BALTIMORE — For two nonprofits, getting a $200,000 check isn't exactly how they expected to start their day.
It was a surprise that brought tears to the eyes.
The nonprofits Parity Homes and Bio Technical Institute were the chosen recipients of the Neighborhood Builders award, a grant given by Bank of America to help those who help the community.
"I think we're in our 19th year now and what we do is provide flexible funding to nonprofits in the amount of $200,000,” said the President of Bank of America Greater Maryland, Janet Currie.
She said around 20 nonprofits are nominated each year, then two are voted on by Currie and local leaders in the Baltimore area.
"We certainly look at impact as a committee when we think about the winners, we also look at leadership. We look at longevity and sustainability of the organization, we look at the mission,” said Currie.
Both nonprofits have a vision of improving peoples lives.
For Parity Homes it's renovating rowhomes and creating affordable home ownership to those who would otherwise never be able to buy one.
Founder Bree Jones said it couldn't have come at a better time.
"I didn't think that we were going to have funds coming in. This grant just really helps ensure that our commitment to our homebuyers we're going to be able to meet. We're not going to have to defer their dream of homeownership for lack of funding,” Jones said.
Bio Technical Institute provides lab tech training for under and unemployed. Executive Director Dr. Brandy Carter said they get around 60 students every year.
"And not just a job, a career, a transformative career. Our goal is to break generational poverty and really transform the lives of our students,” said Carter. "This is going to help tremendously. The cost per student is around $13,000 and it's tuition free, so every single penny we got goes toward programming.”
A year of leadership training for the Executive Director and Emerging Leader of each nonprofit is also included in the award.
