Support comes as part of Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program, which helps nonprofits grow more sustainably in order to build a thriving community
HARTFORD, CT -- Bank of America has announced KNOX as the 2017 Neighborhood Builder recipient. Through horticulture and agriculture, KNOX forges partnerships between residents, businesses and government, to build greener and more beautiful neighborhoods in Hartford. KNOX provides workforce training and coordinates a variety of green programs, including community gardening, Trees for Hartford Neighborhoods and Hartford Cleans Up.
Neighborhood Builders is a cornerstone program for Bank of America. Through Neighborhood Builders, the bank provides non-profits with $200,000 in unrestricted funding, leadership development for the organization’s Executive Director and Emerging Leader, and access to a network of peer organizations across the U.S. The combination of funding and leadership development enables the organization to create greater impact, scale for strategic growth, and better prepare for the future by providing the tools and resources to develop stronger strategic plans and enhance funding opportunities.
“KNOX has a strong history within Hartford and plays an instrumental role in addressing the community needs of the city; with programs focused on workforce development, wellness and environmental sustainability, they are uniquely positioned to make a difference for Hartford residents,” said Kevin Cunningham, Connecticut president, Bank of America. “The Neighborhood Builders program is designed to connect outstanding non-profits, like KNOX, to funding and development resources in order to enhance operations and increase impact.”
KNOX employs nearly 50 Hartford residents, providing them the training, skills and opportunities to work in green, cross-industry jobs and be a positive influence in the city they call home. Its Youth Corps members maintain 30 landscapes annually, as well as 20 community gardens that provide over 400 Hartford families with healthy, affordable food. KNOX’s tree crew plants over 500 trees per year, while maintaining another 3,000. KNOX also welcomes nearly 3,000 volunteers each year, empowering them to participate in the organization’s environmental beautification work.
“KNOX is grateful to Bank of America for this grant, which will allow us to continue to provide training and job opportunities for Hartford residents who need them,” said KNOX Executive Director Ron Pitz. “Each of these jobs revitalizes our neighborhoods, whether through trees, gardens, or landscaping. This continues to be possible with the help and friendship of partners like Bank of America.”
Since 2004, through Neighborhood Builders, Bank of America has partnered with 22 organizations in the Hartford area, investing $4 million to help create greater impact in the community and better prepare for the future by providing the tools and resources needed to develop stronger strategic plans, chart a succession plan, navigate through tough economic times, and enhance their funding opportunities. Since the program’s inception, Bank of America has invested more than $180 million in 1,000 nonprofit organizations across the country, providing leadership resources to nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders, and the program has been recognized as the nation’s largest philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership development.
Neighborhood Builders is a signature demonstration of the bank’s work to address issues fundamental to economic mobility in order to build thriving communities and illustrates how strong cross-sector partnerships and local community leaders can play a meaningful role in positioning communities for success. The awardees are selected by a local market selection committee with representation by local community leaders from diverse sectors.
About Bank of America Environmental, Social and Governance
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter at @BofA_News.
About KNOX
KNOX uses horticulture as a catalyst for community engagement, forging partnerships between residents, businesses, and government to build stronger, greener, healthier and more beautiful neighborhoods in Hartford. Since its founding in 1966, KNOX has been a key partner in improving the city of Hartford and is a nationally recognized leader in the field of community greening. Principal services include neighborhood beautification and reforestation, park improvement efforts, development of greenways, the oversight and maintenance of both community gardens and public green spaces and the successful administration of a workforce development and green jobs training program. KNOX relies on donations and support from the community to accomplish its mission. More information is available at www.knoxhartford.org.
Image caption: Kevin Cunningham, Connecticut president of Bank of America awards KNOX Executive Director, Ron Pitz, with the 2017 Hartford Neighborhood Builder grant on November 6.
###
Website & Social: www.about.bankofamerica.com; Twitter at @BofA_News.