OREANDA-NEWS. March 13, 2015. Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), today announced that the Wells Fargo Foundation – as part of the Denver NeighborhoodLIFT program  launched in April 2014 – will make donations totaling \\$500,000 to help address Denver’s needs around neighborhood revitalization, preparing individuals and families for homeownership, and supporting small businesses.

The local grant recipients were selected in close collaboration with the Denver Office of Economic Development, and align with the City’s JumpStart 2015 initiatives.  It’s expected that more than 78,000 individuals, families and local businesses will receive assistance as a result of the grants.

“Thanks to our customers and team members, Wells Fargo is the leading financial institution in Colorado and we’re proud to do our part to help ensure thriving and healthy communities,” said Frank Newman, Wells Fargo Rocky Mountain Region lead region president. “We believe that making a big difference starts by lending a helping hand to one person, one family, one business at a time. We are excited to work with the City, Mayor Hancock and these nonprofits, and proud to support these important local initiatives.”

“These grants are a significant boost to our ongoing efforts to create more livable communities throughout the city,” said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock. “I commend Wells Fargo for making these critical investments to the benefit of the city and its residents, businesses and neighborhoods.”

The following Denver nonprofits are receiving the grants:

  • Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver -- \\$105,000 to support critical home repair for more than 90 families.
  • Denver Health and Hospitals Foundation -- \\$100,000 for construction of the Southwest Family Health Center.
  • Rocky Mountain Microfinance Institute -- \\$75,000 to support 150 small businesses.
  • Brothers Redevelopment, Inc. -- \\$50,000 for comprehensive housing counseling for individuals and families, and to support the Colorado Housing Connects online resource.
  • Del Norte Neighborhood Development Corp. -- \\$50,000 in support of its Barrio Aztlan program which provides housing counseling for families living in west and southwest Denver.
  • Urban Land Conservancy -- \\$40,000 for improvements to the Thriftway Site in the Westwood community.
  • mpowered -- \\$25,000 to support financial education and homeownership through its Financial Empowerment Centers.
  • Volunteers of America Colorado Branch -- \\$25,000 for its Brandon Center/Theodora House, which assists individuals and families become self-sufficient and end homelessness, and its Veteran Service Center.
  • Colorado Housing Assistance Corporate -- \\$20,000 to support financial education and homeownership counseling efforts.
  • Northeast Denver Housing Center, Inc. -- \\$10,000 for comprehensive housing counseling programs.

Since 2012, with a combined \\$230 million investment (\\$5.65 million in Denver) by Wells Fargo, LIFT programs have been introduced to 32 communities deeply affected by the housing crisis. The program has created more than 8,750 homeowners (250 in Denver), with the help of down payment assistance and homebuyer education. A video about the NeighborhoodLIFT program is posted on the Wells Fargo YouTube Channel. Wells Fargo collaborated with the Wells Fargo Foundation, the City and County of Denver, NeighborWorks America and its local affiliate, Community Resources Housing and Development Corporation, to implement the program.