NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – Wells Fargo on Friday announced the company donated more than $1.54 million to 30 local nonprofits, schools and organizations in 2018 to help the communities and people of upper Northern California in need, including in Butte, Colusa, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Shasta, Sutter, Tehama and Yolo counties.

Wells Fargo’s philanthropic contributions build on a long history of collaboration with local nonprofits and community leaders to make a positive impact by addressing urgent community issues such as community and economic development, education and disaster relief.

“Across our community, many residents are working hard to make ends meet. Here in Upper Northern California, we want to help people find a stable place to live, help small business owners expand, and help young people gain a quality education that prepares them for the workforce,” said Thomas Sands, Wells Fargo Northern California region bank president. “We are determined to help people and communities, especially in underserved areas, succeed financially. We will continue to provide philanthropy, volunteers, expertise and other resources to revitalize and strengthen local neighborhoods.”

Beyond philanthropy, 92 Wells Fargo team members in Upper Northern California volunteered more than 2,879 hours in 2018 to support nonprofits and causes important to them.

“Part of what makes Wells Fargo unique is the generosity of our team members who help multiply our community impact,” continued Sands. “Sometimes giving our time is even more valuable than money because it puts our desire to build a strong community into action and gives us a tangible way to personally make a difference.”

United Way Worldwide recently recognized Wells Fargo for having the No. 1 team member giving campaign in the U.S. for the 10th-consecutive year.

Making an impact in Upper Northern California

Wells Fargo concentrated its local philanthropic contributions on addressing urgent community issues such as:

– Disaster relief efforts. Wells Fargo provided support for the Carr, Mendocino Complex and Camp wildfire relief efforts to help with disaster recovery, housing, small business recovery, as well as the longer term economic rebuilding and revitalization of the region. The company provided grants to American Red Cross, United Way, 3CORE, Jefferson Economic Development, Shasta/Cascade SBDC, Superior California Economic Development, and WEST Company.

– Affordable housing. To help increase affordable, stable housing and homeownership in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, Wells Fargo collaborated with grantees such as NeighborWorks and Habitat for Humanity to provide homebuyer education, down payment assistance and other affordable housing solutions.

– Small business growth, and economic equity and inclusion. Many diverse-owned small businesses, especially those in rural and low- to moderate-income communities, face unique challenges and often lack access to the full spectrum of resources necessary for growth and success. Support to nonprofits serving small businesses included initiatives focused on the development of women and diverse talent, education and vocational training, and other solutions for communities with limited access to traditional financial services. Examples of this included a donation to 3CORE, Superior California Economic Development, Siskiyou Jobs Council, Jefferson Economic Development received grants to provide access to capital and technical training to entrepreneurs.

– Access to education. Support included grants for local K-12 schools, scholarships for post-secondary or vocational training, and financial education, including Butte College, Chico State University and University of California, Davis.

– Minimizing the impacts of climate change. The company supported to Habitat for Humanity and GRID Alternatives to help communities become more resilient in the face of a changing climate, including environmental education, resiliency planning, green infrastructure and bringing renewable energy to low-income communities.

"Wells Fargo is a longtime supporter of the American Red Cross, and we are so grateful to Wells Fargo for their support of our disaster relief operations and for helping those impacted by the devastating wildfires. This last wildfire season required an immediate response by the Red Cross and the community and will continue needing ongoing delivery of humanitarian services that we simply couldn't do without the support of donors like Wells Fargo," said Gary Strong, CEO, American Red Cross Northern California Coastal Region.