many as a 1,000 over the next 3-5 years.”
Neighborhood Builders is part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to build thriving communities by addressing issues fundamental to economic opportunity. The invitation-only program is highly competitive, with awardees selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past awardees.
The Neighborhood Builders invitation-only program is highly competitive. Nonprofits are selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past Neighborhood Builders awardees. The first markets Bank of America launched the Neighborhood Builders program in 2004 were: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Broward, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Newark, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington, DC.
Past St. Louis Neighborhood Builders include: Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, International Institute of Metropolitan St. Louis, Great Rivers Greenway, Forest ReLeaf and Nine PBS.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving approximately 69 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,800 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 58 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BAC).
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