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$25 million for non-profit organizations to fight homelessness - Citi Foundation launches Global Innovation Challenge 2024
Citi Foundation is starting to collect applications for the 2nd edition of the Global Innovation Challenge. The competition is addressed to non-governmental organizations around the world, including Poland. The main theme is the problem of homelessness and ensuring housing security. The Citi Foundation is allocating USD 25 million for this purpose.
As in the previous edition, this amount will be donated to 50 social organizations working on innovative ways to solve the problem of homelessness. Each of the organizations that will be selected in the competition will receive a grant of $500,000 for their activities.
Housing insecurity is a global problem, with the United Nations estimating that around 150 million people worldwide are in a homeless crisis.
"It is said that to lose one's home is to lose one's identity. That is why the activities of these organizations that help people affected by the homelessness crisis are so important to us. The number of these people is constantly growing. This is due to social factors, but also forced migration or natural disasters", says Elżbieta Czetwertyńska, Citi Country Officer in Poland, CEO of Citi Handlowy. "In the previous edition of the competition, our goal was to strengthen organizations working to fight food shortages. One of the grants went to a Polish non-governmental organization – the Food Bank in Olsztyn. I hope that also in this edition there will be a Polish social partner among the grant recipients".
"Today, homelessness is on the rise in many communities around the world and manifests itself in a variety of ways – all of which require unique solutions", said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation and Citi's Director of Investment and Community Development. "In this year's Global Innovation Challenge, we are committing philanthropic capital to help unlock and implement innovative approaches to homelessness and support lasting change in the lives of people around the world".
The deadline for registration for organizations is Tuesday, February 13, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. New York time (6:00 p.m. CET).
For more information on Global Innovation Challenge 2024 entries, including eligibility requirements, please visit www.citifoundation.com/rfp.
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