Lincoln Financial Foundation Awards $1,205,000 in Grants to Greensboro, N.C.

Greensboro, N.C., December 19, 2013 /3BL Media/ – Grants from Lincoln Financial Foundation are supporting agencies that provide job training, adult education, financial literacy programs and economic development in Greensboro. Lincoln Foundation recently awarded $1,205,000 in economic and workforce development grants to 11 local nonprofit organizations, a portion of $1.8 million in charitable funds Lincoln Foundation has allocated for Greensboro in 2013.

Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts will receive $500,000 over five years to support community-wide opening activities, special operations and audio/visual equipment. The Tanger Center will be a catalyst for development and investment in Greensboro, as well as a key driver of economic and cultural vitality.  A new performing arts center will encourage an increase in ancillary spending in the community by attracting new audiences to downtown Greensboro and create new job and revenue sources for the greater Greensboro area.  Constructing the new center will generate an impact of $28.6 million in household income and 1,277 full-time-equivalent jobs.  The Tanger Center will be home to a variety of shows, appealing to a wide variety of audiences.  The flexible space allows for touring Broadway shows and jazz concerts as well as a new home for smaller events such as the Greensboro Symphony and the Bryan Series.  Economic and community benefits of a new facility downtown include expanded arts, cultural and entertainment offerings, as well as increased regional competitiveness and civic pride, the ability to attract and retain knowledge workers, and the additional property tax revenue and growing tax rolls created by development in the area.

Other economic and workforce development grants awarded include:

• $500,000 over five years to Greensboro Partnership for its Economic Development Campaign, which works to attract new companies to Guilford County while retaining and growing the county’s existing industrial base. The campaign will work by facilitating creating new jobs and capital investment, as well as new construction, by partnering with the city and county to develop construction-ready sites.
• $25,000 to Family Service of the Piedmont for Consumer Credit Counseling and Foreclosure Prevention Services, which provide families in Guilford County with the tools they need to be financially self-sustaining and prevent losing their homes to foreclosure.
• $25,000 to Guilford Technical Community College Foundation for its North Carolina Back to Work program, which trains displaced workers in advanced manufacturing.  The grant also supports the North Carolina Veterans Back to Work project, which assists with the transition of veterans from military to civilian life by assessing individual needs such as skill assessment, employability training, career development counseling, further education and other job skills.
• $25,000 to Piedmont Triad Partnership for expanding angel investments in the triad by searching and investing in new and promising ventures through a series of business competitions and re-branding the organizations as “Triad First Angel Network.”
• $25,000 to Reading Connections to support adult literacy programs including GED, English as a Second Language and adult basic education, which improve self-sufficiency and employability. 
• $25,000 to the Women’s Resource Center to fund financial literacy workshops for women and to support the Women to Work program which provides supportive services to women re-entering the workforce.
• $20,000 to ARC of Greensboro, Inc., to prepare and support adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities to secure and maintain gainful community employment.  This project also aims at reshaping public policy and perception to expand employment opportunities for individuals with developmental, intellectual and/or physical limitations or disabilities.
• $20,000 to Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, Inc., to support Greensboro Works and to establish Greensboro as an official site with the National Fund for Workforce Solutions, enabling Greensboro to become eligible for national funding for workforce partnerships.
• $20,000 to Greensboro Chamber Foundation for Internships.com, an online matching and referral program for individuals seeking internships and organizations seeking interns.
• $20,000 to Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship for the Entrepreneur Assistance Support and Education program, which provides entrepreneurs with professional consulting and business support including access to marketing, accounting, legal, capital, human resources, financial and graphic design services.

About Lincoln Financial Foundation
The Lincoln Financial Foundation, established in 1962, is a nonprofit organization formed and supported by Lincoln Financial Group. Under Lincoln Foundation guidelines, grants are made in the areas of arts, education, human services and economic/workforce development. The Lincoln Foundation allocated more than $1.8 million to support nonprofits in Greensboro in 2012.  Since 2006, the Lincoln Foundation has contributed more than $13.8 million to Greensboro nonprofits.

About Lincoln Financial Group
Lincoln Financial Group has set aside almost $10 million of its pre-tax earnings for charitable causes that support philanthropic endeavors in the communities where its employees work.  Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. With headquarters in the Philadelphia region, the companies of Lincoln Financial Group had assets under management of $197 billion as of September 30, 2013. Through its affiliated companies, Lincoln Financial Group offers: annuities; life, group life, disability and dental insurance; employer-sponsored retirement plans; savings plans; and comprehensive financial planning and advisory services. For more information, including a copy of our most recent SEC reports containing our balance sheets, please visit www.LincolnFinancial.com.

Contact: Sol Kovach
Lincoln Financial Group
(336) 691-4999
sol.kovach@lfg.com

Byron Champlin
Lincoln Financial Foundation
(603) 226-5554
byron.champlin@lfg.com

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