Citi Foundation 2025 Global Innovation Challenge for Nonprofits Accelerating Youth Employability ($500,000 Funding Available)

Youth around the globe face persistent challenges to find employment, together with expertise mismatches and restricted entry to high quality job alternatives. According to the International Labour Organization, 65 million younger individuals globally are unemployed. Since its inception, the Citi Foundation has prioritized advancing youth employability as part of its mission to assist low-income communities worldwide. Over the final decade alone, the Citi Foundation has invested over $300 million in packages which have empowered a couple of million younger individuals by its Pathways to Progress initiative.

This yr, the Citi Foundation’s Global Innovation Challenge focuses on youth employability, inviting proposals from neighborhood organizations growing progressive employment options for low-income youth, primarily aged 15 to 24.

Innovative Solutions May Include:

• Technical and Vocational Training Programs that upskill or reskill low-income youth and transfer them into employment, together with paid internships, apprenticeships, or formal employment.
• Entrepreneurship Programs targeted on incubating or scaling youth-led enterprises to extend job creation and entry to self-generated earnings.
• Financial Education Programs embedded inside workforce improvement initiatives to equip low-income youth with monetary expertise and entry to protected and inexpensive monetary instruments.

Funding Overview

• The Citi Foundation plans to award grants of $500,000 (USD) payable over two years to 50 neighborhood organizations working in choose communities the place Citi has a presence.
• Grants are designed to be catalytic in nature, supporting the piloting or growth of concepts and tasks that improve youth employability.
• In addition to grant funds, the Citi Foundation will present volunteer assist and studying alternatives to advertise shared classes and greatest practices.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicant organizations should be registered as nonprofit entities below native legislation (e.g., tax-exempt public charities within the U.S. as per Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code).
• Organizations should submit their most up-to-date externally audited monetary statements (together with auditor’s notes) masking part of calendar yr 2023 or a subsequent yr.
• The proposed program should align with the Citi Foundation’s mission of supporting low-income communities and should affect a number of of the goal geographies (listed beneath).

Application Process & Deadlines

• Registration Deadline: March 4, 2025, at 12 p.m. New York time (Eastern Time)
• Application Deadline: March 18, 2025, at 12 p.m. New York time (Eastern Time)
• To Register: Click here.

Selection Process

1. Round One: All full functions will probably be reviewed, and the Citi Foundation could attain out for clarifying data.
2. Round Two: A shortlist of organizations will probably be invited for further due diligence, together with potential web site visits.
3. Finalists: 50 organizations will probably be chosen as awardees and notified by October 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does my program must affect a number of of the Citi Foundation’s goal geographies to be eligible?
Yes, this system should affect a number of of the goal geographies the place Citi has a presence. These geographies embody:

• Africa: Algeria, Cameroon, Côte D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia
• Asia Pacific: Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Kingdom
• Middle East: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates
• Latin America & the Caribbean: Argentina, Bahamas, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay
• North America: Canada, Mexico, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C.

2. Does my group must be headquartered in considered one of these geographies?
No, your group doesn’t must be headquartered in one of many goal geographies, however your proposed program should affect a number of of those areas to be eligible.

3. Can my group apply in a language aside from English?
Applications should be submitted in English, although sure required paperwork could also be submitted in different languages relying on the group’s location.

4. What if my group is just not integrated as a nonprofit or doesn’t have one yr of externally audited monetary statements?
Only nonprofit organizations with at the very least one yr of externally audited monetary statements are eligible to apply.

5. Can my group apply by a fiscal sponsor?
No, organizations working with a fiscal sponsor aren’t eligible to apply for this particular funding alternative.

6. Can my group submit a number of functions?
No, just one application per group is allowed.

7. What forms of organizations or tasks is not going to be thought of for funding?
The following is not going to be thought of for funding:

• Private foundations
• Organizations that discriminate based mostly on legally protected private traits
• Political campaigns, lobbying, or partisan actions
• Organizations that don’t meet the eligibility standards

For more information and to apply, visit the Citi Foundation website