Chase to Donate $500,000 to Help Change Denver s Lincoln La Alma Neighborhood

Seeking to stimulate change in Denver's Lincoln La Alma neighborhood, the JPMorgan Chase Foundation expects to make more than $500,000 in grants through 2010 to help students, teachers and families. The grants – and the new JPMorgan Chase Future Center – were announced today at West High School with Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennett and other community leaders.

"Chase can make the biggest difference for Lincoln La Alma families by focusing our efforts on a specific neighborhood and working hand in hand with key organizations and community leaders there," said Todd Munson, President of Chase in Colorado. "We targeted Lincoln La Alma and then identified organizations that share our priorities of education, community development and access to the arts."

Lincoln La Alma is one of Denver's oldest and most complex neighborhoods. Its proximity to downtown, the Auraria Higher Education Center and the Santa Fe Arts District create tremendous long-term potential. But its poverty, low educational attainment and low home ownership rates challenge Lincoln La Alma's stability, prompting public companies and private organizations to combine their efforts.

Denver's Office of Strategic Partnerships selected Lincoln La Alma for neighborhood revitalization, which persuaded Chase leaders to invest there. Chase is backing the Denver Scholarship Foundation's decision to place one of its 12 Future Centers at West High School. The bank's donation earned it naming rights for the JPMorgan Chase Future Center, which serves as an in-school resource for high school students considering college and the world of work.

"We know that civic involvement is always important, but it is even more essential in Lincoln La Alma during this challenging economy," Munson said. "Together, we will help educate and train the next generation of workers."

The grants announced today represent about 25 percent of the firm's annual philanthropy in Colorado. Receiving funding from Chase are:

Bluff Lake Nature Center – Science enrichment program
Chicano Humanities and Arts Council – K-12 art programs
Cope Boys and Girls Club of Metro Denver – Tutoring and enrichment programs
Denver Public Schools Foundation – Greenlee K-12 tutoring and enrichment programs
Denver Scholarship Foundation – College and career planning
Enterprise Community Partners – Neighborhood revitalization
Front Range Economic Strategy Center – Neighborhood revitalization
Goodwill Industries of Denver – College and career planning
Mi Casa Resource Center for Women – Workforce development
Museo de las Americas – Teacher professional development
Teach for America – Bilingual teacher recruitment and placement
YouthBiz, Inc. – Financial literacy

The JPMorgan Chase Foundation supports non-profit organizations and community programs in Colorado and around the world. An online grant application, available at [ www.jpmorganchase.com/giving ], guides non-profit organizations through Foundation priorities.

About JPMorgan Chase & Co.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) is a leading global financial services firm with assets of $2.3 trillion, has more than 100 bank branches and 1,700 employees in Colorado. With operations in more than 60 countries, the firm is a leader in investment banking, financial services for consumers, small business and commercial banking, financial transaction processing, asset management, and private equity. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, JPMorgan Chase & Co. serves millions of consumers in the United States and many of the world's most prominent corporate, institutional and government clients under its J.P. Morgan, Chase, and WaMu brands. Information about JPMorgan Chase & Co. is available at [ www.jpmorganchase.com ].

Contributing Sources

Market Wire

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Chase to Donate $500,000 to Help Change Denver s Lincoln La Alma Neighborhood