Voices

Wells Fargo invests $125,000 in six Alaska non-profits

Wells Fargo has invested $125,000 in six Alaska nonprofit organizations that support workforce development and job creation.

The grants are part of a $1.7 million Economic Opportunity program to support individual job seekers, the self-employed, and small business owners in communities along the West Coast, from Alaska to California.

Grant recipients were selected for their support of workforce development programs benefiting residents of urban and rural communities. Large cities and urban areas with the highest levels of unemployment as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics were selected. Rural-focused organizations were selected in California, Oregon, Washington and Alaska with the stipulation that 75 percent or more of the grant must benefit programs directly serving rural communities.

"Wells Fargo understands the importance of workforce development and helping create sustainable communities," said Dana Rogers, Wells Fargo Alaska community affairs manager. "These grants will go a long way to help strengthen and reinforce the efforts of these organizations as they focus on creating jobs in our communities."

Below is a list of Wells Fargo Economic Opportunity grant recipients in Alaska:

Covenant House Alaska – $25,000 for employment coaching for homeless youth

NineStar Enterprises – $25,000 for youth and young adult job training

ADVERTISEMENT

Rural Alaska Community Action Program (RurAL CAP) – $25,000 for "Returning to Harmony – Returning to Work" small business training and mentorship program

Thread – $25,000 for early childhood care job training

Cook Inlet Tribal Council – $15,000 for fabrication lab workforce development training

Hope Community Resources – $10,000 for Hope Studios job training

Grant Focus and Eligibility

Grant recipients support the following segments and goals around workforce development and job creation:

Individual Job Seekers and the Self Employed – Helps spur job creation and provides individuals with resources needed to obtain employment and become self-sufficient. Includes career counseling, job training or retraining, and self employment technical assistance.

Small Business Owners – Provides job creation through local small business development. Includes business and farming technical assistance, access to capital program training for business expansion, and microloan programs.

Selection of the recipients was based on how well they met the following criteria:

Demonstrated ability to deliver effective workforce development programs;

History of providing measurable, effective programs in their community;

Sound fiscal management practices;

Proven experience and skills of the management team and program staff;

Ability to accurately analyze program effectiveness.

In 2012, Wells Fargo invested $315.8 million in grants to 19,500 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.5 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.

Wells Fargo press release

ADVERTISEMENT