Bank of America Awards $1 Million to nonprofits tackling poverty in Detroit

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently distributed nearly $1 million in community giving to 24 nonprofits focused on ensuring individuals and families in metropolitan Detroit have access to basic needs and services.
Six teams of Bank of America executives made surprise visits to 13 organizations and delivered nearly $500,000 in grants in total to nonprofit organizations during Bank of America’s Detroit Day of Giving. These grants are a part of the bank’s broader philanthropic investment to improve housing, hunger and jobs in communities across the nation.
Many metro Detroit families still struggle to obtain basic necessities and face difficult financial decisions, such as choosing between putting foods on the table and paying for health care, or simply providing a safe home for their children.
The recognized nonprofits play a critical role in providing essential human services, including emergency shelter and access to food and benefits, to reach individuals at their immediate point of need and connect them to the programs and resources that will set them on a path to economic stability.
“If people can’t afford to put food on the table, secure a stable job or find a safe place to live, they can’t begin to think about their overall financial security and future,” said Matt Elliott Michigan market president, Bank of America. “Our philanthropic investments are one way that we’re working to connect individuals in our community to the resources they need to lead financially stable lives.”
Later in the day, the team also awarded $400,000 in grants to its high-performing Neighborhood Builders partners, who will use the funding to increase their impact in the community through program expansion or operations.
Organizations receiving grants include: Common Ground, St. Vincent de Paul Matchan Nutrition Center, Grace Centers of Hope, Macomb County Warming Center, Hope Center in Macomb, All Saints Soup Kitchen – Catholic Charities of Southeastern Michigan, South Oakland Shelter, Starfish Family Services, Alternatives for Girls, Forgotten Harvest, Ruth Ellis Center, Gleaners Community Food Bank, Detroit Police Athletic League and Ecoworks Detroit.
The 2014 and 2015 Neighborhood Builders are the Coalition on Temporary Shelter (COTS), Southwest Detroit Business Association, Greening of Detroit and Accounting Aid Society.