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Truist Foundation

Building better lives

Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities. By partnering with nonprofit organizations across our markets, we're helping them innovate and make a meaningful difference in the lives of those they serve.

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We all want better lives for ourselves our families, and those in our community.

But the path to get there is longer and more challenging for those who are historically excluded.

We believe everyone should have access to the tools and resources that help build generational wealth like a well-paying career or the ability to start a business.

Unfortunately that’s the not the case.

Business owners typically earn 2.5x more than non-business owners, regardless of race.

But despite the fact that Black and Latina women start businesses at the fastest rate of any group in this country, they continue to face disproportionate barriers to accessing capital, finding mentors and growing their businesses.

Black workers are five times more likely to be unemployed even compared to white workers with the same education level.

In addition, Latinx workers face higher unemployment rates and lower pay.

But there is an ecosystem of organizations working to level the playing field.

Truist Foundation will intentionally distribute resources into this ecosystem.

Catalyzing nonprofit organizations doing the hard work developing solutions and opening doors.

Together, we’re strengthening small businesses and building career pathways to economic mobility through community-led solutions that build better lives and communities.

What we believe—and aim to do

All people and communities should have an equal opportunity to thrive.

Through our two key focus areas, building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses, we invest in pioneering ways to strengthen organizations with transformative ideas and proven solutions.

Stories that inspire

Building career pathways to economic mobility

We’re investing in organizations, programs, and initiatives that help systemically disadvantaged workers navigate the employment journey. Our emphasis is on organizations that are closest to the most impacted communities.

Our goals:

Enable and equip frontline workersDisclosure 1 and unemployed adults, specifically women and Black, indigenous, and people-of-color, with the tools and resources they need to move into middle-skillDisclosure 2 jobs that provide economic mobility and more pathways for people to thrive. 

Our focus areas:

  • Helping workers navigate employment resources
  • Building capacity of reskilling and upskilling programs
  • Strengthening access to high quality employment and worker protections
  • Improving coordination and sharing knowledge within the workforce system
  • Advocating for employer practice change

Strengthening small businesses

We’re opening more doors for racially and ethnically diverse and women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs by investing in the network of solutions and organizations that support them.

Our goals:

Strengthen the supports that allow minority and women-owned small businesses to become more financially sustainable and resilient by eliminating structural barriers to growth, and improving knowledge sharing, collaboration and innovation within the small business ecosystem.

Our focus areas:

  • Increasing access to capital
  • Increasing access to technical assistance support and educational programs for entrepreneurs
  • Building small business networks and mentorship programs to enable more knowledge sharing
  • Researching and developing new products, technologies, and service innovations for small business
  • Increasing equity and inclusion in private and public practices and policies that impact small businesses

Lynette Bell
Truist Foundation President

Who we are

“The Truist Foundation is deeply committed to serving communities differently and with humanity and grace. Through the Truist Foundation, we provide grants in support of nonprofit organizations to help grow their impact through innovative, best-in-class solutions. We believe that we succeed when we give our communities the opportunity to do the same.” 

– Lynette Bell, Truist Foundation President

A letter from Lynette (PDF)

Truist Foundation leadership

Truist Foundation leadership

Lynette Bell

Truist Foundation President

Ellen M. Fitzsimmons

Chair of the Board

Jason Cagle

Board Member

Kathleen Farrell

Board Member

Ingrid Saunders-Jones

Independent Board Member

Dr. Harold Lee Martin Sr

Independent Board Member

Ernie Reigel

Independent Board Member

Ankur Vyas

Board Member

David H. Weaver

Board Member

Kimberly Moore-Wright

Board Member

Do you share our passion for helping people achieve more?

We’re opening more doors for racially and ethnically diverse and women-owned small businesses and entrepreneurs by investing in the network of solutions and organizations that support them.

Let's work together to build better lives. For questions, call us at 833-307-2351, or send us an email at truistfoundation@truist.com

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Disclosure 1 Front-line workers are usually non-salaried, without advanced technical expertise and work directly with customers, and/or involved in making a product or providing a service. 

Disclosure 2 Middle-skill jobs are those that require more than a high school diploma but less than a four-year degree. 

Disclosures

Truist Bank, Member FDIC. © 2023 Truist Financial Corporation. Truist, the Truist logo and Truist Purple are service marks of Truist Financial Corporation.

Equal Housing Lender

Investment and Insurance Products:

  • Are Not FDIC or any other Government Agency Insured
  • Are Not Bank Guaranteed
  • May Lose Value

Services provided by the following affiliates of Truist Financial Corporation (Truist): Banking products and services, including loans and deposit accounts, are provided by Truist Bank, Member FDIC. Trust and investment management services are provided by Truist Bank, and Truist Delaware Trust Company. Securities, brokerage accounts and /or insurance (including annuities) are offered by Truist Investment Services, Inc., and P.J. Robb Variable, LLC., which are SEC registered broker-dealers, members  FINRA SIPC and a licensed insurance agency where applicable. Investment advisory services are offered by Truist Advisory Services, Inc., GFO Advisory Services, LLC, Sterling Capital Management, LLC, and Precept Advisory Group, LLC, each SEC registered investment advisers. Sterling Capital Funds are advised by Sterling Capital Management, LLC. Insurance products and services are offered through McGriff Insurance Services, LLC. Life insurance products are offered through Truist Life Insurance Services, a division of Crump Life Insurance Services, LLC, AR license #100103477. Both McGriff and Crump are wholly owned subsidiaries of Truist Insurance Holdings, LLC.

Mortgage products and services are offered through Truist Bank. All Truist mortgage professionals are registered on the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System & Registry (NMLS), which promotes uniformity and transparency throughout the residential real estate industry. Search the NMLS Registry.

Comments regarding tax implications are informational only. Truist and its representatives do not provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your individual tax or legal professional before taking any action that may have tax or legal consequences.

"Truist Advisors" may be officers and/or associated persons of the following affiliates of Truist, Truist Investment Services, Inc., and/or Truist Advisory Services, Inc. Truist Wealth, International Wealth, Center for Family Legacy, Business Owner Specialty Group, Sports and Entertainment Group, and Legal and Medical Specialty Groups are trade names used by Truist Bank, Truist Investment Services, Inc., and Truist Advisory Services, Inc.

Truist Securities is a trademark of Truist Financial Corporation. Truist Securities is a trade name for the corporate and investment banking services of Truist Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Securities and strategic advisory services are provided by Truist Securities, Inc., member FINRA and SIPC. Lending, financial risk management, and treasury management and payment services are offered by Truist Bank. Deposit products are offered by Truist Bank.

Applications, agreements, disclosures, and other servicing communications provided by Truist Bank and its subsidiary businesses will be provided in English. As a result, it will be necessary for customers to speak, read and understand English or to have an appropriate translator assisting them. Truist offers the following resources for consumers that have Limited English Proficiency:

  • Multilingual teammates available at our Multicultural Banking Centers
  • Materials for some products and services are available in Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and other languages spoken in the communities we serve.
  • Phone assistance in Spanish at 844-4TRUIST (844-487-8478), option 9. For assistance in other languages please speak to a representative directly.

New York City residents:

Translation or other language access services may be available. When calling our office regarding collection activity, if you speak a language other than English and need verbal translation services, be sure to inform the representative. A description and translation of commonly-used debt collection terms is available in multiple languages at http://www.nyc.gov/dca.

  • Limited English Proficiency Support
  • New York City residents

Borrowers with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) needing information can use the following resources:

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