PHOENIX – Teach For America and Human Services Campus (HSC), Inc. have been named as the 2020 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for Phoenix. The nonprofits were selected for their work in the Phoenix community to address issues fundamental to economic mobility, specifically educational inequalities in low-income communities and ending homelessness.

As an awardee, each organization receives a $200,000 grant, a year of leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader, a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact.

“As we consider many of the challenges that our community is facing – from the health crisis brought on by the coronavirus to the need for progress on racial equality and economic opportunity – the Neighborhood Builders program is a relevant and timely initiative to support the communities we serve,” said Benito Almanza, Arizona market president, Bank of America. “This program enables partners like Teach For America and Human Services Campus to their services in these unprecedented times of demand and unforeseen challenges that the ongoing pandemic created.”

HSC is a collaborative force of 16 partner nonprofit organizations providing wrap-around services to individuals experiencing homelessness. During Fiscal Year 2020, nearly 5,000 unduplicated clients accessed services on the Human Services Campus where nearly 2,900 clients were assessed at the Brian Garcia Welcome Center for housing placements. Of those, 501 were diverted to friends and family, preventing them from entering the homeless services system. HSC will use the Neighborhood Builders program to hire additional specialized full-time staff and provide valuable leadership training to expand its capacity to deliver services and create new opportunities to impact the community.

“Being recognized by Bank of America for the work being done at the Human Services Campus to help individuals experiencing homelessness is deeply gratifying,” said HSC Executive Director Amy Schwabenlender. “The Neighborhood Builders grant will reinforce and enhance our efforts both on the frontlines and strategically as we work collectively to address and find solutions for homelessness across the entire Valley.”

Teach For America is the largest and most diverse provider of teachers for low-income communities across America. During the pandemic, they have turned to virtual training for new teachers and coaches. They will use the Neighborhood Builder grant to expand into South Phoenix as well as build out its virtual education and coaching platform for classroom observations so that teachers can get the ongoing, individualized professional development they need.

“While our state continues to grapple with the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic, our work to recruit excellent teachers to serve in our highest need schools and communities is more important than ever before,” said Katie Tennessen Hooten, executive director at Teach For America. “It’s partnerships like this with Bank of America that helps us continue improving educational opportunities for students in Phoenix.”

Since 2004, Bank of America has invested over $260 million in 50 communities through Neighborhood Builders, partnering with more than 1,300 nonprofits and helping more than 2,600 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. In Phoenix specifically, Bank of America has partnered with 32 nonprofits since 2003, investing $6.4 million to provide economic mobility opportunities within the Phoenix area. 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.

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