1 of 10 Tri-State grant winners, selected from more than 500 applications
New York, NY– (July 13, 2022) – America Needs You was awarded $50,000 in funding through the 2022 WNBC/WNJU Project Innovation grant challenge. Winners of this highly competitive contest have established innovative and effective programming serving the community in the areas of community engagement, culture of inclusion, next generation storytelling, and youth education and empowerment.
“Our Fellows are smart, skilled, and motivated to change the world. With the support of WNBC/WNJU, we’ll ensure that the next generation of leaders in this country reflect its rich diversity,” says ANY CEO Jake Moreno Coplon.
America Needs You (ANY) was one of the ten grant winners announced in this year’s Tri-State competition and chosen from more than 500 applications. ANY’s two-year Fellows Program empowers low-income, first-generation college students with the tools they need to graduate college, succeed in their careers, and compete at the highest level by providing:
Funding attained through the WNBC/WNJU Project Innovation competitive grant challenge will expand the Fellows program to serve 700 Fellows in the 2022-2023 school year.
This is the fifth consecutive year that WNBC, WNJU and the Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation awarded Project Innovation grants to nonprofits in the Tri-State area. Grant applications opened February 18 and closed on March 25.
“Since launching Project Innovation, we have seen our grants generate positive change in our Tri-State communities – creating jobs, educating young people and delivering critical services for who need it most,” said Eric Lerner, President and General Manager of WNBC. “This year, we are awarding more individual Project Innovation grants than we ever have before. These community investments raise WNBC’s total Project Innovation funding to more than $1.3 million dollars over the past five years.”
“The non-profit community continues to develop creative ways to better serve the Tri-State. These grants will further fuel this innovative spirit, leading to stronger, more efficient and more effective programs that make a difference,” said Cristina Schwarz, President and General Manager of WNJU. “WNJU is proud to award these competitive grants to this year’s Project Innovation winners and we look forward to their continued service to – and success in the communities we all call home.”
Project Innovation 2022 grants were presented to eligible nonprofits in 11 participating markets including New York (WNBC, WNJU), Southern California (KNBC, KVEA), Chicago (WMAQ, WSNS), Philadelphia (WCAU, WWSI), Dallas-Fort Worth (KXAS, KXTX), Boston (WBTS, WNEU, necn), Hartford, CT (WVIT, WRDM), Washington, D.C. (WRC-TV, WZDC), Miami-Fort Lauderdale (WTVJ, WSCV), San Francisco Bay Area (KNTV, KSTS), and San Diego (KNSD, KUAN). Follow on social at @NBCUFoundation and #ProjectInnovation.
About America Needs You
America Needs You (ANY) fight for economic mobility for ambitious, first-generation college students by providing transformative mentorship and intensive career development.
Founded in New York City in 2009, ANY has emerged as a leader in improving college completion rates and building economic mobility, expanding to New Jersey in 2012, Chicago in 2015, and Los Angeles in 2016. Nationally, students enter ANY with an average household income of $31K for a family of four. To date, over 80% have completed internships, graduated, and secured full-time employment with an average starting salary of nearly $60K. For more information about ANY, visit americaneedsyou.org.
About NBC 4 New York / WNBC
NBC 4 New York / WNBC is the flagship station of the NBCUniversal Local division of NBCUniversal, serving the New York Tri-State area for more than 75 years and featuring Alfred I. duPont-Columbia, Edward R. Murrow and Emmy® Award-winning journalists who are among the most accomplished in their field.
The station includes the NBC 4 I-Team, New York’s largest televised investigative reporting unit, Better Get Baquero which has recovered more than $9 million for Tri-State consumers and Storm Team 4, certified by WeatheRate for delivering the Tri-State’s most accurate local weather forecast using cutting-edge technology such as Storm Tracker 4, a high-frequency S-Band dual polarization fixed Doppler weather radar. NBC 4 New York’s digital platforms are also among the most read and watched in the New York market and include the NBC 4 App, dedicated Roku, Apple TV and Amazon FireTV channels along with unique, out-of-home viewing in local taxis. For more information about NBC 4 New York, visit NBCNewYork.com.
About Telemundo 47 New York / WNJU
Telemundo 47 / WNJU is NBCUniversal Local’s Telemundo station with more than 50 years of service to the Spanish-speaking communities of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Featuring Emmy® Award-winning journalists and offering more than 27 hours of locally-produced programming each week, the station includes the New York market’s only team of bilingual meteorologists, La Autoridad en El Tiempo who are certified by WeatheRate for delivering the Tri-State’s most accurate Spanish-language television forecast. Their Telemundo Responde investigative unit has recovered more than $3 million to date, with Telemundo 47’s public affairs program Enfoque Nueva York shining a weekly spotlight on the policy issues and local concerns most important to viewers.
Telemundo 47 provides news and information across all platforms, including the Telemundo 47 App, dedicated Roku, Apple TV and Amazon FireTV channels, and across social media. The Tri-State’s Spanish-language broadcasting channel for soccer, Telemundo 47 will offer exclusive Spanish-language coverage of the 2022 and 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup™ tournaments and the 2025 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ tournament. For more information about Telemundo 47, visit Telemundo47.com.
About Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation
The Comcast NBCUniversal Foundation works to advance initiatives at the cross-section of societal needs and Comcast NBCUniversal’s priorities. The Foundation supports programs and organizations that strive to move communities forward. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment television networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, world-renowned theme parks, and a suite of leading Internet-based businesses. NBCUniversal is owned by Comcast Corporation.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Katie Feeley-Lussier (America Needs You)
646-389-4321
katie.feeleylussier@americaneedsyou.org
Alexandra Trochanowski (WNBC/WNJU)
212-664-6871
Alexandra.Trochanowski@nbcuni.com
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