“Making a Difference” is Orange County Business Council’s feature series that brings the face and voice of OCBC
members to life by sharing how they’re making a difference in their communities.
November 2023
As we step into this season of giving, it might be difficult to envision what food pantries, an Italian immigrant, an Orange County high school student, banks and a national restaurant chain have in common. In Orange County, a lot. Individually, each has either given back to their community, or has been a recipient of another’s generosity. Collectively, their focus aligns with Orange County Business Council’s core initiatives: workforce, infrastructure, housing and economic growth for the nation’s sixth largest county.
Read on to see how three national companies are making a difference in Orange County.
Bank of America
Q: What is your organization doing to give back to the community and why is it important?
A: Giving back to the community is essential. A strong community not only fosters social bonds but also fuels economic growth, providing a nurturing environment for businesses to thrive and families to flourish. This interconnectivity creates a sense of belonging and purpose which can alleviate stress and promote overall well-being.
Bank of America develops strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations focused on issues fundamental to economic mobility in low- and moderate-income communities. We invest in health, jobs, and strengthening broader community vitality by addressing needs related to small business resiliency, and community development. For example, our Neighborhood Builder award, now in its 19th year, honors two nonprofits a year in Orange County with a $200K grant each and leadership training for the executive director and their emerging leader, which is the largest capital investment in leadership in the nation when combined throughout our 97 markets. Our annual Student Leader program awards 300 rising high school seniors and recent graduates from across the country, including four from Orange County, with paid internships at local nonprofits and a trip to Washington D.C. to attend the Student Leaders Summit to see first-hand how business, non-profits, and individuals work together to create change. Additionally, we empower each of our employees to give back with two hours paid time off each week to volunteer at an organization of their choice. Those who wish to volunteer by passing along their financial expertise can enroll as a Better Money Habits Champion and volunteer to deliver free financial education to a variety of our nonprofit partners’ clients. Bank of America recognizes that giving back isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do. When our communities thrive, business can also thrive.
Q: What would you say to individuals and organizations that want to do more to give back to their community?
A: For an individual, look at where you have a passion or a strong connection and then reach out to those organizations already doing great work in those arenas and see where there is opportunity to get involved. Giving back is so much more meaningful and sustainable if you enjoy what you’re doing and feel like you’re making a difference. For an organization, start by looking at your community and see where there is room for you to make the greatest impact with the resources you have and don’t be afraid to ask your employees what is meaningful to them.
Q: What do you think goes towards making a community strong?
A: Bank of America has made an intentional effort to invest in leadership training among future and current leaders, which is critical to the health of any community. Where there is strong leadership, we see strong communities. In the words of Cecy Rivera, one of Orange County’s recent Student Leaders: “Out of many teachings, the biggest thing I took away from the Bank of America Student Leaders summit was a calling to be greater, to do more and be more, because the world needs me. The whole week was jam-packed with immersive and introspective experiences created to transform our view of civic engagement. It became clear that the struggles that I have lived make me not only qualified, but necessary in our country’s leadership. I may not be perfect, I may not be the smartest, or the readiest, but I am needed and that, I can’t ever forget.”
Q: Who or what inspires your organization to do what you do?
A: Generosity has been ingrained in our DNA since the inception of our California-based bank, founded by an Italian immigrant farmer over 120 years ago. Our commitment to giving back continues today, as our current CEO, Brian Moynihan, has initiated an outstanding employee volunteerism program. Bank employees are encouraged and paid to volunteer two hours per week. Our ambitious goal is to collectively contribute two million hours of volunteer work annually, echoing our commitment to the communities we serve. In Orange County our employees volunteered 39,000 hours in 2022.
Q: How has your organization overcome obstacles to continue giving back to the Orange County community?
