Bank of America Presents $40,000 Check to GrowSmart Maine

PORTLAND, Me. – Bank of America Foundation has granted $40,000 to GrowSmart Maine to promote and implement “Charting Maine’s Future,” a sustainable prosperity strategy developed by the Brookings Institution.

From left to right: William B. Williamson, Commercial Banking-Senior Client Manager for Bank of America, Steven M. Byrnes, Business Banking-National Sales Manager for Bank of America; Sean Mahoney, Executive Director of the Conservation Law Foundation and Chairman of the GrowSmart Maine Board of Directors, and Alan Caron, President and CEO of GrowSmart Maine.

“Bank of America is pleased to support the work of GrowSmart Maine, helping our wonderful state chart a course for a prosperous future.” said Betsey Greenstein, Market President – Bank of America.

Steve Byrnes, Business Banking National Sales Manager at Bank of America, presented a check to GrowSmart Maine at a recent meeting of the organization’s board of directors.

“This is a tremendous demonstration of growing business support for our work,” said GrowSmart Maine president Alan Caron.

GrowSmart Maine is a statewide citizen’s non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable prosperity and quality places. The Brookings report says Maine has a realistic shot at prosperity in the global economy if it pursues a “cut to invest” strategy of reducing state spending and taxes on Maine people in order to free up resources for critical investments in Maine’s “brand,” its innovative spirit and its quality of place.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation will give more than $200 million in 2007, making the bank one of the most generous corporate donors in the world, Bank of America approaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of individual communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contribute more than 500,000 hours each year to improve the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit http://www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

Bank of America is one of the world's largest 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 55 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 5,700 retail banking offices, through more than 17,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with more than 21 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 98 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 80 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.