Wells Fargo Donated $35.8 Million to Support North Carolina Nonprofits in 2018
Giving addresses community issues around affordable housing, small businesses, education and sustainability
Wells Fargo today announced the company donated more than $35.8 million to local nonprofits, schools and community organizations
in 2018 to help the communities and people of North Carolina. The total includes $25.6 million through 1,148 grants from the Wells
Fargo Foundation, $3.3 million in matching grants to educational institutions and $6.85 million through the NeighborhoodLIFT effort
in Charlotte. In addition, Wells Fargo team members in North Carolina showed their commitment by logging 237,800 volunteer hours
with nonprofits, schools and community organizations, and by donating more than $13.2 million.
Wells Fargo’s philanthropic contributions build on a long history of collaboration with local nonprofits and community leaders
to make a positive impact by addressing urgent community issues such as affordable housing, small-business growth, access to
education and sustainability.
“Wells Fargo has a rich history of community support across the country and here in North Carolina,” said Juan Austin of Wells
Fargo Community Relations. “We approach philanthropy with a problem-solving mindset, working with a range of public and private
sector stakeholders to understand the most urgent problems and the solutions that can have the most impact — from helping people
find a stable place to live to helping small business owners expand to helping young people learn job skills that can translate
into a steady income. Our goal is to help build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life and make a positive
difference.”
Making an impact across North Carolina
Wells Fargo concentrated its local philanthropic contributions on addressing urgent community issues such as:
- Affordable housing. To help increase affordable, stable housing and homeownership in low- and
moderate-income neighborhoods, Wells Fargo collaborated with grantees such as Community Housing Solutions, Mountain Housing
Opportunities, DHIC and CASA to provide homebuyer education, down payment assistance and other affordable housing solutions.
Wells Fargo also made a commitment to invest $20 million by 2020 in down payment assistance grants, support for the Housing
Opportunity Fund and sustainable community development in the Charlotte region.
- Small business growth. Small businesses are critical to job creation and a vibrant community.
Many diverse-owned small businesses, especially those in rural and low- to moderate-income communities, face unique challenges
and often lack access to the full spectrum of resources necessary for growth and success. Nonprofits serving small businesses,
including Carolina Small Business Development Fund, Self Help Ventures Fund, Micro Enterprise loan program and SCORE, received
grants to provide access to capital and training for entrepreneurs in rural and urban markets. In addition, Wells Fargo provided
funding for City Start Up Labs, focused on business entrepreneurial development for minorities in Charlotte.
- Economic equity and inclusion. Support included grants to nonprofits that directly serve
diverse and historically underserved groups, including initiatives focused on the development of women and diverse talent,
education and vocational training and other solutions for communities with limited access to traditional financial services.
Wells Fargo is the founding organization for, and a long-standing investor in Community Building Initiative – a leadership
development program in Charlotte that helps diverse regional leaders understand and address access, equity and inclusion issues
related to economic development and civic engagement. In addition, Wells Fargo collaborated with the YWCA, Bennett College and
Dress for Success Triangle NC.
- Access to education. Support included grants for local K-12 schools, scholarships for
post-secondary or vocational training, and financial education, including Durham Technical Community College, the North Carolina
Society of Hispanic Professionals, Junior Achievement and Communities in Schools. Wells Fargo also provided a grant for over 30
urban district principals in Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools to participate in the nationally recognized Harvard Institute for
Urban School Leadership.
- Minimizing the impacts of climate change. The company supported the work of nonprofits helping
communities become more resilient in the face of a changing climate, including environmental education, resiliency planning,
green infrastructure and bringing renewable energy to low-income communities. For example, Wells Fargo supported the Piedmont
Environment Alliance, The Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation, Triangle Land Conservancy and the Coastal Land Trust. In
addition, Wells Fargo provided more than $5 million in support for Catawba Lands Conservancy to preserve land, create green
infrastructure and promote access to the Carolina Thread Trail.
Included in Wells Fargo’s support were funds committed to the American Red Cross to help provide shelter and relief in
communities across North Carolina and South Carolina impacted by Hurricane Florence. Wells Fargo is working with community leaders
and proven nonprofits, targeting rural areas with high poverty levels, high unemployment and few resources. In addition, through
the company’s Diverse Community Capital program, Wells Fargo donated more than $500,000 to nonprofit organizations supporting
recovery efforts for small businesses in the region.
Nationwide, Wells Fargo team members volunteered 2 million hours with nonprofits last year, and contributed a total of $75.4
million to nonprofits across the country, leading United Way Worldwide to name Wells Fargo’s employee workplace the
No.1 workplace giving campaign for 10 consecutive years.
“Part of what makes Wells Fargo unique is the generosity of our team members who help multiply our community impact,” added Jay
Everette, Community Relations manager for Charlotte. “Sometimes giving time is even more valuable than money, because it puts our
desire to build a strong community into action and gives us a tangible way to personally make a difference.”
About Wells Fargo
Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) provides banking, investment and
mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,800 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, and the
internet (wellsfargo.com). Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. With
approximately 259,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was
ranked No. 26 on Fortune’s 2018 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In 2018, Wells Fargo donated more than $444 million to
nearly 11,000 nonprofits in support of affordable housing, small business growth, financial education, and sustainability, among
other community needs. For 10 consecutive years, Wells Fargo has held the honor of No. 1 in workplace giving by United Way
Worldwide. Wells Fargo team members also make a difference by donating more than 2 million hours of volunteer time in the last
year. News, insights and more information on the company’s corporate responsibility are available at
Wells Fargo Stories.
Media
Josh Dunn, 704-374-4835
Josh.Dunn@wellsfargo.com
@Josh_DunnWF
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