Equidad ATX and Mission Capital Named as Austin Neighborhood Builders® in Recognition of Work to Advance Economic Mobility in Austin
AUSTIN – Equidad ATX and Mission Capital have been selected as the 2021 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders® awardees for their work to address systemic barriers and racial inequities in Austin’s community that were only exacerbated by the global health crisis. This program, which continues to be the nation’s largest investment into nonprofit leadership development, builds upon the nearly $2 million in grants from the bank to 39 Austin-area nonprofits in 2021 to support their work across education and career development, affordable housing, conservation, the arts and more to ultimately drive economic mobility and advance racial and ethnic equity.
As a Neighborhood Builder, each organization will receive a $200,000 grant to scale their efforts, comprehensive leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling, join a network of peer organizations across the U.S., and the opportunity to access capital to expand their impact.
“Equidad ATX and Mission Capital are leading efforts in Austin to tackle deeply rooted systemic inequities and address social determinants of health,” said David Bader, Bank of America Austin President. “Our city only becomes stronger and more resilient when our nonprofits and the communities they serve have the financial resources and leadership skills, such as those provided by the Neighborhood Builders Program, needed to address current and future challenges.”
Equidad ATX is working to bridge gaps in Austin’s Eastern Crescent (EC), which it describes as an “Urban Desert” due to limited access to affordable and nutritious food, community health resources, financial and professional services, and other essential amenities. Bank of America’s support will help Equidad ATX launch and sustain Live WellVive Bien (LWVB), a synchronized and co-created mobile ecosystem comprised of eclectic service providers that will help advance the quality of life throughout the EC by offering healthy groceries, personal care items, and financial literacy, whole-body health care, library, workforce development, and other fundamental services.
“One's address should not determine your access to healthy food or your life expectancy. Unfortunately, it often does, and that’s what makes Bank of America’s investment in the Eastern Crescent so important,” said Ashton Cumberbatch, President and Co-Founder of Equidad ATX. “Live WellVive Bien partners will provide their services in a coordinated and holistic fashion at strategic locations. To be clear, LWVB is not a replacement for the development of permanent services, just a bridge until.”
Founded on the premise that the key to a healthy community is an equitable and thriving nonprofit sector, Mission Capital equips and connects mission-driven leaders, organizations, and networks that advance equity and opportunity. Mission Capital serves nonprofit members throughout the Central Texas region and their leaders receive access to resources and consultants that guide growth through personal transformation, community cultivation, organizational resilience, and ecosystem collaboration.
“Receiving this distinction from Bank of America as we celebrate our 20th anniversary year affirms the hard work our Mission Capital team, board, nonprofit members and community partners invest every day to create a more inclusive and resilient social sector in Austin,” said Mission Capital CEO, Madge Vásquez. “The funding and leadership training provided through Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders program will allow us to meet our strategic goals of closing the racial leadership gap, increasing organizational resilience and sustainability, while expanding collaborative networks to serve more clients and meet community needs coming out of the pandemic.”
Since 2004, through its Neighborhood Builders program, Bank of America has partnered with 25 nonprofits in the Austin area, investing $5 million to address the region’s toughest issues related to economic mobility.
Equidad ATX
Equidad ATX serves as a catalyst for strategic partnerships among neighborhood leaders and key stakeholders to accelerate holistic, equitable and sustainable transformation that disrupts the structural cycle of generational poverty Austin's "Eastern Crescent" communities (EC).
Mission Capital
Positioned at the root center of the social sector, Mission Capital aims to advance race equity and opportunity by supporting and enriching the nonprofit ecosystem through offerings that spark progress within individuals, cultivate community, foster resiliency in organizations and maximize ecosystem collaborations.
Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
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