WCEC Receives Grant from BofA to Support eCommerce Program

The WCEC Women’s Business Center, a local non-profit organization dedicated to helping women start and grow their own small businesses, has received a $15,000 grant from Bank of America (BofA).

The grant will help provide educational services to women-owned small businesses to boost their eCommerce capabilities, while improving economic mobility in the northern 14 counties of New Jersey. The WCEC’s mission is to empower women to invest in themselves via entrepreneurship by providing necessary resources for women to successfully start, own, operate, and grow their businesses. The WCEC helps over 1,000 business owners every year by providing over 240 different business classes and hundreds of hours of one-on-one counseling sessions.

“This grant is not just an investment in our organization; it's an investment in our community to help the entire production chain of the economy. We provide the highest quality services, open to any gender and income level, and prioritize women and low-moderate income,” says Rana Shanawani, executive director, WCEC. “We appreciate BofA’s generous support and continued investment in our woman-owned small business community.”

“The WCEC has been educating for over 20 years and is excited to build this new partnership with Bank of America, collaborating to build the NJ economy,” Robin Tabakin, president, WCEC Board of Directors.

The grant is part of Bank of America's philanthropic giving efforts in local communities. Awardees were selected for their commitment to addressing the needs of the community, including housing, neighborhood revitalization and small business resiliency.

“Bank of America recognizes the importance of supporting business owners in New Jersey, and we’re proud to be a partner of WCEC as they play a vital role in empowering women to invest in themselves and their small businesses,” said Alberto Garofalo, president, Bank of America New Jersey.

About Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp.

The Women’s Center for Entrepreneurship Corp. (WCEC) is a registered 501c3 nonprofit. As a resource partner for the U.S. Small Business Administration, the WCEC’s mission is to empower women to invest in themselves via entrepreneurship by providing necessary resources for women to successfully start, own, operate, & grow their businesses. The WCEC works with women and BIPOC-owned businesses at the start up stage and existing small businesses looking to scale up by providing educational resources, business counseling, and technical assistance. For more information, visit www.wcecnj.org

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 3,900 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 57 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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