The California Partnership for Economic Achievement, a partnership between Merrill Lynch, the Greenlining Institute, and California community-based organizations, was launched in September 1996 to promote economic opportunities in ethnically diverse communities in Los Angeles and Orange counties. This three-year, $77 million program targeted traditionally under-served areas in the two counties. Based on the success of the pilot program, Merrill Lynch in 2000 expanded its commitment by $159 million and included more of Southern California as well as the San Francisco Bay Area.

On April 10, 2003, Merrill Lynch CEO Stan O'Neal announced an additional $500 million commitment and an expansion of the program to the entire state of California. In total, Merrill Lynch has committed more than $830 million to the effort.

This third phase of the Partnership represents an opportunity to build upon the key lessons learned from the earlier pilot programs. The Partnership will continue to explore new approaches to conducting business profitably in historically under-served communities, and will feature a targeted outreach to low- to moderate-income areas in California, including:

• Southern California – specifically Los Angeles County, Orange County, the Inland Empire, and Ventura County;
• The San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose Metro Areas; and
• The Greater San Diego Metro Area;
• The Greater Sacramento area;
• California's Central Valley, including the Fresno, Modesto and Stockton areas.

As part of its tradition and business of providing high-quality financial management and advisory services to a broad spectrum of investors and communities, Merrill Lynch is continuing its partnership with The Greenlining Institute and California's ethnically diverse communities to provide financial investment services to important, but often overlooked, under-served areas of the state.

Spring 2004 Newsletter

2002 Newsletter

June 2000 Newsletter

Third Year Anniversary Newsletter - Winter 2000