Bank of Marin Collaborates with FHLBank San Francisco to Award $55,000 to Deserving North Bay Nonprofits

Funds will help Canal Alliance and Community Resources for Children address community needs and boost economic development in Marin and Napa counties

Bank of Marin collaborated with Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBank San Francisco) and its AHEAD Economic Development Grant Program to provide a total of $55,000 in funding to Canal Alliance and Community Resources for Children. Each nonprofit will receive a $27,500 grant.

AHEAD Economic Development Grants enable FHLBank San Francisco member financial institutions, like Bank of Marin, to give a critical boost to local programs and projects that target pressing community needs and bring greater opportunity to underserved populations.

“We were proud to sponsor and thrilled to learn that Canal Alliance and Community Resources for Children were selected as AHEAD Economic Development Grant Program recipients,” said Tim Myers, president and CEO, Bank of Marin. “These very deserving nonprofit organizations work tirelessly to improve the economic vitality in our communities and strengthen the quality of life for Marin and Napa county residents.”

The Bank of Marin-sponsored grant will help Canal Alliance expand its Workforce Development Program to include a new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) pilot program that includes training, case management, supportive services, job placement, and follow up services to Latino immigrants accessing the program.

“This funding will allow us to expand on the success of our Workforce Development Program, offered through College of Marin, by launching a new training pathway for careers in the healthcare industry,” Omar Carrera, Canal Alliance CEO. “Like our construction program, this new CNA pathway will provide Latino immigrants with the training and support they need to prepare for, access, and succeed in jobs that offer living wages and career-path opportunities. With Bank of Marin’s investment and support, we are expanding Latino access to education and workforce services, and supporting the development of an essential segment of our workforce, which benefits everyone in our community.”

Meanwhile, the Bank-sponsored grant to Community Resources for Children will support its Strengthening Women Owned Family Child Care Businesses project, which provides women who own and operate in-home childcare programs with the tools to run successful and sustainable businesses where children learn, grow, and thrive.

“Home-based childcare providers are vital to our community and are critical to parents who work outside of the traditional business hours because they often provide care during early mornings, late nights, and weekends. They are also more likely to offer infant care,” says Erika Lubensky, executive director, Community Resources for Children. “However, regardless of their need and potential for success, these businesses are often economically vulnerable and face language and technology barriers accessing professional development, small business loans, and other resources. Our program will focus on strengthening 10 new child care businesses through one-on-one coaching, business workshops, and stipends upon completion of the program.”

Since program’s inception in 2004, FHLBank San Francisco has awarded more than $20 million in AHEAD grants to over 700 economic development projects in Arizona, California, and Nevada. In the 2022 funding round, at the Board of Director’s discretion, FHLBank San Francisco allocated $1.5 million in AHEAD Grants for 55 projects. Bank of Marin applied for the grants in collaboration with respective nonprofits and was awarded grants after a competitive selection process.

To learn more about the AHEAD Program, visit the FHLBank San Francisco website.

About Bank of Marin

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Novato, Bank of Marin is the wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of Marin Bancorp (Nasdaq: BMRC). A leading business and community bank in Northern California, with assets of $4.3 billion, Bank of Marin has 31 retail branches and eight commercial banking offices located across 10 counties. Bank of Marin provides commercial banking, personal banking, and wealth management and trust services. Specializing in providing legendary service to its customers and investing in its local communities, Bank of Marin has consistently been ranked one of the “Top Corporate Philanthropists” by the San Francisco Business Times and one of the “Best Places to Work” by the North Bay Business Journal. Bank of Marin Bancorp is included in the Russell 2000 Small-Cap Index and Nasdaq ABA Community Bank Index. For more information, go to www.bankofmarin.com.