Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) Reno has been named as the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Champion for their work in the Reno community, as well as 15 of the 17 counties in Nevada.
As part of the program, PBS Reno will receive $50,000 in grant support and an opportunity for engagement in virtual leadership training delivered by experts in the nonprofit sector on topics like human capital management, increasing financial sustainability and storytelling.
“Nonprofits are the backbone to our local community as they are on the ground working closely with individuals, families, and community members to understand the obstacles many are experiencing. These partners are developing programs and services that will help alleviate or eliminate these barriers, helping them chart a path toward economic opportunity,” said Andrew Diedrichsen, president, Bank of America Reno. “It’s important that we direct not only capital, but the necessary resources and training to help position these nonprofits and their leadership team for long-term success as they grow strategically and make a positive impact.”
PBS Reno is a community-owned television station that provides trustworthy and accessible programming, quality content and educational services to northern Nevadans of all age groups, from children who do not have access to pre-K education to adults seeking information about the world around them. It is the primary television station serving the state’s rural and indigenous people with a broadcast signal that spans more than 75,000 square miles across 15 counties. In addition to on-air station programming, PBS Reno offers the Curiosity Classroom program – a free children’s workshop in classrooms throughout the region using in-class, on-air, and print resources to help parents, caregivers, and educators prepare students for success in school.
PBS Reno will use its grant funding to continue serving the community by supporting local programs PBS Reno STEM Works, Wild Nevada, ARTEFFECTS, Classical Tahoe, and the PBS Reno Curiosity Classroom Workshop program. Each of these programs have a direct benefit to the community and present significant costs to the station. The Neighborhood Champion Grant will help PBS Reno solidify funding across its diverse and impactful projects.
“PBS Reno has a proud 39-year tradition of serving this region,” said Kurt Mische, PBS Reno President and CEO. “Our ability to provide all of our services, both on the air, through our online platforms and in-person with our in-school educational workshops; is in direct proportion to the funding we receive. Bank of America recognizes our important work and the work of the not-for-profit community by stepping up with this Neighborhood Champion grant program. We are profoundly grateful to Bank of America for the continued impact they make in our community through this gift to PBS Reno.”
In Reno, four nonprofits have been selected as Neighborhood Champions since 2019, with the bank investing $200,000 into these local organizations.
The invitation-only program is highly competitive, and organizations are selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past Neighborhood Champion honorees.
The Neighborhood Champions program is an extension of the bank’s signature philanthropic initiative, Neighborhood Builders®, the largest corporate philanthropic investment in nonprofit leadership in the country. Through 2021, Bank of America has invested $6.3 million in 126 organizations within 42 communities through the Neighborhood Champions program
