Pioneer Human Services is a Recipient of Bank of America's 2021 Neighborhood Builders Grant
November 17, 2021
Washington Nonprofits Receive Over $2.6 Million in Grants from Bank of America;
Jubilee Women’s Center and Pioneer Human Services Named as 2021 Neighborhood Builders®
The Neighborhood Builders Program Provides $200,000 in Flexible Funding to Each Organization and Leadership Development Training to Advance Economic Mobility
SEATTLE – As the Puget Sound region continues to recover from the impacts of the global health crisis, it is more important than ever for companies to support community organizations on the ground providing valuable services. In 2020, funding for Washington nonprofits decreased by 30 percent and volunteerism by as much as 50 percent. Yet, the dependence on them continues to grow.
Bank of America responded to the call by providing over $2.6 million in grants to 54 nonprofits across the state in 2021 to support their work across career development, housing, food security, education, and more.
Additionally, the Bank has announced Jubilee Women’s Center and Pioneer Human Services as the 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for their work in the Puget Sound region addressing homelessness and systemic injustice. With this recognition, they will be able to scale helping even more people through a multi-year grant from Bank of America.
As Neighborhood Builders, each organization receives a $200,000 grant, comprehensive leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling, joins a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. The program continues to be the nation’s largest investment into nonprofit leadership development.
“As communities continue to recover and navigate a changing landscape, our nonprofits are still experiencing significant demands and are in need of resources to address homelessness and systemic injustice,” said Kerri Schroeder, President, Bank of America Seattle. “Jubilee Women’s Center and Pioneer Human Services are helping bridge important gaps for the region’s most at-risk groups to help them find a path forward toward stability and economic opportunity.”
In Washington, 11 percent of single women live in poverty. Jubilee Women’s Center addresses this need by providing the time and space for women to heal from trauma, stabilize their mental and physical health, and gain the skills necessary to build a stable future. Jubilee Women’s Center provides safe and affordable housing, on-site case management, skill building opportunities, and a Learning and Opportunity Center (LOC).
“At Jubilee Women’s Center we strive to remain flexible and meet the needs of our community. The challenge and situations we encountered during the pandemic have greatly expanded our understanding of how to best impact our community and deliver services,” said Kari Whitacre, Executive Director, Jubilee Women’s Center. “This support from Bank of America will allow us to train staff, upgrade computers, purchase recording equipment, and develop an eLearning platform and curriculum that supports both in-person and virtual on-demand options. Funding will also help support Jubilee’s overall mission to support women experiencing poverty to build stable and fulfilling futures, one extraordinary woman at a time.”
Pioneer Human Services was founded to address serious societal challenges, from the long-lasting trauma of incarceration to institutionalized problems stemming from racism and classism. In King County, approximately 30 percent of the people they serve are Black and more than 50 percent are people of color. Pioneer offers treatment options, residential reentry services, affordable housing help, workforce development, and advocates for just policies to eliminate discrimination.
“Poverty, race and incarceration are interconnected in the U.S., and BIPOC and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. Pioneer Human Services combats discrimination and advances the social and economic mobility of these communities through advocacy and innovative services,” said Karen Lee, CEO, Pioneer Human Services. “With support from Bank of America, we are a launching a new, comprehensive economic and career mobility program called Untapped Potential (UP). UP will provide customized, innovative services to residents from five of Pioneer's affordable housing programs and community members in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.”
Since 2004, through its Neighborhood Builders program, Bank of America has partnered with 36 nonprofits in the Puget Sound area, investing $7.2 million to address the region’s toughest issues related to economic mobility.
Neighborhood Builders is just one example of how Bank of America deploys capital in communities, builds cross-sector partnerships, and promotes socioeconomic progress as part of its approach to responsible growth. So far in 2021, across Washington, Bank of America has provided over $2.6 million through grants and sponsorships to community partners to drive economic mobility through basic needs, jobs, community vitality & advancing racial equity. Nonprofit organizations include:
- Bellwether Housing
- Boys & Girls Club of King County
- Boys & Girls Club of Spokane County
- Catholic Charities of Spokane
- Chief Seattle
- Clark County Food Bank
- Clark Community Colleges District 14
- Community Frameworks
- Community Roots Housing
- Computing for All
- District 17 Community Colleges Foundation
- Downtown Emergency Service Center
- Eastern Washington State Historical Society
- El Centro de la Raza
- Family Support Center of South Sound
- Farestart
- Financial Beginnings Washington
- Food Lifeline
- Habitat for Humanity King County
- Habitat for Humanity Pierce County
- Habitat for Humanity Spokane
- Hopelink
- Housing Hope
- Imagine Housing
- Jubilee’s Women Center
- Juma Ventures
- Lifelong
- Martin Luther King Jr Family Outreach Center
- Mercy Housing
- Nisqually Indian Tribe
- Nourish Pierce County
- Pioneer Human Services
- Plymouth Housing
- Sea Mar
- Seattle Collage Foundation
- Seattle Goodwill Industries
- Seattle King County Workforce Development
- Second Harvest Inland Northwest
- Share Inc
- Smith-Barbieri Progressive Fund a Charitable Foundation
- Spokane Neighborhood Action Program
- Spokane Valley Partners
- Technology Access Foundation
- Transitional Programs for Women
- Treehouse
- United Way King County
- United Way of Pierce County
- Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery
- Washington State University Foundation
- Women’s & Children’s Free Restaurant and Community Kitchen
- Year Up
- Young Women’s Christian Association
- YWCA BankWork$
- YWCA Clark County
Jubilee Women’s Center
For over 35 years, Jubilee Women’s Center has filled a critical role in the continuum of care for women, serving women who are in poverty and experiencing homelessness due to a history of abuse in childhood or adulthood, domestic violence, a shortage of affordable housing, or other disparities in economic wellbeing. Participants often arrive to Jubilee Women’s Center physically and emotionally exhausted from living in emergency shelters, friends’ couches, or on the streets. Jubilee provides a safe and dignified environment, supportive services, community housing, educational tools, and time to transition into sustainable and independent living. Learn more at jwcenter.org.
Pioneer Human Services
Pioneer Human Services is a social enterprise that partners with communities to transform society by honoring the humanity of people, reducing the impact of discriminatory mass incarceration and empowering people to live safe, healthy, productive lives through inspiration, affirmation and by overturning barriers. Founded as a single halfway house in Seattle in 1963, Pioneer now offers an integrated array of treatment, housing and employment services in over 50 locations across the state of Washington. As a nonprofit social enterprise, Pioneer also operates a diverse line of businesses that provide on-the-job training and work experience for people with conviction histories, while generating revenue to help fund its social mission.
Bank of America
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 (@BofA_News).
For more Bank of America news, including dividend announcements and other important information, visit the Bank of America newsroom and register for news email alerts.
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Reporters May Contact:
Britney Sheehan, Bank of America, 425.466.0378
[email protected]
Irina Bobrik, Jubilee Women’s Center, 206.457.4392
[email protected]
Nanette Sorich, Pioneer Human Services, 206.766.7034
[email protected]
