Operation HOPE, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in an ever-changing economy, has been awarded a $500,000 grant from Visa Foundation to support the organization’s growth and innovation efforts to offer expanded services to its increasing client base. The grant will support Operation HOPE’s financial coaching services that assist women-owned business initiatives and Visa Foundation’s membership in The 1865 Project, an initiative that partners with both individuals and leading corporations to help level the economic playing field for underserved Americans.

“For years, Visa Foundation has been championing efforts to bring financial inclusion to communities around the world – a mission that is aligned with Operation HOPE’s work to bring financial literacy and empowerment to the underserved,” said Brian Betts, Operation HOPE President and Chief Financial Officer. “We are thrilled that Visa Foundation has made this meaningful commitment, which will help drive our impact – particularly in our support of women-owned businesses and for The 1865 Project, which helps us effect greater systemic change by promoting financial literacy in America.”

Operation HOPE, which was established in 1992 with the goal of closing the racial wealth gap, provides no-cost financial counseling services like Credit and Money Management, Home Ownership, and Small Business Entrepreneurship to primarily low-and-moderate income (LMI) communities across the country. For 10 consecutive years, Operation HOPE has been awarded the highest rating from the independent nonprofit rating agency, Charity Navigator. Visa Foundation’s grant will support Operation HOPE’s efforts as it continues to innovate, conduct groundbreaking research, and offer expanded services to its growing client base.

“Visa Foundation is committed to supporting inclusive economies where individuals and communities can thrive,” said Graham Macmillan, Visa Foundation President. “We believe in Operation HOPE’s mission and look forward to helping them empower women-owned small businesses in our communities to thrive.”

About Operation HOPE, Inc.

Since 1992, Operation HOPE has been moving America from civil rights to "silver rights" with the mission of making free enterprise and capitalism work for the underserved—disrupting poverty for millions of low and moderate-income youth and adults across the nation. Through its community uplift model, HOPE Inside, which received the 2016 Innovator of the Year recognition by American Banker magazine, Operation HOPE has served more than 4 million individuals and directed more than $3.2 billion in economic activity into disenfranchised communities—turning check-cashing customers into banking customers, renters into homeowners, small business dreamers into small business owners, minimum wage workers into living wage consumers, and uncertain disaster victims into financially empowered disaster survivors. For more information: OperationHOPE.org. Follow the HOPE conversation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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