FNBO Awards $817,000 in Impact Grants

Press Release

Release Date: August 17, 2021

FNBO Awards $817,000 in Impact Grants

—Grants Support Programs Related to Education and Workforce Development—

OMAHA, Neb. August 17, 2021—First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO) has awarded a total of $817,000 in Impact Grants to 45 nonprofit organizations in Nebraska, Iowa, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas and Texas, announced Alec Gorynski, Vice President, Community Development and Corporate Philanthropy. The grants support programs related to education and workforce development, with the intent to help individuals in the bank’s communities become economically self-sufficient.

“At FNBO, we envision a future where all our communities are strong and successful. To achieve that vision, every individual must have access to the tools, resources and opportunities that help them improve their overall financial wellbeing,” said Gorynski. “That’s why our Impact Grant Program focuses on the long-term success of our communities by directing our investments to community partners who are working to create pathways to financial well-being for our neighbors.”

Grants for education and workforce development purposes will enable FNBO’s community partners to provide programming to help bring individuals closer to economic self-sufficiency. FNBO extends support to organizations that will provide adult basic and financial literacy education, employment case management, vocational and workforce skill building and career exploration to an estimated 9,400 individuals.

Nebraska and Iowa

In Nebraska and western Iowa, FNBO awarded $517,000 in Impact Grants to 24 organizations:

• $25,000 – AIM Institute (Omaha): provides support for accelerated tech training for underrepresented populations.
• $25,000 – Autism Action Partnership (Omaha): provides support for Prosper Workforce Solutions, a traditional workforce development program that connects the local business community to skilled adults (with autism) for permanent employment.
• $20,000 – Child Saving Institute (Omaha): supports the Independent Living Skills program, which includes workforce support and is key to breaking the cycle of poverty for youth in the child welfare system.
• $15,000 – Completely KIDS (Omaha): provides support for Adult Education classes to enhance the employability skills of parents and caregivers in areas such as English as a Second Language, citizenship, GED attainment, computer skills, Spanish literacy and financial literacy.
• $40,000 – Credit Advisors Foundation (Omaha): provides support for placing certified financial counselors into bank branches and partner non-profits by providing virtual credit and budget counseling and education to the community.
• $25,000 – Financial Hope Collaborative at Creighton University (Omaha): provides support for a year-long, comprehensive financial education/coaching program that focuses on changing financial behaviors through new tools, skills, support and accountability.
• $20,000 – Goodwill Industries (Omaha): supports the YouthBuild program, where disadvantaged youth, ages 16 to 24 years old, receive construction education and training, earn their GED, and receive ongoing support to get their lives back on track.
• $25,000 – Heart Ministry Center (Omaha): provides support for Fresh Start, a job training and job placement program with the objective to match clients with jobs that earn a livable wage, and to provide clients with the necessary job training, life skills and soft skills needed to maintain steady employment.
• $25,000 – Heartland Family Service (Omaha): supports the Ways to Work program, which provides financial assistance for transportation accessibility needs and small, low-interest vehicle loans to eligible working parents with dependent children.
• $20,000 – InCOMMON Community Development (Omaha): provides support for the Workforce Development program, which empowers community residents with personal and professional skills to increase their workforce readiness, earning potential and financial literacy in order to achieve education, career, economic and community goals.
• $25,000 – Latino Center of the Midlands (Omaha): provides support for English, basic literacy, GED, digital literacy, citizenship, and work-readiness classes serving adult learners every year, to help them obtain stable, rewarding employment.
• $60,000 – Metropolitan Community College Foundation (Omaha): provides support for Adult Basic Education (ABE) and Transitional Learning Community (TLC) onboarding to support students with career and educational goals and to accelerate career placement.
• $30,000 – No More Empty Pots (Omaha): supports the Culinary Certificate Program (CCP), which provides culinary and life skills training that support student development in workforce readiness, capabilities to overcome traditional barriers to employment, and self-sufficiency. 
• $15,000 – Omaha Home for Boys (Omaha): provides support for the Branching Out Independent Living Program, which helps young adults develop the skills and confidence needed to live self-sufficient, productive lives.
• $15,000 – OneWorld Community Health Centers, Inc. (Omaha): supports the Learning Community Center, which empowers adult learners with education in English language, GED support, workforce development, employability skills, parenting and computer basics.
• $30,000 – RISE Academy (Omaha): supports the reentry program which provides case management, workforce readiness skills and job placement for returning citizens.
• $25,000 – Urban League of Nebraska (Omaha): supports the Workforce Development Program which provides the training for each participant to attain in-demand skills and credentials desired by employers.   
• $15,000 – New Visions Homeless Services (Council Bluffs): provides funding for support services, which include efforts to secure employment and stability for those experiencing homelessness through case management and financial education.
• $15,000 – Care Corps LifeHouse (CCLH) (Fremont): supports a workforce development and life skill training program, which provides practical skills needed to gain employment and focus on the soft skills needed to stay employed.
• $15,000 – Grow Grand Island (Grand Island): provides support for EDGE, a program focused on upskilling existing workers with core personal/academic/workplace competencies to allow them to achieve employment goals.
• $10,000 – Community Action Partnership of Lancaster and Saunders Counties (Lincoln): provides support for Financial Well-Being programs designed to move low- to moderate-income individuals to greater economic stability through the provision of financial education and coaching and matched savings opportunities for asset-specific purchases.
• $10,000 – Nebraska Children & Families Foundation (Lincoln): supports the LEAP (Learn and Earn to Achieve Potential) program, which provides academic enrichment and other support to help young people with foster care experience successfully complete high school and build paths to careers by earning a postsecondary degree or credential.
• $10,000 – Deborah's Legacy, Inc. (North Platte): provides support for residential program, along with educational opportunities, social enterprise employment skills development and support services for women healing from addiction, homelessness and surrounding issues.
• $2,000 – Nebraska Panhandle Area Health Education Center (Scottsbluff): supports the Scholars Program, which provides relevant and experiential opportunities for health profession students who will practice in rural areas.

