BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program Announces More Than $2.2 Million in Grants to Boston-Area Nonprofits

BOSTON, Nov. 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- BNY Mellon, the global leader in investment management and investment services, announced that the BNY Mellon New England Charitable Giving Program has awarded more than $2.2 million in corporate and trust grants to Boston-area nonprofits for its fiscal year 2011.

With BNY Mellon's support, its community partners continued to drive positive change in 2011 and helped their populations stay connected to critical programs and services – from providing school supplies to children in need and home-delivered meals to the critically ill, to offering safe havens for homeless youth and transitional housing to young men aging out of foster care.  

As a key part of its strategy, BNY Mellon's Charitable Giving Program shares the company's philanthropic focus on Powering Potential – helping people in need by concentrating on basic needs and workforce development opportunities.  Through the program, BNY Mellon supports programs and initiatives that make local communities better places to live and work, particularly by targeting organizations that provide food, clothing, energy and housing assistance to those who need immediate help, and improve access to employment through job training and skills development.

In addition to managing corporate contributions, the BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program, both as a sponsor and fiduciary, oversees distribution of roughly $1.5 million in grants from eight charitable trusts annually.

"We are focused on building strong, lasting community partnerships, and our charitable giving program reflects our brand of philanthropy," said Joanne Jaxtimer, BNY Mellon's managing director of Corporate Affairs in Boston.  "We are committed to identifying good partners and providing them with the financial and technical investment they need to move forward with their work and meet their organizational goals."

For fiscal year 2011, corporate grants focused on workforce development and basic needs include the following:

Cradles to Crayons — $25,000 in support of the Ready for School initiative and the C2C KidPacks program.  Ready for School provides new backpacks filled with school supplies to thousands of children before the start of the school year.  C2C KidPacks provides clothing, shoes and more to approximately 6,000 children in need.  

Jewish Vocational Service — $40,000 in support of the Transitions to College and Careers Program, launched in 2009 with BNY Mellon support.  The program bridges the gap between the skills typically held by individuals emerging from JVS' adult education and training programs and the actual skills students need to attain a post-secondary credentials and transition to careers that pay living wages.  

Bridge Over Troubled Waters — $35,000 in support of the Transitional Day Program, which is Boston's only drop-in center for runaway, homeless and street youth who require basic survival services and a safe place to spend time off of the streets. The program offers breakfast and lunch, showers, laundry and lockers, as well as access to case managers who can provide support and crisis counseling.

Community Servings — $25,000 to support the Nutrition Program for Individuals and Families Affected by a Life-Threatening Illness.  Through this program, Community Servings delivers free, nutritionally tailored lunches, dinners and snacks five days a week, in every Boston neighborhood and 16 surrounding cities and town, to 775 people who are homebound with critical illnesses.  

The Home for Little Wanderers — $40,000 in support of Roxbury Village, which provides transitional housing for up to 18 months for young men ages 18-22 who are aging of the foster care system and/or are homeless.  The program provides stable housing as well as intensive services, support and community connections so that participants access resources and build skills they need to become self-sufficient, productive adults.  

BNY Mellon has about 4,000 employees in greater Boston.  

The BNY Mellon New England Charitable Giving Program is funded through the generosity of the BNY Mellon Foundation and the following eight charitable trusts: The Harriet B. Bayley Trust, The Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, The Alice P. Chase Trust, The Eugene F. Fay Trust, The Herbert H. Fletcher Trust, The Pamela Sayward Trust, The Peter E. Strauss Trust, and The Mary D. Whitney Trust.  As trustee of these trusts, BNY Mellon acts as a fiduciary and makes discretionary distributions to charities.

BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets.  BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, offering superior investment management and investment services through a worldwide client-focused team.  It has $25.9 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.2 trillion in assets under management, services $11.9 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.6 trillion per day.  BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK).  Additional information is available on www.bnymellon.com or follow us on Twitter @BNYMellon.

SOURCE BNY Mellon