Bank of America Names Its Inaugural Neighborhood Champion

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. — Bank of America announces the launch of its Neighborhood Champions program in Grand Rapids, naming Women’s Resource Center as its inaugural awardee. Neighborhood Champions supports the role strong nonprofit leaders play in advancing economic mobility, and is an extension of the bank’s signature philanthropic initiative, Neighborhood Builders, the largest corporate philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership in the country. Alongside Grand Rapids, the bank brought the program to 40 new markets across the U.S. last fall as part of its commitment to investing in the long-term health of communities.

As part of the program, Women’s Resource Center received $50,000 in grant support and an opportunity for engagement in virtual leadership training delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector. Women’s Resource Center provides programs and services to educate and empower women to succeed in the workplace. Additionally, the organization has partnered with Bank of America to provide ongoing financial literacy training through the bank’s Better Money Habits® program.

“We’re thrilled to bring the Neighborhood Champions program to Grand Rapids,” said Renee Tabben, Grand Rapids Market President, Bank of America. “Through flexible funding and leadership resources, partners like Women’s Resource Center have the power to plan strategically for growth and long-term sustainability, and we look forward to seeing how this investment helps this organization make even greater strides to equip women to succeed in the workplace.

The Neighborhood Champions program is invitation-only for nonprofits who are poised to take their work to the next level. Leading members of the community participated in a collaborative selection process to identify this year’s awardee. Examples of the topics for the virtual leadership training awarded include human capital management, increasing financial sustainability, and storytelling.

“The staff and board of Women’s Resource Center are honored to be the inaugural recipient of Bank of America’s Neighborhood Champions grant here in West Michigan,” said Sandra Gaddy, CEO, Women’s Resource Center. “We are grateful for this unique funding opportunity and applaud Bank of America’s commitment to helping organizations build capacity to deepen impact in the communities they serve. I am personally appreciative of their intentional investment and support of nonprofit leaders – like myself – by incorporating leadership development into the Neighborhood Champions program.”

For more than fifteen years, Bank of America has invested $240 million in 49 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,000 nonprofits and helping more than 2,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. The Neighborhood Champions program in Grand Rapids will strengthen the bank’s commitment to advancing economic mobility and nonprofit leadership.