San Luis Obispo, Calif. – Bank of America has named REACH Central Coast as its 2025 Neighborhood Builder® for its work as a business economic collaborative to help increase economic prosperity across the Central Coast.
Bank of America’s signature Neighborhood Builders program continues to be one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments into nonprofit leadership development, while providing unique multiyear flexible grant funding annually to high-impact nonprofits in communities nationwide. As a Neighborhood Builder, REACH is awarded a $50,000 grant over two years, leadership training for the CEO, Melissa James, and an emerging leader, and the opportunity to connect with nonprofits in a peer network.
The Central Coast is a high cost living region, with the lack of affordable housing a barrier for workers and employee recruitment that organizations like REACH has been working to address. The nonprofit was approached by the Lompoc Unified School District, for example, to help find solutions after a recent survey found the school district faced teacher and staff recruitment challenges due to the region’s high cost of living. REACH will use the Neighborhood Builder grant towards a new initiative converting underutilized school district-owned land into up to 200 affordable workforce housing units in Lompoc for teachers and employees.
“Nonprofits such as REACH deliver effective solutions to help businesses and other major employers recruit and retain a skilled workforce that drive the region’s economy,” said Greg Bland, president, Bank of America San Luis Obispo. “By providing flexible funding and leadership training, the Neighborhood Builders program can help REACH scale its impact in San Luis Obispo County.”
“We are grateful to Bank of America for investing in REACH through the Neighborhood Builders program. This award gives us flexible, high-impact support to scale our work across the Central Coast,” REACH President/CEO Melissa James said. “Most importantly, it helps advance our partnership with Lompoc Unified School District to create hundreds of affordable homes so teachers and school staff can live near where they work — strengthening our schools, workforce, and local economy.”
Bank of America has selected seven local nonprofits across San Luis Obispo County for its Neighborhood Builder program since 2019, as part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to build thriving communities through economic opportunity. Overall, Bank of America has awarded $2.1 in grants to local nonprofits addressing economic opportunity since 2020, and its employees have volunteered over 5,000 hours to local causes.
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Reporters May Contact:
Colleen Haggerty, Bank of America
213-621-7414
Colleen.Haggerty@bofa.com
