SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE:WFC) today announced a total of $500,000 in donations for six local nonprofits that will help revitalize San Diego neighborhoods through the Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT^® program.

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The local grant recipients were identified in collaboration with City of San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer and National City Mayor Ron Morrison. The Wells Fargo Foundation is providing grants to the following San Diego nonprofits:

• A Reason to Survive – $100,000 grant to support a three-year initiative that will transform underutilized and blighted areas through 30 art projects that will engage more than 2,000 students in San Diego's South Bay region.
• Saint Vincent de Paul Village, Inc. – $100,000 grant to serve 1,000 people with employment skills, computer skills, resume and interview preparation and more to address underlying causes of homelessness and joblessness.
• San Diego Housing Commission – $100,000 grant to provide housing opportunities for up to 1,000 homeless veterans in the city of San Diego. The “Housing Our Heroes” campaign incentivizes landlords to rent to homeless veterans through assistance with pre-inspections, utilities, dedicated housing specialists and more.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation – $75,000 grant to connect low-wage residents with skills and training for career paths leading to higher paying jobs in healthcare, hospitality, telecommunications and construction with a focus on energy efficiency.
• Veterans Association of North County – $75,000 grant to provide veterans with an intensive training program that will allow them to enter the telecommunications industry upon completion of active duty.
• Center for Employment Training (CET) – $50,000 grant to provide job training for careers in solar panel installation, carpentry, plumbing, electrical and welding. In addition, CET will partner with GRID Alternatives to provide up to 40 informational sessions to new homeowners on the benefits of solar panels for energy efficiency and cost savings.

The grants are funded through Wells Fargo’s NeighborhoodLIFT program that was launched in March 2016 for San Diego homebuyers with a $5 million commitment by Wells Fargo to boost local homeownership and revitalize neighborhoods. NeighborhoodLIFT will create about 450 homeowners in San Diego through homebuyer education plus matching down payment assistance grants up to $7,500.

Wells Fargo is collaborating with the City of San Diego, National City, national nonprofit NeighborWorks America, and its local network member, NHSIE, to implement the program. More than 400 down payment assistance grants are still available and interested homebuyers may contact NHSIE or Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in San Diego for information about eligibility requirements.

“There’s no better way to help create economic equality in San Diego than providing opportunities to those who need it most,” said Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer. “I know that these six organizations will use the grants from Wells Fargo to improve the lives of countless San Diegans.”

“This opportunity for A Reason to Survive (ARTS) in National City to continue their great work of instilling community pride and distinction through dramatic public art is a huge plus for families and neighborhoods,” said Mayor Ron Morrison. “Thank you, to Wells Fargo for understanding what it really takes to make vibrant communities and getting the grand prize for innovative thinking and action!”

The Wells Fargo NeighborhoodLIFT local initiative grants for San Diego will provide support for community revitalization, workforce development and youth programs.

“Wells Fargo cares about our communities and we are making these investments to continue the revitalization effort to strengthen San Diego,” said Celia Lanning, Wells Fargo Greater San Diego Region President. “These nonprofits are actively leading efforts to help stabilize housing, create jobs and provide youth education programs, and we believe these grants with add up to make a big impact.”

About NeighborhoodLIFT

NeighborhoodLIFT^® program is the single largest corporate philanthropic effort of its kind in Wells Fargo’s history. Since February 2012, LIFT programs combined have helped create more than 12,700 homeowners in 48 communities. A video about LIFT programs is posted on Wells Fargo Stories.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 8,600 locations, 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 42 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 269,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 27 on Fortune’s 2016 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

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