Bank of America Funds Richmond Workforce Programs

Employers hiring in Richmond gain access to a larger pool of work-ready candidates from two nonprofit programs.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Remote Work

Bank of America Funds Richmond Workforce Programs

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Should local nonprofits get more funding for job training programs?

Bank of America named Cristo Rey Richmond High School and CARITAS as 2026 Richmond Neighborhood Builders, each receiving a $200,000 multi-year grant. The grants fund workforce-development and work-study programs that connect Richmond students and job seekers with local employers.

Why it matters

For Richmond employers, the grants expand the pipeline of trained, workplace-ready candidates through two local programs that place students and adults in professional settings. Bank of America's recognition signals a corporate interest in funding workforce development in the city as a form of community investment.

Each nonprofit received a $200,000 multi-year grant, totaling $400,000. Cristo Rey's Corporate Work Study Program serves 205 students across more than 50 participating employers, while CARITAS Works delivers more than 160 hours of training over six weeks.

The players

Bank of America

A major U.S. bank with a large consumer and commercial banking franchise, which operates a corporate philanthropy program that funds workforce and community initiatives.

Cristo Rey Richmond High School

A Richmond Catholic college-preparatory high school whose Corporate Work Study Program places students in professional workplaces with more than 50 host employers.

CARITAS

A Richmond nonprofit that runs CARITAS Works, a six-week workforce development program providing more than 160 hours of training.

Hari Gopalkrishnan

Bank of America's chief technology and information officer, who leads the bank's technology operations and mentored students at Cristo Rey.

The details

Students in Cristo Rey's Corporate Work Study Program spend one day a week in a professional workplace, giving employers a regular window to observe and train young workers. The grant covers operating costs for that program, which relies on a network of host businesses. CARITAS Works uses its grant to support a six-week workforce development curriculum built around more than 160 hours of instruction. Both organizations also received leadership training for their executive director and an emerging leader.

Tuesday: Bank of America chief technology and information officer Hari Gopalkrishnan visited Cristo Rey Richmond High School for a roundtable and one-on-one mentoring with STEM students.
2026: Bank of America named both organizations as 2026 Richmond Neighborhood Builders.

Market Landscape

Cristo Rey's work-study model, which pairs high school students with employers one day a week, is an established network model that Richmond's program applies locally. Corporate grants like Bank of America's are increasingly used to fund such programs, placing employers in the role of direct workforce-pipeline investors.

Richmond employers hiring entry-level or early-career staff should note the expanding local pool of students with workplace experience through the Corporate Work Study Program. Operations and HR leaders may find value in evaluating work-study or workforce-training partnerships as a recruitment channel.

The takeaway

Corporate workforce grants are becoming a visible way for employers to build local talent pipelines, and Richmond's two programs show how a bank-funded model can reach both students and adult job seekers. Operators can track whether the Corporate Work Study host-employer base grows in the coming year as a signal of local participation.