A: The COVID-19 pandemic posed many challenges to our employees’ ability to volunteer. In response, we worked with our nonprofit community to develop virtual volunteer sessions including providing financial education and small business coaching in a time of great economic uncertainty. Additionally, Bank of America increased its annual giving in Orange County by 34% to respond to the increased need because of the health and economic devastation caused by the pandemic.
Q: What is your organization planning to do in the future in its continuing mission to give back to Orange County?
A: Bank of America continuously evolves its giving strategy to meet the changing needs of our community. In the wake of the pandemic, we increased our focus on supporting well-paying job growth and developing a skilled and diverse workforce ready to fill those jobs and look to working with partners like Orange County Business Council to achieve that goal. Additionally, recently released The Academy, which is Bank of America’s award-winning onboarding, education and professional development organization dedicated to the growth and success of our communities and teammates across the enterprise. This tool is available to everyone to explore our educational resources to enhance your skills, boost your confidence, grow your business or navigate the job market and we look forward to how it will be leveraged in Orange County.
Q: How is your organization making a difference in Orange County?
A: In 2022, Bank of America gave $2.2 million to the Orange County community via grants, in addition to $77,000 through our employee giving and matching gifts program. Of our 2,500 Orange County employees, 2,254 employees contributed 30,886 volunteer hours in 2022, which equates to 3.5 years! And finally, our Better Money Habits champions are on track to deliver 35 financial education sessions this year and reach over 500 individuals in low to moderate income communities. We continue to invest in current and future leadership of this county where we are proud to work and call home.
Taco Bell Foundation
Q: What is your organization doing to give back to the community and why is it important?
A: Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached more than 5 million young people across the country and has awarded more than $155 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness.
The Taco Bell Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and was built to collaborate with young leaders who have endless motivation to improve their community but lack some of the essential connections or resources. The upcoming generation of young leaders are vocal about the positive change they want to see in their communities, and the Taco Bell Foundation aims to break down barriers for the next generation of leaders and provide them with the resources and connections needed to enact positive change.
Q: What would you say to individuals and organizations that want to do more to give back to their community?
A: Not everyone knows where to begin when setting out to make positive change in their community. Identify local needs and opportunities, then align your strengths and passions to address them. Everyone has the power to make a difference and when we work and grow together the result is a better community for all.
Q: What do you think goes towards making a community strong?
A: The power of connection is the foundation of a tightly knit community. This can look a number of different ways from sharing insights and knowledge to problem solving together through a creative lens. Working together to identify opportunities drives positive change.
Q: Who or what inspires your organization to do what you do?
A: We firmly believe that investing in the future success of young people is a catalyst for building stronger, more vibrant communities. There is nothing more fulfilling than watching scholars blow us away year after year with their creativity and drive.
Q: How has your organization overcome obstacles to continue giving back to the Orange County community?
A: We’re proud of the impact we have seen our programs have over the past three decades in Orange County. With the needs of tomorrow’s leaders constantly changing, our programming has also had to evolve to support the passions and bold ideas of scholars, team members and young entrepreneurs.
Q: What is your organization planning to do in the future in its continuing mission to give back to Orange County?
A: We are continuing to strengthen our partnerships through Community Grants for the amazing Orange County nonprofit organizations focused on setting young people up for success. The passion-based Live Más Scholarship has recently reopened and is currently accepting applications, funding the bold ideas of young scholars who share a 2-minute submission for a chance to be awarded up to $25,000 in funding. And in the future, we’re excited to share more details around a collaborative program created to accelerate young innovators’ most ambitious social impact ideas.
Q: How is your organization making a difference in Orange County?
A: The Taco Bell Foundation has been committed to serving the local community of Orange County since its inception. In 2023 alone, young scholars in OC were awarded a total of $150,000 in Live Más Scholarships, and local Orange County non-profit organizations were awarded a total of $130,000 in Community Grants to youth-serving organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast, Orangewood Children’s Foundation, Girl Scouts of Orange County, and Bracken’s Kitchen’s Culinary Training Program.
