Gifts target learning, economic development, health and human services, arts and culture

BOSTON, December 2, 2008 — The Bank of New York Mellon (NYSE: BK), the global leader in asset management and securities servicing, announced that the BNY Mellon New England Charitable Giving Program has awarded more than $2 million in corporate and trust grants to Boston-area nonprofits for its fiscal year 2008.

As a key part of its strategy, BNY Mellon's Charitable Giving Program targets organizations that successfully address local need in the areas of learning, economic development, health and human services, and arts and culture. Over the past 10 years, the program has invested more than $20 million in support of nearly 250 Boston-area community groups.

"We've designed a program that centers on long-term investment and building strong, lasting community partnerships," said Joanne Jaxtimer, BNY Mellon senior vice president and Public Affairs director in Boston. "Our goal is to help partners expand their profile so they can leverage our investment to attract additional funding that will position them well into the future."

Through the program, BNY Mellon plays an active role making local communities better places to live and work. In addition to managing corporate contributions, the BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program oversees distribution of roughly $1.7 million in grants from eight charitable trusts annually.

For fiscal year 2008, trust and corporate grants focused on learning and economic development include the following:

Boston Center for Youth Families — $51,000 in support of the F.A.C.T.S. program, which provides more than 100 14 year-olds with an opportunity to learn new skills through paid work experience. F.A.C.T.S. runs for two cycles: eight weeks in the spring and six weeks in the summer.

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center — $30,000, through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, to support the Acorn Center for Early Education and Care project, which provides quality bilingual and multicultural child care services to area residents. The grant will support the preschool language project to equip teachers with the latest literacy and languages strategies for teaching multilingual children.

Jumpstart — $30,000 to support the School Readiness for All Initiative Phase II, which will expand the early childhood education enhancement and community transformation program to Boston neighborhoods identified by the Mayor's office as areas where children most in need reside.

Raising a Reader Massachusetts — $26,000 to deliver training to early childhood education staff and parents on topics such as early brain development, the importance of shared book experience, and strengthening communication with families. Funds will support the program at 63 early childhood education sites across Chelsea, Revere and Everett, serving more than 700 children. A core program element includes providing partner sites with bags filled with books for children to take home on a weekly rotating basis.

Year Up — $ 75,000, through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, to support expansion of the Boston program from 210 to 280 students annually. The grant will fund the addition of one Learning Community, a cohort of 30-35 students. In the first six months, participants learn technical skills that prepare them for entry-level information technology and investment operation positions without a college degree. The last six months are spent in a paid apprenticeship, leading to 85% of alumni obtaining jobs averaging nearly $15/hour within four months of graduation.

YMCA of Greater Boston, Training Inc. — $50,000, through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, to support Training, Inc., a 20-week job training program, including an eight-week internship with an area employer. The grant will sponsor 25 trainees from Boston, Chelsea, Everett and Malden in specialized training in medical office administration, administrative assistant, and accounting support.

The Bank of New York Mellon has more than 2,800 employees in greater Boston, most of them working in its locally headquartered securities servicing, asset management, and wealth management businesses.

The BNY Mellon New England Charitable Giving Program is funded through the generosity of the BNY Mellon Foundation and the following eight charitable trusts: The Harriet B. Bayley Trust, The Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, The Alice P. Chase Trust, The Eugene F. Fay Trust, The Herbert H. Fletcher Trust, The Pamela Sayward Trust, The Peter E. Strauss Trust, and The Mary D. Whitney Trust.

The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 34 countries and serving more than 100 markets. The company is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team. It has $22.4 trillion in assets under custody and administration, approximately $1.1 trillion in assets under management and services approximately $12 trillion in outstanding debt. Additional information is available at http://www.bnymellon.com.