The UPS Foundation, which leads the global citizenship programs for UPS, announced it will award over $10 million in grants to advance diversity and inclusion programs this year. The grants will be awarded to 44 different organizations. They will help support programs focused on economic empowerment, education/scholarships, work training, and social and gender equality.

“We are honored to collaborate and fund organizations that drive measurable change around the world,” said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer at UPS. “Advancing the diversity and inclusion movement is a cornerstone of our company’s values. Our support for initiatives that will make a real difference in people’s lives in our communities is an extension of our dedication to help advance social and gender equality around the globe.”

One of the grant recipients is the International Trade Center, a multilateral agency created by the World Trade Organization and the United Nations that contributes directly to 10 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including quality education, gender equality and decent work and economic growth. The UPS Foundation grant and partnership with ITC will be the centerpiece in the creation of the UPS Women’s Exporter Program, designed to train thousands of women in cross-border trading. This initiative will leverage a network of UPS partners including the Graça Machel Trust, Kagider Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey, Accion and Opportunity International to provide women entrepreneurs around the world with a unique network, platform, financing and UPS expertise to connect to markets.

Additional grant recipients include the following organizations:

Diversity and Inclusion through Economic Empowerment programs:

• ACCION International to provide micro-loans to women in Nigeria who have participated in the UPS Women’s Exporter program and SheTrades.

• ASPIRA of America to expand its financial education program for Latinos.

• Council of Economic Education to train more K-12 teachers in New York City schools to help teach financial literacy to their students.

• Cuban American National Council to support its financial literacy and home buying workshops for low to moderate income households.

• Graça Machel Trust to launch the Women Cross Border Traders initiative and support the SheTrades program and the Women Advancing Africa Forum.

• National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development to develop Native Edge, an online business development and training system to support commerce between tribal nations, government and business.

• National Urban League to support its Entrepreneur Center Program sites, which provide entrepreneurial skills and development assistance from mentors.

• Opportunity International to provide micro-loans to women in Colombia who have participated in the UPS Women’s Exporter programs and SheTrades.

• National Urban Fellows to help place the Class of 2019 National Urban Fellows.

Diversity and Inclusion through Educational Empowerment:

• CHOICES Education Group to increase school engagement and decrease the drop-out rate through virtual media that reaches 100,000 underserved teens.

• Council of Independent Colleges to enhance educational and career opportunities for underserved and underrepresented students at colleges and universities.

• Girls, Inc. toward its College and Career Readiness Initiative, which will reach at least 2,000 eighth grade and high school girls across the country.

• Leadership Conference Education Fund to provide fair wages for more diversity and opportunities for summer undergraduate interns.

• National Black Child Development Institute to improve early childhood literacy levels to support academic and life success.

• Organization of Chinese Americans toward its mentoring and leadership development programs.

• Peace Corps to support the Peace Corps Partnership Project, a five-year program aimed at empowering and educating young women in 60 countries.

• Strive for College toward its academic and financial aid application virtual mentoring platform to assist 100,000 students enter college.

• UnidosUS, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza, to support UnidosUS’s college- and career-readiness program, Escalera, and develop the Entre Mujeres program to empower Latina high school students.

• University of South Carolina - Darla Moore School of Business to create the UPS Global Scholars Program to increase the international diversity of business students.

• To provide scholarships for minority and underrepresented students through 100 Black Men of America, African Leadership Foundation, American Indian College Fund, Brigham Young University, Clark Atlanta University, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Morehouse College, Spelman College and United Negro College Fund.

Diversity and Inclusion through Capacity Building programs:

• Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to enhance its Knowledge Center website, which serves more than 250,000 deaf or hearing-impaired individuals.

• American Corporate Partner to support its mentoring program for transitioning military veterans as they enter the civilian workforce.

• Catalyst for Women to support their Inclusive Leadership Initiative and provide research and advisory support.

• Executive Leadership Council to sponsor its Mid-Level Managers Symposium, which targets leadership development for high-potential African American candidates.

• Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility to provide sponsorship for key events, including the Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers Dinner.

• Human Rights Campaign Foundation to support its Workplace Project and the Global Workplace Equality Coalition.

• National Federation of the Blind toward the Blind Parent Education Initiative, a new program that gives blind parents access to education, networking and support.

• National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to provide support for the NAACP Youth Leadership Program and other general programs and events.

• National Organization on Disability to launch its Disability Inclusion Compact, a campaign to advance employment opportunity of people with disabilities.

• Special Olympics Georgia to recruit and mobilize a diverse volunteer network to foster growth and support of intellectually disabled individuals.

• The Viscardi Center to aid with the placement of college students and recent military veterans with disabilities into paid, career-aligned corporate internships.

• Urban League of Greater Atlanta to expand workforce and career pathway training programs in partnership with regional employers.

• World Association of Guide Guides and Girls Scouts toward continued support of leadership development and volunteerism initiatives with special focus on Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

Diversity and Inclusion through Human Trafficking Prevention:

• Truckers Against Trafficking to support its anti-human trafficking education and training for members of the trucking industry in the U.S. and Canada.

• United Way Center for Human Trafficking and Slavery to create a community training curriculum for local United Ways to educate local agencies and community stakeholders about human trafficking.