Two Long Island nonprofits each get $200K from Bank of America
Two nonprofit organizations from Long Island were each awarded grants of $200,000 from Bank of America.
Levittown-based New Ground, which helps provide housing for veterans and families, and Girls Inc. of Long Island, which empowers girls and young women from underserved communities, will each receive $200,000 over two years through Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program.
The Neighborhood Builders program is one of the largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development in the nation, providing comprehensive leadership training for an executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling, and the opportunity to join a national network of peer organizations, according to a BOA statement.
“Local nonprofits provide critical support and services to address our community’s needs and advance equity on Long Island,” Marc Perez, president of Bank of America Long Island, said in the statement. “Both New Ground and Girls Inc. of Long Island are dedicated to creating lasting change by breaking the cycle of homelessness and equipping young women with the skills and resources to become the next generation of leaders. We look forward to seeing these organizations continue to thrive as Neighborhood Builders.”
New Ground helps Long Island veterans and families break the cycle of homelessness through long-term, comprehensive assistance to achieve lasting and sustainable change. Working to eliminate the root causes of homelessness, New Ground empowers veterans and families by providing educational, technical, and emotional support.
“New Ground is thrilled to be a 2023 Neighborhood Builders award recipient, and this could not have come at a better time,” Shannon Boyle, New Ground’s executive director, said in the statement. “As we prepare to grow our Long-Term Housing Program from two units to 20 by early 2025, this capacity-building support from Bank of America will allow New Ground to best prepare for this dramatic expansion. New Ground’s growth will have a direct impact on struggling families and veterans, allowing so many more to receive our intensive social work and education services to once and for all break the cycle of homelessness and poverty.”
Girls Inc. of Long Island empowers girls and young women from underserved communities across Long Island through research-based programs, helping participants build confidence, prepare for economic independence, and achieve their full potential. To create a brighter, more equitable future, Girls Inc. of Long Island provides school and community-based programming to serve girls and young women in Suffolk and Nassau counties.
“Girls Inc. of Long Island is honored to have been chosen for Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program,” Renee Flagler, executive director of Girls Inc. of Long Island, said in the statement. “The funding will have an immense impact on our organization, affording us the opportunity to increase capacity, foster more growth, and add more life-changing innovative programming for the girls in our community. We are grateful to Bank of America for their support and alignment with our charge to ensure that girls are equipped to reach their full potential and become the new generation of leaders.”
Since 2004, Bank of America has invested more than $300 million in nearly 100 communities across the U.S., partnered with more than 1,600 nonprofits, and helped more than 3,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills through the Neighborhood Builders and Champions program.
The invitation-only program is highly competitive and nonprofits are selected by a committee of community leaders and past awardees. There have been 38 nonprofits selected as Neighborhood Builders on Long Island since 2005 and Bank of America has invested nearly $8 million in these local nonprofits.
