Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge 2026 for Non-Profits Worldwide (Up To US$500,000 Grants)

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Applications are open for Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge 2026. The Global Innovation Challenge provides philanthropic support to community organizations that are developing innovative solutions to social and economic challenges facing low-income communities around the world.

The Citi Foundation Fourth Global Innovation Challenge is offering grants to nonprofit organizations developing innovative solutions that prepare low-income youth for employment in an increasingly AI-driven global economy.

The Citi Foundation recognizes the role philanthropy plays in catalyzing change to address some of society’s most pressing challenges, from barriers to jobs for today’s youth, food insecurity to homelessness and more. Through our Global Innovation Challenge, we seek to provide innovative community organizations with the support they need to pilot or scale new offerings and development models that deepen community impact.

The Fourth Global Innovation Challenge focuses on the changing needs of low-income youth as artificial intelligence transforms workplaces and employment opportunities. The initiative aims to support nonprofit organizations developing solutions that help young people gain the skills, knowledge, and access needed to participate successfully in the future workforce.

Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge Grant Details

The Citi Foundation plans to award up to 50 grants of $500,000 each to eligible nonprofit organizations, totaling $25 million.
The grants will be restricted and are anticipated to be disbursed in two equal and annual payments in 2027 and 2028.
The grant terms will be 24 months, starting no sooner than June 1, 2027.
Grants are meant to be catalytic in nature, supporting the piloting or expansion of ideas and projects that prepare young people for employment in the AI-driven economy.
In addition to grant funds, the Foundation will seek ways to support the selected grantees through volunteerism as well as a learning community to promote shared lessons and best practices.
Grantees will each receive a restricted award of $500,000. The anticipated disbursement schedule, subject to change, is as follows: $250,000 in Year 1 (2027) and $250,000 in Year 2 (2028).

Focus Areas

These innovative solutions may include, but are not limited to, the following focus areas:

Cultivating AI and Human-Centric Skills for Youth Employment
- Support for training in AI (e.g., AI fundamentals, ethical considerations, prompt engineering, digital content creation or AI-enabled tools) complemented by humancentric skills (e.g., problem-solving, critical thinking, advanced reasoning or creativity) to help low-income youth build relevant skills for employment.
Expanding Digital Access
- Support for improving access to digital resources (e.g. community hubs with shared devices, open-source AI, low-connectivity and offline digital tools) to accelerate AI and digital literacy and/or enhance connectivity to work opportunities.
Building Support for NGO Capacity and Networks
- Support for strengthening NGOs’ existing youth employability programs by integrating AI-enabled tools, training and resources, as well as support for building or expanding networks across sectors (e.g., education, nonprofits, tech and businesses) to develop best practices and promote continuous adaptation.

Eligibility Criteria

Organizations must be able to demonstrate that their mission and/or strategic priorities have a specific focus on serving low-income individuals.
Organizations proposed program must impact one or more of the Foundation’s target geographies. See Q3 for more details.
Organizations must be registered as nonprofit entities under local law. For example, for U.S. entities, applicants must be tax-exempt public charities as per Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Please note that organizations that require the use of fiscal sponsorship are not eligible for this funding opportunity.
Organizations invited to the full application stage must be able to submit externally audited financial statements covering some part of calendar year 2024 or a subsequent year by the application deadline, which is anticipated to be in early December 2026.

How To Apply for Citi Foundation Global Innovation Challenge

The Global Innovation Challenge: Preparing Youth for AI RFP will follow a competitive process in two rounds:

Round 1: Letter of Inquiry (LOI)
- Interested organizations are invited to submit an LOI through the Foundation’s grant portal. The deadline to submit an LOI is 12 p.m. (noon) New York Time (Eastern Time) on October 6, 2026.
- To submit an LOI click here.
- The Foundation will review all LOIs submitted by the deadline based on strategic alignment, feasibility and potential for impact.
Round 2: Grant application
- By the end of November 2026, the Foundation aims to notify all organizations that submitted an LOI whether they will be invited to submit a grant application.
- Organizations invited to the grant application phase will receive further instructions on next steps and timelines for their application submission.
- For organizations invited to participate in the application phase of the RFP, please note that an invitation to submit an application does not constitute an offer, promise or guarantee of funding.
- Final funding decisions are anticipated to be shared with recipient organizations no later than the end of May 2027.

Click Here To Apply and For More Details

Application Deadline: October 6, 2026.