10/27/2010
The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise named Champion in Action® in Philadelphia for its work assisting in small business development
Organization receives $25,000 grant from Citizens Bank and other benefits
PHILADELPHIA (October 28, 2010) - Citizens Bank and its partners announced today that The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise is the latest nonprofit to be named a Champion in Action.® It was named a Champion in the Small Business Development category.
TBC received the Champion in Action award for its programs that serve Northwest Philadelphia by stimulating the development and growth of small businesses, especially African-American- and woman-owned businesses. As a Champion in Action, TBC will receive a $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation, media coverage and extensive promotional and volunteer support over the next three months.
Champions in Action is an innovative program that provides various forms of support for small nonprofit organizations in recognition of their contributions to communities throughout the five-county Philadelphia area. Since the program’s inception in 2003, 27 Champions have been selected, including today’s announced recipient.
“Citizens Bank is pleased to honor The Business Center as our new Champion in Action,” said Daniel K. Fitzpatrick, Citizens Bank’s President and CEO for Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. “TBC offers a resource center where small businesses can find the information they need, via workshops and consulting and networking opportunities, to develop and grow. More than 1,000 participants have completed the center’s entrepreneurship course since the organization was founded in 1999.”
“NBC 10 is proud to shine the spotlight on the important work done each day by The Business Center,” NBC 10 President and General Manager Dennis Bianchi said. "The Champion in Action program enables us to thank and promote local nonprofits that do the behind-the-scenes work that really is the glue of society. The Business Center’s workshops, support services and Virtual Incubation Program enable fledgling businesses to navigate the problems that have felled many young companies in the past.”
“The Business Center’s Youth Enterprise Program gives the next-generation business community
a head start in teaching the skills needed to succeed in today’s business world,” said Greg Osberg, CEO and Publisher at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com. “Its Enterprising Woman Business Plan Competition is an unqualified success, with more than 60 winners creating more than 300 jobs in the city.”
“The Business Center workshops provide the hands-on training many people need,” said Martin Malloy, CEO of Greater Philadelphia Cares. “More than 150 students participated in its educational and business development workshops in 2009. That experience is invaluable.”
Executive Director Pamela Rich-Wheeler and her staff at The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise were surprised today during a taping of the 10! Show on NBC 10. As a Champion in Action, the organization will receive:
• A $25,000 contribution in unrestricted funds from the Citizens Bank Foundation.
• Media coverage from NBC 10, including public service announcements and profiles.
• Advertising space in The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia Daily News and on Philly.com to promote both the program and the organization.
• Volunteer support from Citizens Bank, NBC 10 and Greater Philadelphia Cares.
• Extensive public relations support.
• Promotional support, highlighting the Champion in Action in all Citizens Bank branches.
• Exposure on the Web sites of Citizens Bank, NBC 10 and Philly.com.
• Consulting and implementation services, provided by Greater Philadelphia Cares, to leverage volunteer support that enhances impact.
About Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania
Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania is a state-chartered bank with dual headquarters in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. It has 383 branches and 972 ATMs throughout Pennsylvania. It also operates 15 retail branches and 104 ATMs in southern New Jersey and a commercial loan office in Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Citizens Financial Group, Inc., a $140 billion commercial bank holding company headquartered in Providence, R.I.
Citizens Financial Group, through its subsidiaries, has more than 1,500 branches and approximately 3,500 ATMs, and approximately 22,700 employees. CFG’s two bank subsidiaries are RBS Citizens, N.A. and Citizens Bank of Pennsylvania. They operate a 12-state branch network under the Citizens Bank brand in Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont, and the Charter One brand in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. CFG has non-branch retail and commercial offices in about 40 states. CFG is owned by RBS (The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc).
About NBC 10
NBC 10, one of 10 Owned & Operated NBC television stations, is located in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., a suburb of Philadelphia. Millions of viewers throughout Greater Philadelphia, Lehigh Valley, South Jersey and Delaware turn to NBC 10 every day for the most up-to-date news, weather, sports, consumer, health and traffic reports. Viewers also tune in daily to watch “The 10! Show,” an upbeat, one-hour lifestyle and entertainment show featuring local, national and internationally known celebrities. The program airs Monday through Friday at 11 a.m. Recognized as the No. 1 Web site (www.nbcphiladelphia.com) in the top 50 markets, NBCphiladelphia.com received the prestigious National Edward R. Murrow Award.
About Philadelphia Media Network Inc.
Philadelphia Media Network Inc. is the leading media company in the Philadelphia region. PMN is the owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, philly.com, related online products and several community newspapers. Philly.com is the region’s No. 1 local media Web site, with more than 4.5 million unique visitors each month. Together with The Inquirer, the region’s most-read daily newspaper, and the Daily News, the No. 1 tab newspaper in the region, Philadelphia Media Network Inc. reaches almost 2.5 million unduplicated people each week.
About Greater Philadelphia Cares
An award-winning nonprofit, Greater Philadelphia Cares is committed to empowering individuals to realize their ability to contribute to the community in meaningful ways. By providing a variety of flexible, tangible volunteer opportunities, Greater Philadelphia Cares is continuously enhancing the ability for volunteers to serve the community.
About The Business Center for Entrepreneurship & Social Enterprise
Founded in 1999, TBC’s programs serve Northwest Philadelphia by stimulating the development and growth of small businesses, especially African-American- and woman-owned businesses. To learn more, please visit www.thebizctr.com or call 215-247-2473.TBC is located at 7500 Germantown Avenue, Elders Hall, Suite 113, Philadelphia, PA 19119-1650.
