Bank of America Awards $38,500 To Minneapolis-St. Paul Nonprofits Addressing Local Workforce Development and Education Needs

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced $38,500 in grants to six nonprofits in Minneapolis-St. Paul to help connect the unemployed, underemployed, veterans, youth and those with disabilities to training and employment opportunities.

 “Supporting nonprofit organizations that connect people to jobs and skills is part of our efforts to help improve the financial lives of individuals and customers in the communities we serve,” said Dan Statsick, Minnesota state president, Minneapolis-St. Paul market president, Bank of America. “A trained workforce ensures we remain competitive in an increasingly complex and competitive global economy and strengthens the economic health of the Minneapolis-St. Paul community.”

 Organizations receiving funding include:

·         Cookie Cart will receive funding to provide teens with hands-on and classroom job training at an urban nonprofit bakery.

·         Junior Achievement of the Upper Midwest will receive funding to support experiential learning for at-risk youth.

·         Lifetrack Resources, Inc. will receive funding for a variety of employment and economic opportunity programs that assist youths and adults through paid work experience, training and re-training services, recruitment consulting and more.

·         The ARC of Greater Twin Cities will receive funding for its GetSet!™ for Work program, which provides jobs and job training for disabled youth.

·         Emerge Community Development will receive funding for its Career and Technology Center, which narrows the digital divide to increase employment opportunities to residents.

·         Twin Cities Rise will receive funding to prepare low income adults for long-term, living wage work through training and job placement services.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation is awarding more than $22 million in grants to more than 1,050 nonprofits nationwide that support workforce development and education initiatives. According to estimates provided by grant recipients, the funding will enable community organizations to reach nearly 9 million people, match over 115,000 youth with mentors, and help around 27,000 students graduate with a degree or certification. The grants focus on low- and moderate-income communities that have been hardest hit in the economic downturn.  The funding is part of the company’s intensified philanthropic focus on three core issues vital to the economic health of communities: housing, jobs and hunger and represents an important component of Bank of America’s commitment to making communities better places in which to live and do business.

For more information on nonprofit programs and services that may qualify, or to submit an application for grant funding, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation. 

Bank of America Corporate Social Responsibility

Bank of America’s commitment to corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a strategic part of doing business globally. Our CSR efforts guide how we operate in a socially, economically, financially and environmentally responsible way around the world, to deliver for shareholders, customers, clients and employees. Our goal is to help create economically vibrant regions and communities through lending, investing and giving. By partnering with our stakeholders, we create value that empowers individuals and communities to thrive and contributes to the long-term success of our business. We have several core areas of focus for our CSR, including responsible business practices; environmental sustainability; strengthening local communities with a focus on housing, hunger and jobs; investing in global leadership development; and engaging through arts and culture. As part of these efforts, employee volunteers across the company contribute their time, passion and expertise to address issues in communities where they live and work. Learn more at www.bankofamerica.com/about and follow us on Twitter at @BofA_Community.