(Black PR Wire) WASHINGTON, DC,  – Urban Alliance, a national nonprofit that connects young people to paid internships, workforce training and career pathways, received a $10 million investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This is the organization’s largest one-time contribution in its 25-year history.  

“We are beyond thrilled about this historic and transformative investment. With this funding, Urban Alliance will grow to reach thousands more young people, primarily from communities of color, and give them access to equitable opportunities that will put them on the path to economic mobility,” said Elizabeth Lindsey, Urban Alliance CEO. “I’m so grateful to philanthropist MacKenzie Scott for recognizing Urban Alliance’s life-changing work and for her innovative and visionary giving that continues to change the nonprofit landscape for the greater good.” 

Urban Alliance is nationally recognized for having 25 years of unique and valuable experience creating successful and supportive internship experiences for young adults of color with large and small employers across several industries in the Greater Washington, DC area, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit. With this investment, Urban Alliance will expand to a fifth city, build out its career pathways internships in high-growth industries, and continue to improve the organization’s capacity and infrastructure. 

Since 1996, Urban Alliance has connected more than 6,000 young people to paid internships and 23,000 more with workforce training and professional development. Through its flagship High School Internship Program, Urban Alliance connects approximately 500 students annually to paid internship experiences with more than 200 employers across the Greater Washington, DC area, Baltimore, Chicago, and Detroit. Over the course of a year, a high school senior can gain 500 hours of paid work experience and receive 100 hours of skills training, professional development, and mentoring. One hundred percent of UA interns graduate from high school with a post-high school plan, and 88% of students plan to attend college. The results from participating in national Randomized Control Trials show that UA’s program has a significant positive impact on young people. Only two percent of nonprofits ever conduct an RCT, generally regarded as the gold standard of program evaluation. Visit www.urbanalliance.org and follow us @UrbanAlliance on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.