Wells Fargo Awards $180,000 to Eight Milwaukee Area Nonprofits
MILWAUKEE – May 31, 2023– Wells Fargo announced today it has awarded $180,000 to eight Milwaukee area nonprofits to fund local work that advances financial health, housing access and affordability, small business growth, and sustainability.
The following organizations have received a portion of the $180,000 in awarded funds:
BizStarts is a one-stop resource center that helps entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. Available services include a credentialed six-week Community Bootcamp (created at the University of Notre Dame specifically for people who come from adverse circumstances), entrepreneurship business coaching, mentorship, networking, and connections to resources. All programs are done in English, Spanish, and American Sign Language. BizStarts provides its services free of charge. BizStarts intends to use its Wells Fargo Foundation grant to expand training available in community-based settings to reach more local entrepreneurs.
Housing Resources, Inc. (HRI)
Housing Resources, Inc. (HRI) prepares people for sustainable homeownership and fosters financial empowerment. HRI provides a wide array of services, including homebuyer education and 1:1 counseling. HRI intends to use its Wells Fargo Foundation grant to add staff and increase capacity to teach potential first-time homebuyers.
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin inspires Wisconsin youth to think big, plan for a self-sufficient future, and apply entrepreneurial thinking in the workplace. Its curriculum instills values of smart money management. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.’s grant will be used to sponsor the Junior Achievement of Wisconsin’s 33rd annual Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame induction ceremony on June 1, 2023.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC)
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is a national nonprofit community development organization and certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). LISC’s work in Milwaukee supports a wide range of community development activities and investments, including affordable housing, economic development, and family income and wealth building. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.’s grant will be used to sponsor LISC’s 2023 Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDIs).
Pathfinders has been a primary point of service for Milwaukee youth experiencing homelessness and its associated traumas for more than 50 years. Pathfinders’ programs work to ensure youth’s safety and stability through shelter, housing, and other wraparound services. Pathfinders intends to use the Wells Fargo Foundation grant funds towards its innovative supported housing program serving some of Milwaukee’s most vulnerable young people.
Riverworks Development Corporation
The Riverworks Development Corporation drives social and economic development by aligning residents and businesses with specialized resources that strengthen Harambee, Riverwest, and surrounding communities. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.’s grant funds will be used to sponsor the Beerline Celebration Series, which brings together neighbors, performers, artists, and makers and showcases the Beerline Trail.
SecureFutures
SecureFutures equips teens with money management skills, tools and mentoring. The Wells Fargo Foundation grant is intended to help fund the Money Coach program, a one-of-a-kind financial mentoring program that provides teens from historically marginalized under-resourced communities with the coaching and guidance needed to develop strong money management habits and long-term financial capability.
Victory Garden Initiative (VGI)
The Victory Garden Initiative (VGI) provides residents of the Harambee neighborhood with access to fresh food and knowledge to become champions of their own health. Harambee residents harvest and distribute tons of fresh produce each year to their community from VGI’s urban gardens and farm. VGI intends to use the Wells Fargo Foundation grant funds toward upgrades to the farm to make it more sustainable.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment, and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.
News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
