The M&T Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of M&T Bank (NYSE:MTB), today announced that it has awarded $30,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland. The grant is part of the 30 & 30 Initiative in which 30 organizations across the bank’s footprint received $30,000 to fight homelessness and develop affordable housing in low- to moderate-income communities. The 30 & 30 Initiative was launched in commemoration of the foundation’s 30^th anniversary.

Habitat Executive Director, Tara Hill, said, “This initiative is providing crucial funding to our Critical Home Repair program. Oftentimes, people living on low or fixed incomes can’t afford to make basic repairs to their homes. Over time, small issues turn into large, costly problems that affect their family’s health and safety. M&T’s generous donation will support essential repairs that lift this weight from families and allow them to stay in their homes.”

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland provides a host of direct services and opportunities that focus on providing safe and affordable homeownership opportunities. This funding will specifically support Habitat’s Critical Home Repair program which offers low-cost home repairs throughout Cumberland County to families with lower incomes. These repairs can include, but are not limited to, roof replacements or patching, accessibility modifications, structural fixes, and repairs to unsafe mechanical systems.

“Since its beginning, the foundation’s reach and impact for organizations like Habitat for Humanity of Greater Portland have been expansive, profound, and lasting,” said Dominique Goss, Executive Director of the M&T Charitable Foundation. “The 30 & 30 Initiative is a sign of what’s to come for the next 30 years and reflects our commitment to tackling critical issues like affordable housing and supporting efforts to provide families the ability to live and thrive in the communities we serve.”

Supporting the development of affordable housing is an important part of the bank’s $43 billion Community Growth Plan which includes $20 billion for community development initiatives and affordable housing.

More than 90 different organizations were nominated by teams in each of the company’s regions.

To finalize the 30 recipient organizations and distribute the funding, the Foundation collaborated with OutcomesX, a first-of-its-kind social outcomes market that leverages Impact Genome Registry’s (IGR) impact standard to bring transparency and equity to the social sector.

To execute the initiative, nominated organizations were asked to register their program with IGR to ensure it met the Foundation’s criteria. Using the standardized information, M&T employees in each region voted for their charity of choice, assisting in the selection of the 30 grant-recipient organizations.

The finalist organizations were then required to verify their impact with the IGR. This process enabled the Foundation to understand the actual social impact that each organization and grant had on the communities they serve. Each $30,000 grant is unrestricted so that resources can be allocated where they are needed most, enabling the organizations to address evolving community needs and challenges.

Founded in 1993, the M&T Charitable Foundation works in partnership with non-profit organizations that focus on improving the quality of life for the bank’s customers, employees, and neighbors. Awarding nearly $40 million in grants each year, the Foundation has given more than $534 million to thousands of nonprofit organizations throughout its 30-year existence.

For more information on the 30 & 30 Initiative, including the full list of grant recipients and their locations, please click here.