Wells Fargo Brings Holiday Cheer to Four Nonprofits Supporting People with Disabilities; Donates $450,000
SAN FRANCISCO, December 17, 2015 /3BL Media/ – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) announced that it has donated $450,000 to four key nonprofits that help empower people with disabilities to succeed financially. Grant recipients include National Disability Institute, National Federation of the Blind, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, and Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst for programs in 2016. The grants are in addition to the more than $25 million that Wells Fargo has donated since 2013 to U.S. nonprofits supporting people with disabilities.
“Wells Fargo’s goal is to work with philanthropic organizations that measurably improve the economic viability of people with disabilities,” said Kathy Martinez, People with Disabilities Segment Manager, Wells Fargo & Company. “This includes efforts that improve accessibility for everyone, offer educational tools for improving financial literacy, encourage qualified applicants to become Wells Fargo team members, and provide products and services that meet each person’s unique financial needs. We believe the organizations and programs we fund will help us do just that.”
Nonprofit programs include:
National Disability Institute (NDI)
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Wells Fargo and NDI will design and disseminate a Financial Literacy Toolkit through American Job Centers that will help improve financial literacy and financial decision-making for youths and adults with disabilities. The Toolkit will feature material from the Hands on Banking® program and other Wells Fargo financial education resources.
National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
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Wells Fargo is helping fund the NFB Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (BELL) Academy which provides instruction in reading, writing, and independent living skills for blind children in more than 30 states to improve overall literacy and independence both at school and in the community. The NFB BELL Academy seeks to increase the number of students who receive Braille instruction, increase parents’ expectations for their child’s education and increase blind children’s exposure to competent blind adults.
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
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Wells Fargo is supporting the development of a model program that will help schools ensure that at-risk students with disabilities are participating in restorative justice programs aimed at keeping students in school and building a supportive environment for all students.
Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst
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Wells Fargo will work with APSE to develop and test a scalable online institute that teaches employers new business models to provide people with disabilities real jobs in their communities at real pay, leading to economic self-sufficiency
Wells Fargo’s support for the disability community aligns with the company’s broader commitment to diversity –to serve diverse customers, to hire, develop and retain diverse team members and to encourage team members to value and respect each other for their differences. In 2015, Wells Fargo prioritized people with disabilities as an area of business focus, sponsored America’s Disability Rights Museum on Wheels, and participated in events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. More information about Wells Fargo’s commitment to helping empower people with disabilities can be found at https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/diversity/
About National Disability Institute
National Disability Institute (NDI) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to building a better economic future for people with disabilities. The first national organization committed exclusively to championing economic empowerment, financial education, asset development and financial stability for all persons with disabilities, NDI affects change through public education, policy development, training, technical assistance and innovative initiatives. NDI and its Real Economic Impact (REI) Network have helped 2.8 million people with disabilities receive more than $2.7 billion in tax refunds and credits. To learn more, visit www.realeconomicimpact.org. Engage with NDI on Facebook: RealEconImpact or follow NDI on Twitter: @RealEconImpact.
National Federation of the Blind
The National Federation of the Blind Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning (NFB BELL) Academy provides intensive Braille and nonvisual skill instruction to blind and low-vision children who are not currently receiving enough training in school, or who could benefit from Braille enrichment over the summer. In addition to Braille crafts, games, and other engaging projects, children learn vital independent living skills, including practice with cooking skills and meal preparation; benefit from peer learning and mentoring from blind adults; and enjoy field trips to sites related to the NFB BELL Academy curriculum. These field trips give the children an opportunity to put their Braille and nonvisual skill training to use in real-life, authentic situations.
About Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Founded in 1979, the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) is a leading national cross-disability civil rights law and policy center directed by individuals with disabilities and parents who have children with disabilities. Our mission is to advance the civil and human rights of people with disabilities through legal advocacy, training, education, and public policy and legislative development. DREDF was instrumental in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, many reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other key disability civil rights laws and policies. DREDF is based in Berkeley, California
About Association of People Supporting Empl0ymentFirst
Founded in 1988, Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst (APSE) is a growing national non-profit membership organization with an exclusive focus on integrated employment and career advancement opportunities for individuals with disabilities. APSE has chapters in 38 states and the District of Columbia with members from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, as well as several foreign countries. For more information, please visit our website at www.apse.org.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, approximately 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs and Wells Fargo Stories.
