ALBANY — KeyBank, through its KeyBank Foundation, on Wednesday announced grants totaling $2 million to 16 Capital Region entities.
The largest of the grants, $500,000, went to Grow Our Own, Albany Medical Center’s work-study program that provides employees with financial and academic assistance to become registered nurses.
Key is now based in Cleveland, Ohio, and is one of the largest banks in the nation, but it has its roots in Albany, a fact that Albany Med President and CEO James Barba noted at a news conference Wednesday morning to announce the grants.
“Our relationship dates to 1839 when, as a fledgling medical school, Albany Medical College looked to KeyBank’s predecessor, the Commercial Bank of Albany, to help finance its operations,” he said in a prepared statement.
Barba added that Key helped Albany Med start the Grow Our Own program in 2002.
KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Beth Mooney said the grants announced Wednesday are part of KeyBank’s $16.5 billion National Community Benefits Plan. The plan was announced in March 2016 as part of Key’s merger with Buffalo-based First Niagara; some of the money is targeted to communities that might be affected by the banks’ merger.
The plan was launched this year and addresses the needs of low- to moderate-income consumers and underserved communities by providing funds for mortgage lending, small-business lending, community development lending and investing, and philanthropy in New York and other states where KeyBank has a presence.
The other grants announced Wednesday are:
- Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region received $250,000 for its Literacy Zone Welcome Center, which connects adult learners with teachers, organizations, services and programs that help them continue their education and complete a high school equivalency.
- Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region received $150,000 for business development.
- Affordable Housing Partnership got $150,000 for homebuyer counseling services.
- Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless received $150,000 for its Community Connections and Ambassador programs to assist the homeless.
- Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program got $150,000 for continued investment in the city’s Hillside neighborhood.
- Social Enterprise and Training Center of Schenectady got $120,000 for its YouthBuild workforce skills development program.
- Unity House received $120,000 to help people secure and maintain permanent housing.
- Wildwood got $100,000 for workforce development support and services.
- Living Resources received $100,000 for College Experience, a two-year residential noncredit certificate program by which students with intellectual disabilities can practice living independently.
- YWCA of the Greater Capital Region received $50,000 for women’s job-readiness preparation, skill-building workshops and training.
- Northeastern New York Offices of the American Red Cross got $50,000 for services to military personnel, their families and veterans.
- Capital Roots received $30,000 for life skills and job-readiness training for underprivileged youth.
- Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center got $25,000 for primary medical, dental, and behavioral health care to underserved populations.
- Northeastern Association of the Blind at Albany got $25,000 for its call center training program for people who are blind.
- Albany Community Action Partnership received $25,000 for career services programs.
