DETROIT — Bank of America celebrated its annual “Day of Giving” in Detroit on Nov. 18, a day starting with connection and ending in gratitude. The day focused on connecting Bank of America’s teammates with its community partner organizations to see more closely and to understand how partnerships align to deliver and advance economic mobility and racial equality in metro Detroit. The day ended with a great thank you to those same partners who day in and day out serve southeast Michigan with innovative programming.
Locally, Bank of America and its Foundation has committed more than $6 million in grants this year to more than 65 metro Detroit organizations. These organizations create pathways to employment and job training, support community development and housing affordability, address the small business eco-system and its entrepreneurs and drive healthy outcomes for communities through innovative health care delivery while supporting basic needs functions.
Each grant is aimed at supporting thriving neighborhoods and add to the vibrancy of southeast Michigan. Grants, sponsorships, investments and volunteerism are all part of the bank’s commitment to support individuals and families and the diverse and dynamic communities in which they live. The network of nonprofit organizations plays a crucial role in reaching people at their immediate point of need to connect them to programs and resources that provide some of the essential services that help people find their way to greater stability and economic advancement.
“The continuing issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have threatened the physical and economic health of many in our community,” said Matt Elliott, President, Bank of America Michigan. “Through our commitment to and collaboration with community partners we aim to remediate health disparities, shore up access to employment and job training, support housing, and provide for small business development and growth — with a common goal of removing barriers to afford opportunities. We enthusiastically pursue innovative pathways to these outcomes, and we are proud to assist people and programs devoted to building strong and resilient communities and thriving neighborhoods.
“Over the past decade we have committed more than $36 million to support initiatives that serve a diverse and deserving community,” Elliott added. “And we do more than just write checks. We’ve activated these investments with more than 200,000 volunteer hours logged by our teammates across the city, region and state.”
Organizations receiving grants this year include:
ACCESS
Accounting Aid Society
Alternatives for Girls
American Forests
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit
Black United Fund of Michigan
Boys & Girls Clubs of SE Michigan
Build Institute
Catholic Charities of SE Michigan
Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corp.
Chaldean American Ladies of Charity
Citizenship Education Fund
Close Up Foundation
COTS
College for Creative Studies (Design Core)
Community Development Advocates of Detroit
Connect Detroit
Corporation for Supportive Housing
Covenant House Michigan
Detroit Economic Growth Corporation
Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation
Detroit Future City
Detroit Rescue Mission Ministries
Develop Detroit, Inc.
Eastern Market Corporation
Enterprise Community Partners, Inc.
Focus: Hope
Food Gatherers
Forgotten Harvest
Gleaners Community Food Bank
Global Detroit
Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit
Great Lakes Women’s Business Council
Greening of Detroit
Habitat for Humanity Detroit
Habitat for Humanity Huron Valley
Habitat for Humanity Oakland County
HAVEN
Hope Village Revitalization
Independent Sector
Invest Detroit Foundation
Jefferson East, Inc.
Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County
Junior Achievement of SE Michigan
Lighthouse of Oakland County
Living Cities Inc. – The National Community Development Initiative
Local Initiatives Support Corporation
Michigan Minority Supplier Development Council
Motown Historical Museum
National Faith Homebuyers
Neighborhood Service Organization
NPower Detroit
Prosperous Detroit Micro Lending
Ruth Ellis Center
Safe Place Transition Center
SAY Detroit
Safe Place Transition Center
SER Metro-Detroit
Southwest Detroit Business Association
Southwest Economic Solutions
Sphinx Music Organization
Teach for America
The Edison Institute Inc. (The Henry Ford)
Thurgood Marshall College Fund
United Negro College Fund
United Way for Southeastern Michigan
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
Wayne State University Research & Technology Park
Wayne State University
YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit
A very special component of Bank of America’s Day of Giving was GIVE, the event that culminated the day’s activities where the bank celebrated its local partners, acknowledges its Student Leaders, awards its annual Neighborhood Builders awardees and uses this special day to highlight special initiatives.
HAVEN and Develop Detroit are Detroit’s 2021 Neighborhood Builders. Each organization will receive a $200,000 grant over two years in unrestricted funds, comprehensive leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling, and joins a network of peer organizations across the U.S. to increase their impact in the community through program expansion coupled with leadership training for their executive and rising leader.
HAVEN, in Pontiac, is Oakland County’s only comprehensive program for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Founded more than 40 years ago, HAVEN provides shelter, counseling, advocacy, and educational programming to nearly 30,000 domestic violence victims annually.
HAVEN will utilize the Neighborhood Builders grant to invest in prevention education and create a community outreach position to make new connections with service providers and historically underserved populations.
Develop Detroit was born during the City of Detroit’s bankruptcy to focus on housing stability and real estate investment. Develop Detroit builds and designs attractive mixed-income communities and single-family homes across Detroit, utilizing an integrated approach to stabilize and grow neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Builders grant provides Develop Detroit with flexible funds that help support staff to analyze new investment opportunities to grow the number of owned and operated apartments. Also, the award is critical to the expansion of its services platform, enabling Develop Detroit to provide resources more directly to the most important stakeholders, its residents.
Since 2004, Bank of America has invested more than $280 million in 50 communities, partnering with more than 1,400 nonprofits, and helping more than 2,800 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills through the Neighborhood Builders program.
