The Lincoln Financial Foundation is helping nonprofit organizations provide workforce education and stimulate economic development through a recent round of grants. Lincoln Foundation awarded $170,200 in grants to 13 Philadelphia nonprofits working in these areas.
The Free Library of Philadelphia received $35,000 for the Job Readiness Center at its Paschalville Branch, allowing residents of Southwest Philadelphia to access computers and staff support to create resumes and conduct job searches. The grant will support 32 hours of staffing per week for one year to provide more one-on-one assistance, as well as supplies and equipment to use in job searches. Coordinators at the Job Readiness Center will collect and distribute information about local employment and career development opportunities, such as job fairs, college fairs, and English as a second language and graduate equivalency degree classes.
A $17,700 grant to Congreso will support its Gateway Bilingual Customer Service and Hospitality program, helping adults for whom English is a second language succeed in the workplace. The program assesses the English language proficiency of clients who are then trained in either bilingual customer service or the hospitality industry, depending on proficiency.
These workforce and economic development grants are a portion of Lincoln Foundation’s $2.1 million in overall support for Philadelphia nonprofits in 2010. Lincoln Financial Group allocated more than $10.3 million last year to Lincoln Foundation for philanthropic activities in the communities where its employees work.
Additional grants awarded include:
Adult Education and Financial Literacy Programs
- $15,000 to Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Delaware Valley for the Five Cs of Credit: Clean Credit Can Change Communities program which includes a curriculum of financial education courses and one-on-one counseling sessions on credit reports and budgeting for participants.
- $12,500 to Community Learning Center for its Education and Support Services that help adult learners acquire the academic, transition and life skills needed to meet their educational and employment goals.
- $5,000 to PathWays PA to add a financial educator to its Getting Ahead program. The financial educator will provide financial counseling and benefits assistance to low-income constituents in North Philadelphia.
- $5,000 to Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition for its Financial Advancement Network Club to help peer groups strengthen their financial lives through peer support and personal financial knowledge and increased confidence.
Workforce and Economic Development
- $20,000 to the Doe Fund for the Ready Willing and Able Program, providing homeless and formerly incarcerated men with support to enter the workforce, including a transitional work program, occupational training and job placement.
- $20,000 to Metropolitan Career Center for STRIVE Plus (Support and Training Results in Valuable Employees), a 10-week program during which employment advisors work closely with adults on their job search and placement.
- $12,500 to the Business Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Enterprise for its small business programs, providing support to business owners and prospective businesses in Northwest Philadelphia.
- $12,500 to NPower PA to provide 12 nonprofit organizations with technology assessments and planning evaluations to help them use technology to further their mission.
- $5,000 to Baker Industries for its Workforce Development program, helping to train adults, provide job placement, mentoring and a resource network for adults released from jail and adults with severe mental or physical challenges.
- $5,000 to New Directions for Women for its Intensive Aftercare Program, helping women leaving the prison system to remain crime-free and learn to handle their job and parental responsibilities.
- $5,000 to People for People for its Green Job Training program providing 80 workers with job training and placement in the renewable energy industry.
About Lincoln Financial Foundation
The Lincoln Financial Foundation, established in 1962, is the charitable giving arm of Lincoln Financial Group. Under Lincoln Foundation guidelines, grants are made in the areas of arts, education, human services, and workforce/economic development. Lincoln Financial sets aside up to 2% of its pre-tax earnings for charitable causes that support philanthropic endeavors in the communities where its employees work. The Lincoln Foundation allocated more than $2.2 million to support nonprofits in Philadelphia in 2009. Since 1999, the Lincoln Financial Foundation has contributed almost $22 million to Philadelphia-area nonprofits.
About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $150 billion as of September 30, 2010. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life and disability insurance; 401(k) and 403(b) plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.
