Exciting news for CIS!  The Bank of America Charitable Foundation announced the 2009 winners of its Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® (NEI) grants at a special celebration on October 14. Communities In Schools is one of two local nonprofits awarded the prestigious Charlotte Neighborhood Builders® grant and will receive $200,000 in unrestricted grant funding over the next two years.  In addition, CIS will have the opportunity to participate in Bank of America's Neighborhood Excellence Leadership Program with other nonprofit leaders from across the country.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Communities In Schools," said CIS Executive Director Bill Anderson. "We are honored to have been selected and believe the grant is an endorsement of the work CIS is doing to help students on a dropout path to stay in school and graduate."

The money will be used to expand CIS into two elementary schools and for branding to help the Charlotte community to have a better understanding of what CIS does.