Grants to seven organizations across the state will focus on investing in basic needs, workforce development and education in Oklahoma’s Native American/Indian Communities
Bank of America today announced more than $527,000 in grants to seven Oklahoma organizations to help drive economic opportunity for individuals and families in our region’s Native American communities. November is Native American Heritage Month, offering opportunities to recognize the contributions of Native Americans as well as recognize and support nonprofit organizations dedicated to community outreach for Native Americans across the state.
Oklahoma City Indian Clinic (OKCIC) has dramatically expanded its operations in the last two years, growing to three distinct locations and serving a patient base of nearly 22,000. The clinic offers care for a wide range of health determinants that often affect Native American communities, as well as programs for children, who make up 30% of their patient base.
They also offer resources to combat homelessness and food insecurity in the region. As the organization prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2023, they are utilizing Bank of America’s funding to convert a warehouse into a fully operational, permanent food resource center. The new Oklahoma City Indian Clinic Bank of America Food Resource Center showcases the organization’s deep local impact and innovation around community-oriented outreach.
“This food resource center is an extension of our overarching mission to produce positive health outcomes for urban American Indians in central Oklahoma,” said Robyn Sunday-Allen, CEO for the OKCIC. “Thanks to the support from Bank of America, our organization will be able to better serve our many at-risk and vulnerable residents and patients, especially those experiencing homelessness or food insecurity.”
“Our support for OKCIC and other Native American-focused nonprofits are tangible examples of our larger commitment to the communities we call home,” said Tony Shinn, president, Bank of America Oklahoma City. “At Bank of America, we strive to support pathways to financial success and personal well-being, and we know local nonprofits like the clinic are the best-equipped to affect meaningful, culturally-informed change for the people that need it most.”
Bank of America is also helping fuel ONABEN’s business outreach capacity so the organization can offer workforce development, technical assistance, and training opportunities for Native American and minority businesses, empowering them to grow and expand their businesses beyond local scope. ONABEN has been supporting the Native American community in Oklahoma since 1991 and is regarded as an innovator of program development and delivery for these communities.
“We know that our work has a real-world impact for these entrepreneurs, their businesses, their families, and communities as a whole,” said Veronica Maturino, CEO for ONABEN. “The support from Bank of America will go a long way toward funding better outcomes and sustainable growth not only for these businesses, but for the Native American communities they call home, and by extension, the state of Oklahoma.”
“Supporting ONABEN and other organizations means that Oklahoma’s Native American entrepreneurs and small business owners get the business support they need to thrive,” said Bill Lissau, president, Bank of America Tulsa and Oklahoma State. “When our community members have expanded access to other critical resources, such as food, quality healthcare and wellness, then personal and financial outcomes also improve. These are outcomes every Oklahoman can get behind, and we’re proud to be part of that.”
Other Oklahoma organizations with grants this month to include:
- Citizen Potawatomi Community Development Corporation
- Murrow Indian Children’s Home
- Oklahoma Native Assets Coalition
- Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
- Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma
Bank of America has a long history of helping local communities through partnerships and philanthropic support, including a longstanding commitment to advance racial equality and economic opportunity. For more than 60 years, Bank of America has provided banking services to Native American governments and territories. In 2009, Bank of America renewed its commitment with a 10-year, $1.5 trillion community development goal of lending and investing in low- to moderate income (LMI) communities, including $50 billion dedicated to help build up rural and Native American communities. The bank delivers much-needed capital to community development financial institutions (CDFIs), community development corporations (CDCs), financial intermediaries and tax-exempt entities that promote neighborhood revitalization and job creation on Native American lands.
