The $3 million Fund will award one-year grants up to $250,000 to nonprofit organizations in 10 U.S. cities: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Newark, St. Louis, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
The Fund is part of the Citi Foundation’s Pathways to Progress
initiative – a three-year, $50 million commitment to give 100,000
low-income youth in the United States the opportunity to develop the
workplace skills and leadership experience necessary to compete in a
21st century economy. Citi Foundation has selected America's Promise,
the country’s leading alliance of organizations and communities
committed to improving the lives of young people, to provide technical
assistance and convene grantees to collaborate on the most effective
ways to expand youth economic opportunity in their communities.The Grantees
America’s Promise Alliance and the Citi Foundation have selected 12 organizations as grant recipients of the Youth Opportunity Fund. Each grantee supports innovative and scalable programs that increase the employability of young people and connect them to economic opportunities in their cities. The Youth Opportunity Fund grant recipients are:- BOSTON - In partnership with the Office of the Mayor, the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley
will enroll 300 youth participants in Boston Youth Venture (BYV), a
civic engagement and entrepreneurship program focused on communication
and project management skills for college and career.
- CHICAGO - In collaboration with the Office of the Mayor and Cook County Board, the Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership
will prepare 250 young people for local job opportunities through
employer-customized workforce development programs that build leadership
and workplace skills.
- DALLAS - In partnership with the Dallas County Juvenile Department, Café Momentum
will help 250 of the community’s most at-risk youth participate in life
and leadership skills training, mentorship, and paid internships, to
foster successful re-entry into the community.
- LOS ANGELES - In joint effort with the Office of the Mayor and the Los Angeles Unified School District, UNITE-LA,
an affiliate of the L.A. Chamber of Commerce, to provide 375 youth with
workforce readiness training and certification that may lead to a paid
summer employment opportunities at partner health care institutions.
- LOS ANGELES - Center for Powerful Public Schools,
in partnership the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Linked
Learning Office will help prepare 250 low-income youth, age 16 to 18,
for promising careers in energy engineering and sustainability.
- MIAMI - In partnership with private and public partners, Communities In Schools of Miami will provide 450 youth with workplace mentoring throughout the school year and/or paid summer internships.
- NEWARK - YouthBuild Newark,
in conjunction with the City of Newark and Newark Public Schools, will
provide nearly 300 young people who are out-of-school and served in a
community-based setting and/or enrolled in its partner alternative high
schools with job training, career exploration, and national service
opportunities.
- NEW YORK - Together with the Office of the Mayor and NYC Service, United Way of New York City
will launch Expanding NYC Service Years, a project that will mobilize
200 low-income youth to contribute a year of full-time service to their
community with the goal of providing pathways to careers.
- NEW YORK - Building on strong relationships with the New York City Housing Authority, Per Scholas
will establish a scalable, borough-specific model and citywide federal
education and training network that will help 250 young adults finish
school, attend college and/or start a career.
- SAN FRANCISCO - Through collaboration with more
than 40 top bay Area companies, academic partners and the San Francisco
Office of Economic Office of Workforce Development, Year Up Bay Area
will educate and train 400 young people in 2016 to fill the thousands
of tech-based “middle-skills jobs” that remain unfilled year after year
in corporations that are leaders in a wide range of business sectors.
- ST. LOUIS - The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis,
Inc. in collaboration with the City/County Workforce Board and Claim
Academy Tech boot-camp along with higher educational partners will
provide 250 youth with 21st century IT skills training and credentialing
that can lead to long-term employment.
- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Through public and private partnerships in Washington, D.C., Urban Alliance will empower 250 young people to work and succeed through formal training, paid internships and mentorship.
How to Apply
We are no longer accepting ideas for the Youth Opportunity Fund. Please stay connected with America's Promise for other funding and engagement opportunities.
Eligibility Criteria
Programs should:
- Reach a minimum 250 low-income youth ages 16-24.
- Relate to the Citi Foundation Pathways to Progress initiative including: entrepreneurship training, mentorship, service/leadership opportunities, and summer jobs.
- Engage municipal government partners. Preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate evidence of prior relationships with municipal government agencies such as the Mayor’s office, housing authorities, schools, health departments and planning departments, etc.
- Focus on innovation. Preference will be given to organizations that adopt unique approaches to service delivery including but not limited to: leveraging technology, utilizing digital and social media, and/or optimizing data and analytics to improve performance and ultimately, youth outcomes.
- One-year grant up to $250,000
- Technical assistance
- Communications support to help tell and share the work to a broad audience
- Connections and networking opportunities with other grantees
- Professional development and training opportunities
Resources
Questions
Please contact opportunity@americaspromise.org
About the Funder
The Citi Foundation works
to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in
low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that
increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and
reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant cities. Citi
Foundation's "More than Philanthropy" approach leverages the enormous
expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive
thought leadership and innovation.
