Google announced Monday that nonprofit Girls Inc. of New York City will receive $1 million in funding as part of the Google.org Impact Challenge for Women and Girls.
The Impact Challenge for Women and Girls is a $25 million philanthropy challenge launched to support gender equity focused organizations. Girls Inc. of New York City is one of seven U.S. organizations selected to receive funding out of nearly 8,000 applications from gender equity organizations around the world.
Girls Inc. will use the funds to support the “Her Future” project.
The project aims to help girls and young women in underserved communities in New York and across the nation become financially independent and literate through a financial capabilities curriculum and a mobile app specifically designed to engage girls and young women of color. Girls Inc. aims to teach women how to use, save and invest their money. With the funding, they will be able to do this at a larger scale than ever before.
“We think this is a watershed moment, thanks to Google, it’s going to be a game changer in terms of young women’s relationship to money,” said Pamela Maraldo, CEO of Girls Inc. of New York City. Adding, “We want this to be a new era in having women expect to be financially capable and also to be confident in their financial capabilities.”
Google.org began the challenge because data from the Bureau Of Labor Statistics shows women have been nearly twice as likely to lose their jobs during COVID-19 as men. Google.org wanted to support work that empowers women to reach their full economic potential, especially in marginalized communities.
Girls Inc. especially aims to reach women of color and young women to change their attitudes and their relationships with money and help them understand that money is a tool they deserve to use.
“The pandemic recovery must be an inclusive one, and we know that when we invest in women and girls, we all benefit,” said Jacquelline Fuller, President of Google.org in a press release.
Girls Inc. will also participate in a four-month accelerator program led by Google’s Accelerator and Women Techmakers communities and Impact Challenge partner, Vital Voices, to move projects forward.
“There is no chance for real equality for women without financial capability,” Maraldo said. Adding, “Gender equality and financial independence go hand-in-hand.”
Google.org partnered with a women-led panel of experts and gender equity-focused organizations like Vital Voices and Project Everyone to evaluate project proposals based on innovation, impact, feasibility, and scalability. The selected organizations are working on projects that will help women and girls, especially those in geographically, economically, or socially marginalized populations, reach their full economic potential.
