MBEP Receives a Multiyear Grant and Leadership Training to Expand Critical Services
Bank of America has namedMonterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) as its 2025 Neighborhood Builder® for its work to improve the economic health and quality of life in the tri-county region of Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz.
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 to high-impact nonprofits in communities nationwide. As a Neighborhood Builder, MBEP is awarded a $50,000 grant over two years, leadership training for the chief executive officer and an emerging leader, and the opportunity to connect with nonprofits in a peer network.
“Nonprofits such as MBEP excel at building cross-sector coalitions and place-based strategies that address complex regional challenges,” said Jennifer Dacquisto, president, Bank of America Monterey Bay. “By providing flexible funding and leadership training, the Neighborhood Builders program can help MBEP scale its impact in the region.”
MBEP serves as a regional catalyst, convening leaders from government, business, education, and community sectors to address the most pressing challenges facing the region, from housing and digital access to economic development and workforce training.
The nonprofit will use the Neighborhood Builders grant to help scale high-impact initiatives like the Pajaro Alliance and the Monterey Bay Housing Trust.
“Monterey Bay Economic Partnership continues to make significant strides in creating a more vibrant and resilient economy and advancing workforce opportunities,” said Monterey Bay Economic Partnership (MBEP) President & CEO Tahra Goraya. “Bank of America’s Neighborhood Builders funding is an investment that supports expansion of MBEP’s role as a catalyst for positive change in our region.”
Since 2019, Bank of America has selected seven local nonprofits across Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties for its Neighborhood Builder program, as part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to build thriving communities through economic opportunity. These include Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Digital NEST, First Tee Monterey County, Rancho Cielo, Housing Matters Santa Cruz, and Community Health Trust of Pajaro Valley.
Overall, Bank of America has awarded $3 million in grants to local nonprofits since 2020 in the region, and its employees have volunteered more than 20,000 hours to local causes.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving nearly 70 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 3,600 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 59 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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About MBEPMBEP is dedicated to improving the economic health and quality of life across Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz counties. As a nonprofit founded in 2015, it serves as a regional catalyst—convening leaders from government, business, education, and community sectors to address the most pressing challenges facing our region. MBEP focuses on what matters most: housing affordability, broadband access, inclusive economic development, and workforce opportunity. Through cross-sector collaboration and data-informed strategies, MBEP is building a more resilient region. With a deep commitment to regional leadership and a growing network of partners, MBEP is driving lasting change for the communities we serve—today and into the future. To learn more, visit https://mbep.biz.