Bank of America has awarded a $10,000 grant to the Hannah Grimes Center in Keene, NH. The grant supports the Hannah Grimes Center's community and economic development programs, such as the Entrepreneurship Project which offers the skills, resources, and support needed for individuals to meet their business goals.

"New Hampshire's small business community is critically important to the state's economic vitality," said John F. Weeks, Bank of America New Hampshire president. "Through our partnership with the Hannah Grimes Center, we are helping set opportunity in motion for hundreds of entrepreneurs."

"Bank of America shares our commitment to supporting economic growth in rural communities and supporting the health and the growth of small business," stated Mary Ann Kristiansen, Executive Director of the Hannah Grimes Center. "With this grant, they have provided generous operational funding which has enabled Hannah Grimes to increase critical programming over 800% during this deep recession."

As an entrepreneurial organization, many of Hannah Grimes' highest impact projects emerge quickly as an opportunity, offering a very small timeframe for action at a minimal cost to implement. In order to develop these community and economic development opportunities, Hannah Grimes developed the Key Partners Program to provide reliable, sustained funding for the core of the organization. According to Kristiansen, "While many of these high impact projects are virtually free to get started, they are dependent upon us being here with the lights on to get and keep the ball rolling."