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By Tyson Moore, President, Bank of America Nashville

Representatives from 13 Nashville nonprofits celebrate receiving grants with Bank of America Nashville Market President Tyson Moore at a Predators game on April 24, 2022.

As Nashville business leaders, we believe part of our role in the community is to help drive economic opportunity and social progress.

While Nashville continues to thrive and attract new business and people from all over the world, the gap is only growing larger between those with opportunity to climb the economic ladder and those without. At Bank of America Nashville, our goal is to be a part of the solution to helping all Nashvillians gain access to opportunity. We are investing in 13 Nashville nonprofits this quarter focused on workforce development, education to help individuals chart a path to employment and better economic futures, as well as basic needs fundamental to building life-long stability.

With access to immediate and basic needs, such as food, shelter, health resources and housing, individuals and families are better positioned to build and maintain a path toward stability and economic opportunity. Recognizing this impact, the bank is directing funding to organizations providing critical services and resources that are fostering a diverse workforce and supporting individuals and families to succeed.

Also, employment is a key driver of economic mobility in Nashville. That’s why the bank is focused on building pathways to employment by supporting a range of workforce development and educational opportunities that will help vulnerable individuals and families stabilize and advance.

Two newer grant recipients to the Bank of America Charitable Foundation are Community Care Fellowship and Dream Streets.

Community Care Fellowship plans to use the grant funding to support its Rapid Rehousing Program that aims to provide long-term housing for 60-75 unhoused and socially displaced people. It will also benefit its Mobile Housing Navigation Center (MHNC), which is a collective impact initiative with nonprofit partners, Metropolitan government, and partner congregations to provide temporary housing for our neighbors experiencing homelessness throughout the Nashville area.

Dream Streets will focus its $25,000 grant funding to support its North Nashville Job Readiness and Training Program. The program is geared towards formerly-incarcerated African American males in North Nashville, providing hard and soft skills, vocational training, and professional mentoring to overcome barriers to employment and find long-term, meaningful careers with a focus on job placement in the hospitality and foodservice industry.

Organizations receiving grants include:

  • 4:13 Strong
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle TN
  • Community Care Fellowship
  • Dream Streets
  • The Hope Station
  • Junior Achievement
  • The Nashville Food Project
  • Oasis Center
  • Project Return
  • Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee
  • Tennessee Immigrants and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC)
  • YMCA of Middle TN
  • YWCA Nashville and Middle Tennessee

Bank of America Nashville is honored to be one part of an incredible business community who cares about all of its citizens – particularly those who have been left behind in the past – and look forward to partnering with even more nonprofits and corporate leaders to make Nashville the best it can be.