|
NEWS RELEASE
Contact:
Stephanie Bell
Junior Achievement USA™
(719) 540-6171
sbell@ja.org
Twitter: @JA_USA
For Immediate Release:
April 11, 2011
MetLife Foundation Provides
Funding to Junior Achievement for New Partnership with VolunteerMatch to Promote
Mentorship and Economic Empowerment of Youth
New York, NY - Junior Achievement USA™ (JA) will
be able to empower more young people in 2011 to own their economic success, by
engaging volunteers through VolunteerMatch, thanks to MetLife Foundation
support. Today, JA announced that it has received funding from
MetLife Foundation to
recruit volunteers for its 126 local area offices via
VolunteerMatch, the
award-winning Web service that helps connect volunteers with opportunities to
get involved. Through increased access to the VolunteerMatch network, JA will be
able to expand its volunteer base and potentially engage thousands of classroom
mentors for its K-12 programs focusing on work readiness, entrepreneurship and
financial literacy.
JA service opportunities will be posted at both the Junior Achievement website,
www.ja.org, and at
www.volunteermatch.org,
which welcomes millions of visitors each year and has driven more than five
million referrals since 1998. In addition, the partnership provides Junior
Achievement with access to engagement metrics and analysis to drive its
volunteer recruitment efforts, increase student reach, and ultimately boost
local economies by inspiring a skilled workforce and competitive new
entrepreneurs.
“VolunteerMatch will connect JA with community-minded adults who are concerned
about the economic future of our students and our communities, and who want to
make a difference right now. Thanks to MetLife Foundation for its generosity in
funding a program to spark action and innovation,” said Jack E. Kosakowski,
president and chief executive officer of Junior Achievement USA.
According to Dennis White, president & CEO of MetLife Foundation, “Junior
Achievement will be able to leverage VolunteerMatch’s outstanding reach into the
community with JA’s consistent need for new and returning volunteers to staff
its excellent programs. This partnership will enhance JA’s positive impact on
the target areas of youth, education and economic development.”
“As a former Junior Achievement volunteer myself, I’m delighted to see MetLife
Foundation helping to invest in Junior Achievement’s capacity to attract its
next generation of volunteers,” said Greg Baldwin, president of VolunteerMatch.
“We hope that other companies and foundations will adopt the model shown by
MetLife Foundation and help more nonprofits get the support they need to
succeed.”
About Junior Achievement (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring
and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated
volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school
programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness,
entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 126 individual area
operations reach four million students in the United States, with an additional
5.8 million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For
more information, visit www.ja.org.
About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was created in 1976 by MetLife to continue its longstanding
tradition of contributions and community involvement. The goal is to empower
people to lead healthy, productive lives and strengthen communities. Underlying
the Foundation's programs is a focus on education at all ages and a commitment
to increasing access and opportunity. The Foundation makes grants in health,
education, civic affairs and culture. More information is available at
www.metlife.org.
About VolunteerMatch
VolunteerMatch is a national nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities by
helping good people and good causes to connect. Its award-winning online
service,
www.volunteermatch.org, makes it easy to find a way to make a difference by
location, expertise, or availability. VolunteerMatch provides many of the
nation's most recognized businesses, campuses and organizations with Web-based
solutions to facilitate and track volunteer engagement at local and national
levels. The VolunteerMatch network regularly welcomes more than 190,000 visitors
each week and has become the preferred volunteer recruiting service for tens of
thousands of participating nonprofits.
# # #
|