Colorado

In Colorado, FNBO awarded $155,000 in Impact Grants to 13 organizations: 

• $10,000 – Attention, Inc., dba TGTHR (Boulder): provides support for employment case management, career development, life-skills and self-sufficiency programming for youth experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
• $20,000 – Bridge House (Boulder): supports the Ready to Work Program, which provides transformative opportunities for adults experiencing homelessness with an innovative “work-first” program.
• $10,000 – The Family Learning Center (Boulder): provides support for Education & Workforce Development programming, which helps low-income families by providing comprehensive college and career preparation tools, adult basic education and Early Childhood Education (ECE) training opportunities to parents.
• $10,000 – I Have a Dream Foundation, Boulder County (Boulder): provides support for program that offers Dreamer Scholars with resources to create and follow pathways in postsecondary education with college and/or vocation training including:  financial education, paid internships/apprenticeships, workforce training and career supports.
• $10,000 – Intercambio Uniting Communities (Boulder): provides support for adult English classes for immigrants to develop new skills to help them meet their family's goals of improving employment, community connections, and supporting their children to succeed. 
• $5,000 – Boys & Girls Club of Larimer County (Fort Collins): provides support for Career Discovery program for teens, which includes resume help, career exploration, guest speakers and field trips to local businesses.
• $15,000 – Homeward Alliance (Fort Collins): supports the Hand Up program, which empowers job-seekers who are homeless, near-homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless to find and maintain employment, with the goal of obtaining economic security. 
• $10,000 – Neighbor to Neighbor (Fort Collins): provides support for financial health programs for first time homebuyers, residents of Neighbor to Neighbor's affordable apartment communities and to clients receiving move-in assistance and budget/lease review.
• $20,000 – The Matthews House (Fort Collins): provides support for Job Readiness and Independent Living programs, which teach low-income youth without caring adults in their lives the skills necessary to obtain and maintain employment alongside social emotional skills and resiliency to foster independent living.  
• $15,000 – Thrive - Transformation at Work (Fort Collins): provides support for Job Seeker Services program, which gives underserved members of the community the tools they need to find work, maintain employment and advance in their jobs.  
• $10,000 – The Avery Center (Greeley): provides support for the Economic Empowerment Program for victims of sex trafficking over the age of 18.
• $10,000 – Boys & Girls Club of Weld County (Greeley): provides support for comprehensive workforce readiness programs that invite underserved youth to fall in love with learning, build critical social-emotional skills and acquire the skills needed to successfully enter the workforce.  
• $10,000 – The Greeley Dream Team, Inc. (Greeley): supports the Alumni Program, which provides comprehensive support to students during the first two years of their postsecondary education.

Illinois

In Illinois, FNBO awarded $80,000 in Impact Grants to four organizations:

• $20,000 – The Neighbor Project (Aurora): provides support for the Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), which works to improve economic mobility by providing free one-on-one financial coaching and guidance to individuals and families to build credit scores, manage and reduce debt, and access safe and affordable housing. 
• $20,000 – Friends of McHenry County College Foundation (Crystal Lake): provides support for accelerated workforce training to help adults gain the technical and employability skills necessary to begin a career in healthcare, information technology or manufacturing. 
• $20,000 – DeKalb County Youth Service Bureau, Inc. (DeKalb): supports the YSB Youth Connections Program, which addresses a broad range of vocational skills and offers opportunities to help disconnected and disadvantaged youth gain the financial knowledge, skill and access to resources necessary for success.
• $20,000 – Home of the Sparrow, Inc. (McHenry): provides support for programming to assist women with resume building, job skills and to obtain and retain employment with a livable wage.

Kansas

In Kansas, FNBO awarded $50,000 in Impact Grants to three organizations:

• $10,000 – Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services, Inc. (Kansas City): provides support for programming that seeks to increase homeownership opportunities among socially disadvantaged populations within the Kansas City metropolitan service area.
• $20,000 – Connections to Success (Kansas City): provides support for the Personal & Professional Development (PPD) Training, which is a 72-hour experiential workforce readiness program which includes financial literacy, parenting, healthy relationships, cognitive development, critical thinking, soft skills and job searching.
• $20,000 – Inclusion Connections (Olathe): provides support for the PawsAbilities program, where young adults with developmental disabilities learn job skills, attend job-readiness and fitness classes, and are matched with paying positions in the community aligning with their skills and preferences.

Texas

In Texas, FNBO awarded a $15,000 Impact Grant to the following organization. 

• $15,000 – Agape Resource & Assistance Center, Inc. (Plano): provides support for the Education to Self-Sufficiency program, which improves economic stability through financial literacy.

For more information about FNBO’s impact initiatives, visit www.fnbo.com/impact