Two Boston non-profits, Camp Harbor View and Urban Edge, were each awarded $200,000 over a two year period through Bank of America’s 2026 Neighborhood Builders program. Bank of America provided the grants to support year-round operations and leadership development initiatives, recognizing those organizations’ impact on the community.
The grant will help Camp Harbor View — which offers a unique summer camp for thousands of city youth on Long Island in Boston Harbor and provides comprehensive family services, all at no cost — expand its year-round programming model, leveraging its newly expanded facility to deepen engagement with children and families beyond the summer months through workforce development, postsecondary planning, financial coaching and economic mobility programming. The funding will also support Camp Harbor View’s dual-generation approach to economic mobility, providing paid employment and career readiness opportunities for youth while helping families build financial resilience through coaching, navigation services and emergency assistance.
The award will support Urban Edge’s merger with the organization Nuestra Comunidad, who together are working to expand access to housing stability, financial resilience, economic mobility and homeownership programs for urban Boston residents. The funding will also help the combined organization strengthen its long-term operations, preserve affordable housing, expand community wealth-building programs and position its affordable-housing and homeownership pipeline for future growth.
“Congratulations to two truly remarkable organizations, Urban Edge and Camp Harbor View, on being selected as Bank of America Neighborhood Builders. Both organizations are making a lasting impact on our communities by creating greater opportunities and helping families to thrive,” said Miceal Chamberlain, president, Bank of America Greater Boston. “We are proud to support their important work and look forward to seeing all that they accomplish through this well-deserved recognition.”
Michael Garand, president of Bank of America Worcester, added, “Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester has demonstrated an incredible commitment to strengthening neighborhoods by creating safe and affordable housing and giving families the opportunity to build brighter futures. It is a privilege to honor their hard work, and I congratulate the entire team on being recognized into the Neighborhood Builders program.”
Neighborhood Builders is part of the bank’s longstanding efforts to build thriving communities by addressing issues fundamental to economic opportunity. Since the program’s inception in 2004, 69 nonprofits have been selected as Neighborhood Builders in Massachusetts, with the Bank investing over $10 million into these nonprofits.
“What started as a summer camp nearly 20 years ago has blossomed into a robust year-round program that has served thousands of young people across Boston,” said Camp Harbor View CEO Sharon McNally. “An integral part of that growth was recognizing that our youth can truly thrive when the entire family is supported. Thanks to the Neighborhood Builders Program, we will continue partnering with our families to build financial resiliency, economic mobility, and a connected community. We are so grateful to Bank of America for this support.”
Added Urban Edge CEO Emilo Dorcely: “Being named a Bank of America Neighborhood Builder is a recognition of the people we serve as much as it is of Urban Edge. For more than 50 years, our neighbors have made clear what they need: homes they can afford, a real stake in the decisions that shape their communities, and the chance to build wealth where they already live. This investment tells us that Bank of America sees that work and is willing to stand behind it at a moment when the pressure on families across Greater Boston has never been greater.”
Bank of America also announced a third Neighborhood Builder award, $100,000 over two years, to Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester. The announcements were made at Gillette Stadium during the Patriots game on Sunday, Sept. 20. In total, Bank of America is investing $500,000 across the three organizations. In addition to the funding, each organization’s executive director and a selected emerging leader will participate in a leadership development program.
The grant will help Habitat for Humanity MetroWest/Greater Worcester serve more families by launching its FY2027–FY2029 strategic plan and invest in new leadership positions. These investments are intended to help the organization scale its operations, grow its housing pipeline and reach a goal of improving housing conditions for more than 20 families annually by the strategy’s third year. The funding will also help Habitat sustain its increased pace of home construction and repair, develop new revenue sources and expand its ReStore operation, with a goal of generating more than $1 million in annual net revenue by FY2029 to support its mission.
“We are incredibly honored to be selected as a Bank of America Neighborhood Builder,” Habitat MetroWest/Greater Worcester CEO Debbie Maruca Hoak said. “This investment comes at an important moment as we work to expand the number of families we serve across our communities. The flexible funding and leadership development will strengthen our capacity to create more opportunities for families to achieve the stability and security of a safe, affordable home. We are deeply grateful to Bank of America for investing not only in the homes we build, but in Habitat’s ability to serve more families for years to come.”
Bank of America is one of the world’s leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 69 million clients with approximately 3,500 retail financial centers, approximately 15,000 ATMs (automated teller machines) and award-winning digital banking with approximately 60 million verified digital users. Bank of America is a global leader in wealth management, corporate and investment banking and trading across a broad range of asset classes, serving corporations, governments, institutions and individuals around the world. As the #1 small business lender in the United States (FDIC), Bank of America offers industry-leading support to approximately 4 million small business households through a suite of innovative, easy-to-use online products and services. The company serves clients through operations across the United States, its territories and more than 35 countries and/or jurisdictions. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
