Funding Includes $5 Million Multi-Year Grant from Ballmer Group, $150,000 Grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, $150,000 Grant from the Hearst Foundations, and $100,000 Grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation
Houston, TX – October 12, 2022 – With millions of high school students in need of proven pathways to the middle class, the nonprofit Genesys Works announced today that it has received $5.4 million in recent grants to scale its college and career readiness program. Genesys Works alumni earn a median wage of $50,000 per year six years after graduating from high school, with the program providing connections to professional careers and guidance to ensure college success. In contrast, data from the Department of Education shows that the majority of students at more than half of post-secondary institutions in the U.S. earned less than $28,000 annually six years after enrollment.
The funding includes a $5 million, five-year grant from Ballmer Group — a renewal of an initial five-year investment made by Ballmer Group in 2017 — in recognition of Genesys Works’ efficacy in improving economic mobility. The grant will support the growth of existing programs in Chicago, Houston, Twin Cities, New York, Oakland, and the Washington, D.C. region, and expansion into additional cities in the United States.— a renewal of an initial five-year investment made by Ballmer Group in 2017 — in recognition of Genesys Works’ efficacy in improving economic mobility. The grant will support the growth of existing programs in Chicago, Houston, Twin Cities, New York, Oakland, and the Washington, D.C. region, and expansion into additional cities in the United States.
“Ballmer Group is proud to continue partnering with Genesys Works, whose progress in the past five years — despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic — has enabled thousands of young people across the country to access career pathways and post-secondary opportunities, ensuring their upward mobility,” said Terri Ludwig, President of Ballmer Group Philanthropy.
In addition, the Hearst Foundations, established in the 1940s by William Randolph Hearst, founder of the Hearst Corporation, provided a $150,000 grant to the organization’s national college and career readiness program.
Genesys Works has also received a $150,000 planning grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation, which has invested in the future of Southwestern Pennsylvania since 1947, to expand into the Pittsburgh region as early as Summer 2023. A $100,000 planning grant from the George Kaiser Family Foundation, dedicated to making Tulsa the best city for children to be born, grow, and succeed, will support Genesys Works’ expansion into Tulsa by 2024.
“By investing in Genesys Works, our generous funders have made it possible for us to provide a growing number of young people with the skills, guidance, and support to reach economic self-sufficiency, both through increased college access and alternative pathways to careers,” said Jeff Artis, CEO of Genesys Works. “We are honored to partner with Ballmer Group and the Hearst Foundations as we continue to grow and innovate our national program. With the investments from Richard King Mellon Foundation and George Kaiser Family Foundation, we will be able to identify and explore opportunities as we expand programming into new regions, developing a critical mass of support from schools, employer partners, and investors who believe in our mission and vision.”
Genesys Works provides eight weeks of training in technical and professional skills for rising high school seniors, followed by a paid internship at major corporations such as Accenture, Kirkland & Ellis, and Target Corporation. Students also receive college and career coaching to prepare them for postsecondary success. 72 percent of Genesys Works participants are first-generation college students, and 91 percent are people of color.
About Genesys Works
Genesys Works provides pathways to career success for high school students in underserved communities. Our program consists of 8 weeks of technical and professional skills training, paid year-long corporate internships, college and career coaching, and long-term alumni support to move individuals out of economic inequality and into professional careers. Founded in 2002, Genesys Works now serves thousands of students annually in Houston, Chicago, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the San Francisco Bay Area, Washington’s National Capital Region, and New York City. To learn more, visit genesysworks.org.
