NBA Foundation Awards YouthForce NOLA $300K
Funds To Support Career-Focused Internships
New Orleans (August 6, 2021) -- YouthForce NOLA is one of 22 organizations to receive a grant from the NBA Foundation to create employment opportunities, further career advancement, and drive greater economic empowerment for Black youth. The grant recipients – which were named as part of the NBA Foundation’s third grant round on the one-year anniversary of its incorporation on Aug. 6, 2020 – will continue the Foundation’s efforts to reduce the persistent racial wealth gap.
“This generous grant will enable YouthForce to train and place upwards of 150 New Orleans youth of color in paid, career-focused internships in 2022. It also will help us make progress toward the broader YouthForce vision: that our public high school graduates will thrive economically and be the most sought after talent in high-wage career pathways,” said Cate Swinburn, YouthForce NOLA co-founder and president. “YouthForce is ecstatic to partner with the NBA Foundation.
”YouthForce also is grateful for the support it has received from the New Orleans Pelicans.
“YouthForce NOLA has left a lasting impact on our community since its inception in 2015,” said New Orleans Pelicans Governor Gayle Benson. “We were thrilled to present YouthForce NOLA to the NBA Foundation’s grant program. We look forward to continuing to work closely with other deserving organizations that are making a difference in our community.”
In its first year, the NBA Foundation has awarded 40 grants, inclusive of those announced today, totaling $11 million to nonprofit organizations. The grants help enhance the impactful programs of these national and local organizations in alignment with the NBA Foundation’s mission to provide skills training, mentorship, coaching and pipeline development for high school, college-aged, job-ready and mid-career individuals in communities across the United States and Canada.
“We’re thrilled to celebrate our one-year anniversary by awarding 22 deserving organizations with new grants that will further their efforts and our shared mission to create short- and long-term opportunities for Black young people,” said Greg Taylor, NBA Foundation Executive Director. “The commitment shown by NBA players, teams and governors in our inaugural year has been inspiring, and we look forward to deepening our efforts and operating with intention to reach more youth in additional cities in the years to come, ultimately helping to close the racial wealth gap.”
About YouthForce NOLA
YouthForce NOLA is an education, business, and civic collaborative that builds bridges between school and work. Through its network of partner schools, employers, training providers, and community organizations, YouthForce is opening more doors to economic opportunity for New Orleans students. Its vision is that New Orleans public school graduates will thrive economically as a result of being the most sought-after talent for hiring and advancement in our region’s high-wage career pathways. Learn more at YouthForceNOLA.org.
About the NBA Foundation
Created in August 2020 to reduce the persistent racial wealth gap, the NBA Foundation is the league’s first-ever charitable foundation dedicated to driving economic opportunity for Black youth. The Foundation invests in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities.
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