U.S. Bank
Q: What is your organization doing to give back to the community and why is it important?
A: U.S. Bank is committed to powering human potential and taking action to help close the racial wealth gap. The bank does this through the Community Possible platform, including philanthropy, community investments and team member volunteerism.
The U.S. Bank Community Possible platform, invests time, resources, and passion into economic development, by supporting efforts to create stable jobs, better homes and vibrant communities.
Through the Community Possible areas of Work, Home and Play, U.S. Bank focuses on addressing racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change in Orange County.
Q: What would you say to individuals and organizations that want to do more to give back to their community?
A: We all have something to give – whether it be our skills, knowhow, time, or kindly countenance. A U.S. Bank branch manager tells a story that illustrates this perfectly. As a small child, her family home burned down due to an electrical fire during the winter holiday season. A nonprofit organization supplied her family with used toys as Christmas gifts for her and her siblings. The toys may have not been wanted by other families, but to her and her family they were the greatest gift imaginable. The moral of the story is that even if we can’t see the full value of something that we have to offer, it may still be very meaningful to others.
Q: What do you think goes towards making a community strong?
A: At U.S. Bank we focus on three areas to help make the community strong – work, home, and play.
Work: We support the development of small business and dynamic workforces as an investment into the future of Orange County. Helping people to succeed in their careers, provide pathways to higher education, and gaining greater financial literacy can build thriving OC communities.
Home: We help to create safe and stable housing to help children, families, and communities to thrive. Creating access to affordable housing, helping homebuyers gain the financial knowledge and tools to own and maintain a home, and incorporating energy-efficient features into housing are all an investment that will benefit generations to come in Orange County.
Play: All of us deserve to experience the joy we receive from opportunities to play, create, and immerse in arts and culture. We’re proud to invest in organizations that help more people access the benefits of active play and fun activities. Play can help make Orange County stronger and more vibrant.
Q: Who or what inspires your organization to do what you do?
A: At U.S. Bank, we are committed to listening and learning from community, and those with lived experience, acting and moving beyond philanthropy to engage the human and financial resources of the bank in our work to help close the racial wealth gap, make community possible, and power human potential. Inspiration comes from nonprofit organizations, community groups, our clients, and our colleagues.
Q: How has your organization overcome obstacles to continue giving back to the Orange County community?
A: During the COVID-19 pandemic, we worked closely with community organizations to get creative and meet the needs of our neighbors most in-need. U.S. Bank transformed and expedited our annual Market Impact Fund grants to help local nonprofits respond to immediate COVID-19 needs. The move was part of a broader shift to our community giving programs amid the disorder and uncertainty that we all experienced at the start of the pandemic. An example of this creative community partnership took place in Santa Ana as a $75,000 grant went to underwrite re-deployment of Goodwill of Orange County’s drivers, trucks, and supply chain management expertise in support of Orange County’s two primary food distribution networks—the Orange County Food Bank and Second Harvest Food Bank. This effort helped to transport critically needed food and related supplies, as well as providing logistical support to manage warehouse inventory. The quick action on behalf of Goodwill and our local leaders was able to get food to the individuals and families most in need during a very frightening time.
Q: What is your organization planning to do in the future in its continuing mission to give back to Orange County?
A: We are dedicated to empowering our communities by listening to those with lived experience and supporting their ideas on how to address racial and economic inequities and creating lasting change. Our goal is to ensure that everyone has access to the tools, resources and networks that allow businesses and communities to thrive.
Q: How is your organization making a difference in Orange County?
A: U.S. Bank is working to close the racial wealth gaps in America, and has created Access Commitment™ a group of initiatives dedicated to supporting underserved communities on their own path to building generational wealth. We are dedicated to caring for our customers, communities, and colleagues in meaningful ways. U.S. Bank has been named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, and Fortune’s most admired superregional bank and is recognized as a digital innovator, offering an industry-leading mobile app that is available in both English and Spanish – because language is access.
