Bank of America Program Provides $50,000 in Grant Support and an Opportunity for Virtual Leadership Training
**This is an excerpt of a press release by Bank of America published on November 17, 2021*
GREENVILLE – Hispanic Alliance has been named as the 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion for its work to eliminate systemic barriers that have historically excluded Hispanic communities from economic opportunity.
As part of the program, Hispanic Alliance will receive $50,000 in grant support and an opportunity for engagement in virtual leadership training delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector on topics like human capital management, increasing financial sustainability, and storytelling.
The Hispanic Alliance brings together agencies and individuals to advance Hispanic and Latino communities in the Upstate region. The organization supports these communities by speaking their languages, promoting their culture, and addressing their needs. The Hispanic Alliance aims to serve the local Hispanic population in a culturally and socially appropriate way by connecting individuals and families to resources such as healthcare providers, educational opportunities, legal services, and financial literacy, among others. The Hispanic Alliance also led efforts to bring the Wings of The City exhibition to Greenville earlier this year, which Bank of America also supported.
“The Hispanic Alliance plays a tremendous role in serving the needs of our Hispanic and Latino populations and creating greater cultural understanding throughout the Upstate,” said Stacy Brandon, president, Bank of America Upstate SC. “We’re pleased to continue our ongoing partnership and provide aid for individuals and families to help them chart a path toward economic opportunity and stability. The Neighborhood Champions program will enable the Hispanic Alliance to grow sustainably and strategically for greater positive impact in our community.”
“We are honored to be selected as the 2021 Neighborhood Champion and excited to deepen our partnership with Bank of America. This award is an investment in the future of the Hispanic community, as it will allow us to expand access and opportunity for this growing population,” said Adela Mendoza, executive director of the Hispanic Alliance. “As we enter our second decade of service, our organization is at a critical inflection point and is poised for continued expansion. The injection of leadership and skill-building at this juncture will help ensure that our team is well-equipped to take our programs to the next level. By developing the leadership potential that is untapped in the Hispanic community, we’ll equip our Hispanic neighbors with the knowledge and empowerment to build prosperous communities for everyone. We are grateful for Bank of America’s leadership and their demonstrated commitment to advancing our people, our growth, and our shared future.”
Alongside Upstate SC, the bank will bring the program to over 42 additional communities across the U.S. this fall as part of its commitment to investing in the long-term health of communities. 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.
The Neighborhood Champions program is an extension of the bank’s signature philanthropic initiative, Neighborhood Builders®, the largest corporate philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership in the country. Since the program’s inception in 2019, Bank of America has invested $6.3 million in 126 organizations within 42 communities through the Neighborhood Champions program.
