Achievement Foundation Awards More than Half a Million Dollars in Grants to Junior Achievement Offices to Expand the JA Company Program®
Washington, D.C. — Junior Achievement of Greater Washington has received a grant for $25,000 from The Achievement Foundation. The Achievement Foundation has announced the awarding of Hugh B. Sweeny Jr. Grants totaling $585,000 over two years to Junior Achievement offices in 13 communities across the country. The grants will support the expansion of the JA Company Program®, JA's premier entrepreneurship education initiative, which offers teens the chance to start and run student-led businesses. Each JA office will receive a $25,000 grant for the first year, with a second year grant of $20,000. Grants will be used for the hiring of a staff member whose time is dedicated to the growth of the JA Company Program in that community.
The recipient communities are:
· JA of Arkansas (Arkansas)
· JA of the Central Carolinas (Charlotte, NC)
· JA of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
· JA of Central Maryland (Baltimore, MD)
· JA of Central Texas (Austin, TX)
· JA of Chicago (Chicago, IL)
· JA of Delaware (Delaware)
· JA of Greater Washington (Washington, D.C.)
· JA of the Michigan Great Lakes (Grand Rapids, MI)
· JA of South Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, FL)
· JA of Southwest New England (Hartford, CT)
· JA of Northern New England (Boston, MA)
· JA of the Upper Midwest (Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN)
"Entrepreneurship is critical to the long-term well-being of our nation," said Samantha Frankel, Director of Partnerships and Development. "We greatly appreciate the Achievement Foundation's investment in helping our young people discover what it means to be an entrepreneur."
The Hugh B. Sweeny Jr. award is named after Hugh B., "Jim," Sweeny, Jr. who served Junior Achievement for more than 32 years, including many years as National Program Director. During his tenure, Mr. Sweeny managed and expanded the National Junior Achievers Conference from 60 participants in 1948 to more than 3,000 delegates in 1977.
About Junior Achievement of Greater Washington
Since 1965, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington has inspired the next generation to be financially capable and tenacious, equipped with the tools to solve problems creatively, manage risk effectively, and welcome opportunity. Through experiential financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship K-12 programs and capstone experiences taught by volunteer role models from the community, they inspire the next generation to answer the demands of the 21st century economy with “I can.” During the 2016-2017 school year alone, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington delivered its programs to more than 65,000 K-12 students throughout the region. In the last 50 years, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington has impacted the lives of more than 800,000 young people in the District, Maryland and Virginia.
About the Achievement Foundation
The Achievement Foundation, Inc. was formed almost 60 years ago to receive grants, gifts, and bequests for the giving of financial aid for charitable, scientific or educational programs to groups or clubs of boys and girls for the purpose of encouraging them in productive enterprises. The Foundation is exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, it is exempt from state and federal income taxes on income related to its tax-exempt purpose and contributions to the Foundation are deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes. The Foundation has had a long-standing (albeit non-exclusive) relationship with Junior Achievement through contributions and providing loans to local JA areas in need of financial assistance. Over the past few years, the Foundation has broadened its programs and activities to include grants.
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