Stamford’s Building One Community receives $2 million grant

Building One Community (B1C), the nonprofit which runs the Center for Immigrant opportunity in Stamford has received $2 million from Yield Giving as part of its Open Call award series.

Yield Giving was founded by MacKenzie Scott, an author and philanthropist who was once married to Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos. B1C was among 361 small nonprofits across the country to receive a share of $640 million, close to double what Scott had promised to give away when the Open Call was initially announced.

B1C will use the funds to supports its mission of advancing the successful integration of immigrants. Founded in 2011, the organization estimates it has helped nearly 17,000 immigrants from 124 different countries successfully take part in American society through English Language learning opportunities, job training, and both legal and family support.

In a statement announcing the grant Executive Director of B1C Anka Badurina, PhD said that “the need for immigrant support is on the rise, and we are extremely thankful to the Yield Giving team for acknowledging and supporting our efforts. Their generous gift will significantly impact our ability to continue aiding immigrants in a compassionate manner. It offers operational stability and propels us forward towards fulfilling our mission, making a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve. Gratitude abounds as we look ahead to a future filled with promise and progress.”

B1C was selected from 6,353 applicants to the Open Call, of which 250 were originally planned to receive $1 million. An additional round of screening and evaluation led to an increase in the total number of awardees and the size of the grants.

To learn more about the organization visit http://www.b1c.org/