2014 TD Bank Citywide Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Project Kick-Off Event with the 5-Chamber Alliance

 Project Provides $200,000 in Grant Assistance to NYC Small Businesses

The TD Bank Citywide Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Project (NEP) in partnership with TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank^® and the 5-Chamber Alliance today announced the second year of its initiative to distribute seed money for creating merchants’ groups, beautification projects and shop-local campaigns in underserved low- and middle-income areas.

The TD Bank Citywide NEP program was a great success in its first year, directly assisting more than 150 businesses and indirectly assisting over 600.  

The new program areas for 2014 are:

• Brooklyn:  Sheepshead Bay, Midwood/Flatbush, Flatlands
• Bronx:  Parkchester, Soundview
• Manhattan:  2nd Avenue, Avenues A, B, C and D, East Harlem and Washington Heights
• Queens:  Rockaways (B116th St), Jackons Heights-Corona (Roosevelt Ave, Junction Blvd, National St)
• Staten Island:  Sand Lane, Midland Ave

“TD Bank recognizes the need to do our part to make an impact in the community,” said Peter Meyer, Market President, TD Bank. “We are so happy to play a role in assisting so many businesses help to improve and enhance their neighborhoods and we look forward to another successful year.”

“One of the many things we learned from Hurricane Sandy was that communities with a strong and thriving merchants associations respond better to crisis than those without,” said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carlo A. Scissura. “Thanks to Peter Meyer and the TD Bank Citywide Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Project we are employing more people, putting more money into the economy and creating stronger communities.”

“MCC is thrilled to have the opportunity again to not only continue working with the 2^nd Ave. merchants in the subway construction zone and with Ave. A, B, C & D, but we are looking forward to supporting two new neighborhoods as well,” said Manhattan Chamber of Commerce President Nancy Ploeger. “We thank the TD Bank Foundation for their continued support of our small business communities.”

“The Bronx Chamber of Commerce welcomes this opportunity to work with the merchants in the Parkchester commercial corridor surrounding its new White Plains Road branch,” said Lenny Caro, President and CEO of the Bronx Chamber of Commerce. “We thank the TD Bank Foundation for its continued support for our small businesses.” 

“The TD Bank Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Program has successfully helped local merchants succeed, allowing them and the communities they serve to grow” said Jack Friedman, Executive Director of the Queens Chamber of Commerce. “With Queens having many unique populations, the resources that TD Bank provides have allowed the Queens Chamber of Commerce to determine exactly what these underserved communities need, and work with them to organize programs, to improve their neighborhoods quality of life. I would like to thank TD Bank for their continued support for this program.”

“The support of TD Bank Group and the TD Charitable Foundation will help the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce provide guidance & resources to businesses in Midland and South Beach as they continue to rebuild their neighborhoods,” said Staten Island Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Linda Baran. “I commend TD for partnering with the 5 Borough Chamber Alliance to strengthen and revitalize commercial corridors throughout the city.”

“The 5-Chamber Alliance does an incredible job of serving their members, job seekers and the larger community,” said Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. “The TD Bank Citywide Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Project is a brilliant example of how the chambers are leveraging philanthropic support to spread the benefits of merchant organizing and commercial revitalization to underserved communities. TD’s partnership is truly commendable & I’m grateful for this continued commitment.”

“Our small business owners are the backbone of our neighborhoods,” said Councilman Ben Kallos. “The shop-local initiatives and neighborhood campaigns this program makes possible are vital to generating the economic activity that allows these businesses to thrive, particularly in areas like those along the Second Avenue Subway corridor who have struggled to stay open despite construction activity.  I commend the TD Bank Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Program and our excellent partners at the 5 Borough Chamber Alliance for continuing to develop innovative solutions to the challenges small businesses face today.”

“Accion East relies on strong partnerships to ensure our capital goes to where it is needed most,” said Paul Quintero, CEO of Accion East.  “Accion applauds TD Bank and the 5-Chamber Alliance for pulling together a collaborative partnership approach to addressing the problem of getting capital to small business owners, wherever they may be.”

Launched in 2012, the TD Bank Citywide Neighborhood Entrepreneurship Project (NEP) aims to expand the reach of each of the five Chambers of Commerce to provide commercial revitalization and merchant focused programs in New York City.  This initiative, funded by TD Bank Foundation and TD Bank Corporation, leverages the collective resources of the five city Chambers of Commerce to connect small businesses in underserved commercial corridors to resources and programming in an effort to create lasting merchant groups and infrastructure to stabilize these commercial corridors.

In order to accomplish progressive year-to-year growth in 2014, each Chamber will increase business engagement and direct technical services, as well as visibility of the areas being targeted by the initiative.

Business Engagement & Technical Services

The TD Bank Citywide NEP initiative will continue to focus on community outreach in designated low/medium income (LMI) areas of each borough, building community partnerships, and engaging and organizing business owners. 

In 2014, there will be an increased emphasis on providing direct technical assistance and/or services to business owners.  These services will especially focus on small business financial services and referrals to non-traditional and micro-lenders, each Chamber providing financial services workshops.

TD Bank Citywide NEP partners will include, but are not limited to: NYC Business Solutions and ACCION.

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