BofA Makes Grants To Bay Area Nonprofits

By Mark Calvey
San Francisco Business Times
November 10, 2010

Bank of America said Wednesday that its charitable foundation made $900,000 in funding and leadership training to Bay Area nonprofits through its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative this year.

The bank gave $200,000 in unrestricted grants to San Francisco’s Mission Economic Development Agency and New Door Ventures. The Mission Economic Development Agency helps low- and moderate-income Latino families through job creation and small business development. New Door Ventures helps troubled youth develop work skills through paid internships and training.

In the East Bay, BofA gave $200,000 each to Oakland’s Lao Family Community Development, a family services organization supporting long-term economic and social self-sufficiency. The bank made another $200,000 grant to Save the Bay, which is working to protect and restore the San Francisco Bay.

Since establishing the Neighborhood Excellence Initiative in 2004, BofA (NYSE: BAC) has committed $6.3 million to nonprofits in San Francisco and the East Bay through this national philanthropic program.

Throughout California, the state’s largest bank has provided more than $4 million this year and $27 million in total to selected nonprofits.

“Through our Neighborhood Excellence Initiative, we are helping to generate meaningful and cumulative economic and social impact at the local level where it’s needed most,” said Martin Richards, BofA’s San Francisco market president.

As part of the program, the bank also recognized San Francisco community leaders, who will each direct a $5,000 donation from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to an eligible nonprofit of their choice. Those recognized are Sid Johnson, of the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood, who will direct his grant to Pop Warner Little Scholars/San Francisco Brown Bombers; Suzanne McDonnell-Giraudo, of the West Portal neighborhood, who will direct her grant to De Marillac Academy; Raye Richardson, of Fillmore, who will direct her grant to the San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce Foundation; Steve Rosston, who will direct his grant to Handson Bay Area; and Martha Ryan, of the Mission District, who will direct her grant to Homeless Prenatal Program.

In the East Bay, community leaders recognized are Richie Bennett of Berkeley, will direct the bank’s $5,000 grant to the Bay Area Outreach Program; Michael Fauteux of Hayward, who will direct his grant to Leadership Public Schools; Jen Jackson of Oakland, who will direct her grant to Walk Oakland Bike Oakland; Laura Rifkin of Oakland, who will direct her grant to the GLBT Historical Society and Eric Thiel of Livermore, will direct his grant to Amador Valley High School.

The bank’s program also recognized student leaders. who received internships at various nonprofits last summer.

In San Francisco, the bank recognized student leaders Zack Deutsch-Gross, Courtney Lee, Amber Rios, Winnie Sin, and Adrienne Tran.

In the East Bay, the bank recognized student leaders Rahael Elizabeth Borchers, Wilbert Cheng, Devin Tre Murphy, Adarious Payton, and Shiyulli Suriyakumar.

Read more at San Francisco Business Times: http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2010/11/10/bofa-makes-grants-to-bay-area-nonprofits.html

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