2021 Neighborhood Builders Named

(PRESS RELEASE)_​Palm Beach County – Programs that help address the local region’s issues around equal access to our judicial system and workforce development will be able to scale, helping even more people through a multi-year grant from Bank of America.  The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and Student ACES (ACE = athletics, community and education) have been named 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for their work in the Palm Beach County community addressing these issues.
 
As a Neighborhood Builder, each organization receives a $200,000 grant over two years, 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 gets the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact. The program continues to be the nation’s largest investment in nonprofit leadership development.

Research continues to show that a child’s zip code is a strong indicator of their future economic outcome. To overcome this obstacle and advance economic mobility, providing essential resources is critical. The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County is one of the largest legal aid organizations in the State of Florida and their Education Advocacy Project (EAP) seeks to fuel economic and social progress by ensuring access to equitable educational opportunities. The grant will further this mission through the creation of "Education Clinics" and the expansion of program services to ensure that vulnerable, at-risk K-12 students throughout Palm Beach County receive access to the educational services and supports they need to reach the highest level of academic achievement possible. Student ACES is also inspiring our next generation of leaders, offering character education, workforce development and leadership programming in South Florida. Through these organizations, youth in the local community receive opportunities that would otherwise not be available due to economic inequalities. This grant will enable Student ACES to improve their leadership potential and help break the cycle of generational poverty by continuously growing their program offerings and further impacting a greater number of students in the community.
 
“As communities continue to recover and navigate a changing landscape, nonprofits are still experiencing significant demands and are in need of resources to help meet critical local needs like inspiring the next generation of leaders and ensuring underserved individuals have access to legal aid,” said Fabiola Brumley president, Bank of America Palm Beach County. “The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County and Student ACES are helping bridge important gaps for individuals and families to help them chart a path toward economic opportunity and stability. Programs like Neighborhood Builders help these organizations grow sustainably and strategically for greater positive impact in the community.”
 
“This grant will change so many lives. Over the next two years, with support from Bank of America, we will be able to provide Workforce Development programming to 300 students, thus setting them up for success in their future career paths,” said Krissy Webb, Co-Founder and Executive Director at Student Aces. “The network and leadership development support provided by Bank of America is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that can strengthen and grow the Student ACES team creating a greater impact for the high school student-athletes we serve.”

“The Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County’s Education Advocacy Project (EAP) is honored to be a 2021 recipient of Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders award for an innovative project benefitting the community,” said Robert Bertisch, Executive Director at Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.  “The project will be comprised of multi-site special education clinics for families of students with disabilities with current Individual Education Plans. Legal Aid looks forward to working with community partners and offering these clinics to under-resourced families in Palm Beach County. “
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Since 2004, Bank of America has invested over $280 million in 50 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,400 nonprofits and helping more than 2,800 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. Here in Palm Beach County, 25 nonprofits have been selected as a Neighborhood Builder, with the bank investing $5.4 million into these local organizations through the program since 2005.
 
The invitation-only program is highly competitive, and leading members of the community participated in a collaborative selection process to identify this year’s awardees. 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.