Citizens Charitable Foundation announces Growing Communities Initiative
Program will provide $40,000 for neighborhood revitalization efforts in Woonsocket
Application Deadline is December 31, 2021
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The Citizens Charitable Foundation announced plans today to invest $40,000 in grants as part of its Growing Communities initiative in Woonsocket. Growing Communities is part of Citizens Helping Citizens Strengthen Communities, the bank’s program to help contribute to the economic vitality of its communities. The Growing Communities initiative fosters neighborhood revitalization and economic development activities across Rhode Island.
Through the Growing Communities initiative, Citizens Charitable Foundation partners with Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Rhode Island to award $40,000 in grants, ranging from $2,000 to $10,000, for projects that contribute to the resiliency of Woonsocket. Applications for initiatives could include support for job creation and sustainability, workforce development activities, small business development, neighborhood revitalization, and overall efforts towards livability. This will be the second year the Growing Communities Initiative has focused on Woonsocket. Applications are due by 5 p.m., December 31, 2021.
“Through Growing Communities, Citizens supports local organizations that are implementing innovative ideas to strengthen our communities and revitalize our neighborhoods,” said Citizens Rhode Island Market Executive Barbara Cottam. “We are excited to return to Woonsocket for a second year of investments.
The 2021 grant program provided funding for the YMCA Woonsocket Branch expansion, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island addition of a S.T.E.A.M. room and purchase of learning modules for students, and an arts education program at Riverzedge Arts.
“We are pleased to continue our partnership with Citizens Charitable Foundation on the Growing Communities initiative. By fostering neighborhood revitalization and economic development activities in a targeted community, we can make a meaningful and visible difference,” said Jeanne Cola, Executive Director of LISC RI. “Woonsocket has many organizations dedicated to improving the lives of their neighbors. We’re looking forward to working with them again to provide support.”
Growing Communities promotes and invests in neighborhood revitalization based on existing assets of a community. These investments may support small business, workforce development and job creation and to make an area more livable. This initiative was originally launched by Citizens in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2010.
Projects eligible for the Growing Communities initiative are those that focus on improving the quality of life for residents in Woonsocket, as well as those with clearly articulated goals with outcomes that are demonstrable and measurable. Priority consideration is given to projects that serve low- or moderate-income individuals with a strong impact on community need, as well as those that foster collaboration and demonstrate a plan for long-term sustainability.
Interested applicants must complete the application and narrative located at http://rilisc.org/citizens-bank-announces-growing-communities-initiative/ with the project/program title Growing Communities.
The deadline for applications is December 31, 2021, and submitted by email to rilisc @ lisc. org. For questions about the program or the application process, please contact Liz Klinkenberg at LISC Rhode Island at eklinkenberg @ lisc. org.
About Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $187.0 billion in assets as of September 30, 2021. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens helps its customers reach their potential by listening to them and by understanding their needs in order to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a 24/7 customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,000 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 11 states in the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.
About Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) – LISC Rhode Island is part of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), a national nonprofit that equips communities with the capital, program strategy and know-how to become places where people can thrive. Our strategies – investing in real estate, increasing family income & wealth, stimulating economic development, improving access to quality education, and supporting healthy environments and lifestyles – work together to improve the health and well-being of our neighbors. Since 1991, LISC Rhode Island has invested $450 million in neighborhoods across our state, helping to create more than 8,835 affordable homes and support the development of more than 2.5 million square feet of commercial, childcare, educational, and community space. For more information, visit www.rilisc.org.
Contact: Bennett Griesmer 781-655-3931 Bennett.Griesmer @ citizensbank.com
# # #