University City District Selected as Philadelphia Market Recipient of Bank of America's Prestigious Neighborhood Builders Award

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

For Immediate Release 

Contact: Alissa Weiss, Director of Strategic Initiatives and Communications 

215-243-0555 x251 or [email protected] 

University City District Selected as Philadelphia Market Recipient of Bank of America's Prestigious Neighborhood Builders Award 

Philadelphia, PA – April 25, 2017: University City District (UCD) is pleased to announce that it was named the 2016 market recipient for Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders® award. This coveted grant is given to support high-performing nonprofits making a significant impact in the community. Bank of America presented UCD with the $200,000 award at a check presentation on April 25th, 2017. The funds will provide general operating support for UCD as well as support for leadership development over the course of 2017. 

While the grant was made in recognition of UCD’s comprehensive set of initiatives – from creating great public spaces to restoring vacant properties to useful life– it is primarily intended to support the growth of UCD’s nationally recognized job training program, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative. Bank of America has been a longstanding supporter of the Skills Initiative, which connects West Philadelphia employers seeking talent with West Philadelphia residents seeking opportunity. 

Through its cutting-edge soft skills curriculum, the Skills Initiative has been able to prepare and connect the unemployed to work while helping employer partners find and retain the talent they need. Since launching the program in 2016, the Skills Initiative has served over 600 individuals, and has placed over 90% of its graduates in jobs that pay family-sustaining wages while offering opportunities for growth and advancement. With the help of the Neighborhood Builders Award, the West Philadelphia Skills Initiative is prepared to expand the number of individuals served, grow its employer partners, and explore new employment opportunities by creating business ventures fueled by partnerships with its institutional stakeholders. 

At the check presentation, Bank of America leadership met with UCD staff, UCD Board leadership and WPSI graduates, to learn more about UCD’s unique approach to helping local residents find meaningful employment with our employer partners. Staff and board members highlighted the program’s impact on participants, alumni and employers, and described how meaningful the program is to the neighborhood’s growing economy. 

As part of the professional development component of the award, Matt Bergheiser, UCD’s President, and Sheila Ireland, UCD’s Vice President of Workforce Development, are attending the Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program®, a powerful leadership development training designed to help executives increase their efficacy in achieving the mission of their organization. The workshops are held throughout 

the year, and provide an opportunity for leaders to learn from highly acclaimed speakers and their peers. 

“We are deeply honored to have been selected as Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders awardee in Philadelphia,” said Matt Bergheiser, President of UCD. “As we celebrate our organization’s 20th anniversary, this investment is a wonderful foundation for a future of accelerating impact. With Bank of America’s investment and leadership training, we will double down on our commitment to growing community wealth, focusing intently on harnessing the district’s economic growth for economic opportunity.” 

“After years of supporting the Skills Initiative, we are pleased to give the Neighborhood Builders Award to an organization that is helping support economic mobility in Philadelphia,” said Jim Dever, Bank of America’s Philadelphia market President . “Our partnerships with nonprofit organizations are critical to helping provide meaningful solutions to pressing community issues, and Neighborhood Builders like UCD are key partners in this effort. We believe the award will help this innovative organization scale its impact in ways that will benefit local residents and institutional partners alike.” 

About University City District 

UCD promotes a world class, vibrant University City through major investments in public space development, public maintenance and public safety, by connecting entrepreneurs and residents to economic opportunity, and through the creation and management of destination events. Learn more at www.universitycity.org. 

About Bank of America Charitable Foundation 

Since 2004, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has invested $200 million in more than 900 nonprofit organizations and provided leadership resources to nearly 2,000 nonprofit leaders through Neighborhood Builders and the Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program®. This long-term investment in nonprofit leadership development and capacity building is the largest philanthropic investment of its kind. 

Neighborhood Builders is just one example of our broader corporate social responsibility efforts to build vibrant communities and economies. By advancing partnerships with nonprofits addressing needs related to community development, basic human services and workforce development and education, we are working to increase financial stability and help individuals and families find the pathways out of poverty.