2024 Bank of America Neighborhood Builder Grant Honoree
We are so grateful for being chosen as a 2024 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders grant recipient! Thanks to this grant, we can expand our team, enabling us to serve even more girls in our new facility. Through this exciting growth, we are dedicated to creating a brave space unapologetically rooted in Black culture and history, a space where our participants can thrive, dream big, and feel truly supported. We deeply appreciate Bank of America’s commitment to empowering our mission and creating lasting impact. This transformative funding ensures that while we continue to raise awareness and funds for our Building Campaign, our essential programs and operations remain strong. Here are some photos from the award presentation. For details on the grant, see the press release below or read the article in the Richmond Times Dispatch here.
Latinos In Virginia Empowerment Center, Girls For A Change Named 2024 BofA Neighborhood Builder Honorees
Both Richmond nonprofits are receiving a Multiyear Grant & Comprehensive Leadership Training to Expand Critical Services Locally
RICHMOND, Va. – Celebrating its 20th year, Bank of America’s signature Neighborhood Builders® program continues to be one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development, while providing unique multiyear flexible grant funding annually to two high-impact nonprofits in each of nearly 100 communities nationwide. In Richmond, Bank of America has named Latinos In Virgina Empowerment Center and Girls For A Change as its 2024 Neighborhood Builders for their work to provide relief in the community, foster a sense of local pride, and increase health and well-being.
Specifically, both Richmond nonprofits are each awarded a $200,000 grant over two years, comprehensive leadership training for their organization’s executive director and an emerging leader, and access to a national network of nonprofit peers. Since the program’s national inception in 2004, 28 nonprofits have been selected as Neighborhood Builders in Richmond, with the bank investing more than $6 million in philanthropic capital into these nonprofits. Nationwide since 2004, Bank of America has invested over $300 million into nearly 1,800 nonprofits and helped more than 3,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills through the Neighborhood Builders program.
“We’re proud of how this program continues to strengthen Richmond nonprofits that provide solutions to local challenges and promote economic advancement,” said Victor Branch, president, Bank of America Richmond. “Providing these nonprofits with flexible funding and comprehensive leadership training helps them address critical needs and create lasting change in our communities. Countless individuals, families and neighborhoods have felt the profound impact that these 28 Neighborhood Builder nonprofits have had in Richmond.”
Latinos In Virgina Empowerment Center (LIVE) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Latino individuals facing domestic or sexual abuse by providing a safe and accessible pathway to support. As the only organization in Virginia specifically catering to Latino domestic violence victims through bilingual services, LIVE understands the unique challenges faced by the Latino community and works to ensure no one feels trapped in harmful situations. Partnering with over 90 community organizations, LIVE is committed to building trust, offering culturally sensitive resources, and creating an environment where seeking help feels safer than staying silent. With a 100% Hispanic/Latino staff, LIVE is a vital resource in the Richmond community, serving as a central hub for Latino families in need of assistance beyond domestic violence support, including help with food, clothing, housing, job transportation, and childcare.
This Neighborhood Builders Grant will enable LIVE to expand its programs statewide, enhance staff development through training and bilingual services, and further establish itself as a trauma-informed organization to better empathize with those seeking its services. The grant will also help provide resources to further educate staff on financial management, strategic planning, and leadership skills.
“We are so grateful for Bank of America’s support,” said Elvira De la Cruz, CEO/ Senior Advocate at Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center. “This support will help our leadership team create long-lasting community partnerships, develop innovative service strategies, and learn the best ways to retain talent and secure useful resources to help program patrons. We strive to help Latino victims in the area, and can do so at greater lengths with the Neighborhood Builders grant.”
Girls For A Change (GFAC) is a nonprofit organization focused on the development of self-identifying Black girls as leaders and changemakers across the Greater Richmond Metro Area. For the past 20 years, GFAC has supported over 30,000 Black girls by focusing on leadership development, financial literacy, skill building, opportunity access, community engagement, and social-emotional learning. These efforts are rooted in asset-based support and delivered by a 100% Black executive staff. GFAC achieves this impact through social change projects, skill building, experiential learning, and workforce development programs, such as Elevating LeadHers Fellowship, a philanthropy-based learning program, and the Girl Ambassador Program, where participants gain both professional and digital skills to prepare them for better-paying jobs and leadership roles. Thanks to GFAC’s incredible programs, 100% of their participants have graduated high school and gained college admission.
With the support of the Neighborhood Builders grant, GFAC aims to further increase high school graduation and college admission rates, with aims to serve 630 girls in 2025. These efforts are helping participants grow into young women who positively uplift and serve both themselves and their communities.
“It is an honor to receive this grant,” said Angela Patton, CEO, Girls For A Change. “Girls For A Change is claiming space in every sense through the purchase of our current building, which will be demolished and replaced with a 16,000 square foot building designed to offer opportunity and access to more Black girls in our community. This funding will help GFAC increase our staff to support more girls in the new Girls For A Change Branch. Through our culturally responsive programs, combined with this grant, Girls For A Change will continue to serve Black girls by equipping them with the skills and agency to be leaders and contributors in their community. Through this exciting expansion, we strive to create a brave space that is unapologetically rooted in Black culture and history for participants.”
Neighborhood Builders is part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to build thriving communities by addressing issues fundamental to economic opportunity. The invitation-only program is highly competitive, with awardees selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past awardees.
The Neighborhood Builders invitation-only program is highly competitive. Nonprofits are selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past Neighborhood Builders awardees. The first markets Bank of America launched the Neighborhood Builders program in 2004 were: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Broward, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Hartford, Houston, Jacksonville, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, Nashville, Newark, New York, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tampa and Washington, DC.