Bank of America awards $420,000 to Reno-area nonprofits in 2020

RENO, Nev. — To support communities amid the pandemic, Bank of America awarded a total of $421,000 to Northern Nevada nonprofits in 2020, the company announced in late December, with a focus on alleviating the unprecedented impacts to health, food insecurity, jobs and education.

“In addition to this philanthropic capital, which is double its giving in 2019, the bank also donated 46,000 personal protective equipment masks and 26 cases of hand sanitizer to help protect the most vulnerable populations hardest hit by the virus,” according to a Dec. 23 press release.

This year, philanthropic investments included grants to Northern Nevada HOPES to support individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness and working toward financial stability; the Food Bank of Northern Nevada to broaden access to nutritious food and combat food insecurity; and Sierra Nevada Journeys to purchase programming and other necessary technology for students to be successful amid distance learning, among others.

“While all of us have been impacted by the ongoing pandemic, the nonprofit sector continues to experience unprecedented demand for critical services to support vulnerable populations such as seniors and communities of color who are disproportionately impacted,” Andrew Diedrichsen, Reno market president for Bank of America, said in a statement. “As a major company and employer, Bank of America recognizes the responsibility we have to support our local communities however we can. By directing philanthropic capital locally, we can address the most immediate needs while helping our most vulnerable communities become more resilient and positioned for success moving forward.”

Bank of America also “invested in the health and economic stability of its own employees” in 2020, according to the Dec. 23 press release, by raising its minimum hourly pay to $20 and expanding family benefits, including increasing childcare reimbursement to $100 per day, providing meal subsidies, and giving supplemental bonus pay to staff.