Photo: M&T Bank
Trade Winds

Health & Welfare Council of LI gets $150K from M&T Bank

The M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank, has awarded $150,000 to the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island. 

The grant is part of the second round of giving through the Amplify Fund providing more than $8.2 million to 68 lead nonprofit organizations throughout New England, Long Island and Rockland County, according to a HWCLI statement.

“On behalf of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, I am grateful that we have been awarded the Amplify Grant from the M&T Charitable Foundation,” Vanessa Baird Streeter, president and CEO of HWCLI, said in the statement. “With this recognition and support, our organization can help a network of providers and community-based organizations hire, train, integrate, and retain Community Health Workers (CHWs). CHWs play a vital role in enhancing the health of individuals and communities and this initiative will boost the growth of this sector within the public health workforce.”

HWCLI operates a series of programs and coalitions that address health equity, nutritional security, access to affordable healthcare and economic security, providing a crucial safety net for Long Islanders.

“Through the Amplify Fund, we are committed to continuing our partnership with organizations like Health & Welfare Council of Long Island that work hand-in-hand with community members in the field to provide the critical resources and programming necessary to truly make a difference,” Dominique Goss, executive director of the M&T Charitable Foundation, said in the statement. “At M&T, addressing the institutionalized and systemic issues preventing disadvantaged communities from accessing opportunities and achieving long-term success is key to our mission as a community bank. We are proud to provide the Amplify Fund as a difference-making resource in the communities we serve.” 

Founded in May 2022, the Amplify Fund is a $25 million philanthropic investment as part of the merger between People’s United Bank and M&T Bank. Powered by the M&T Charitable Foundation, the Amplify Fund is a one-time supplemental charitable program to provide further support in the legacy People’s United communities. The first round of funding totaled more than $11.8 million to 105 nonprofit organizations and focused on equity and environmental initiatives, mission-driven and capacity-building work, community and tenant organizing, and financial empowerment and education for individuals and small businesses. 

Phase II of the Amplify Fund focused on providing funding, for up to three years, to nonprofit collaboratives working together toward a common goal for solving specific social issues, including family stability, income and wealth equity, workforce development and health equity.

Trade Winds

Trade Winds is written by journalists from the Long Island business community.