Bank of America names 2023 Neighborhood Builders program recipients
Since 2004, Bank of America has invested more than $300 million in nearly 100 communities across the United States, partnered with more than 1,600 nonprofits and helped more than 3,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills through its Neighborhood Builders program.
The program, one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development, provides comprehensive training for an executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling as well as the opportunity to join a national network of peer organizations.
On Nov. 15, Bank of America announced that El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center (El Sol) and the Making Hope Happen Foundation, both based in San Bernardino, were the 2023 Neighborhood Builders awardees for their work advancing economic mobility and serving underserved neighborhoods across the Inland Empire.
Each nonprofit will receive $200,000 in multi-year flexible funding as well as extensive training for the nonprofits’ leaders to enhance resources and services for expansion and scale.
“Nonprofits are vital to solving social challenges, improving communities and promoting economic advancement," said Bansree Parikh, president, Bank of America Inland Empire. “Providing these nonprofits with flexible funding and leadership training not only positions them for sustainable, long-term success but demonstrates our commitment to creating real change in the places where we live and work.”
For more than 30 years, El Sol, which has an office in Palm Desert, has served approximately 50,000 vulnerable residents per year across the Inland Empire, providing access to health care, affordable housing and education. The organization will use the grant to help expand the agency, including remodeling a new office headquarters in San Bernardino to support agency staff with a training space and to offer a venue for community events and members.
“We believe that this grant will not only support the recent expansion of our agency, but also serve as a catalyst for positive change within our community,” said Alex, Fajardo, executive director, El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center. “It will allow us to update and fix our facilities, provide our dedicated staff with the necessary resources and further enhance our family resource center.”
The Making Hope Happen Foundation supports low- and moderate-income communities in San Bernardino by bringing resources such as scholarships, home ownership opportunities, small business development, loans and job skills to underserved residents.
“This grant will allow us to build capacity supporting critical operations, strategic communications, fund development and marketing as we work with our partners in the Arrowhead Grove project,” said Niki Dettman, CEO, Making Hope Happen Foundation. “We believe that successful collaborative efforts create soil that is fertile and ready for more growth. Everyone who calls San Bernardino home should have the opportunity to prosper, thrive and feel like they belong.”
The honorees were selected by a committee of community leaders and past local Neighborhood Builder winners. Since the program’s inception in 2004, 31 Inland Empire nonprofits have been selected as Neighborhood Builders.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bank of America names 2023 Neighborhood Builders program recipients
