Sallie Mae Donates More Than $65,000 to Support Local Nonprofits

Contributions from The Sallie Mae Fund Will Provide Funding for Educational and Outreach Initiatives

NEWARK, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of Sallie Mae®, today announced it has awarded $67,500 in grants to nonprofit organizations in Delaware. The grants support education and outreach initiatives at Christina Cultural Arts Center, Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Humane Association, and Year Up Wilmington.

The Sallie Mae Fund provided $25,000 to the Christina Cultural Arts Center to fund 50 scholarships for students to attend courses at the arts center. Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay will also receive $25,000 from The Sallie Mae Fund to support its Outreach Program.

“We are incredibly grateful for Sallie Mae’s support as we continue to help youth and adult members of our community access affordable art education and career pathways,” said James Ray Rhodes, executive director, Christina Cultural Arts Center. “Through these scholarships, many in our community will have the opportunity to learn quality music, dance, drama, and visual art instruction from professional artists and connecting it with the importance of literacy, social capital, wellness, and community development.”

The Sallie Mae Fund also contributed $10,000 to the Delaware Humane Association to help sustain the shelter’s animal care services, and provided $7,500 to Year Up Wilmington to assist the transition of their professional development programs to a new, virtual format during the pandemic. The funds will go towards purchasing new laptops, securing wi-fi, and providing online academic coaches to students.

In total, The Sallie Mae Fund has provided $157,500 to Year Up Wilmington and has also partnered with the nonprofit to offer paid internships and career opportunities to program graduates.

“At Year Up, we remain committed to closing the opportunity divide by helping young adults in our communities gain important skills and experiences to help them lead successful careers,” said Peter Lonie, site director, Year Up Wilmington. “With Sallie Mae’s ongoing support, we are better able to navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19 and continue providing invaluable coaching and hands-on skill development programs for our students.”

“We are proud to support the missions of these four nonprofit organizations as they continue to provide new educational opportunities for young adults and make our communities a better place,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “During a time when so many have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sallie Mae remains committed to supporting the communities where our team members live, work, and serve.”

The support for local nonprofits follows The Sallie Mae Fund’s $1 million contribution to local food banks to support those affected by COVID-19. Since 2014, The Sallie Mae Fund has awarded nearly $3.5 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.

For more information about Sallie Mae’s efforts in the community, visit SallieMae.com.

Sallie Mae (Nasdaq: SLM) believes education and life-long learning, in all forms, help people achieve great things. As the leader in private student lending, we provide financing and know-how to help make college happen and offer products and resources to help customers make new goals and experiences, beyond college, possible. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

The Sallie Mae Fund, the charitable arm of Sallie Mae, expands pathways for the successful development of youth, works to open doors to higher education, and supports employee volunteerism and communities, including those where Sallie Mae employees live and work.  Since 2014 alone, it has awarded nearly $3.5 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations.