The Nielsen Foundation has committed $350,000 in grants to seven organizations through the 2024 Data for Good grants program. Established in 2017, Data for Good grants support projects by nonprofit organizations that use data in creative ways and help bridge divides to catalyze long-term change. This year the program has supported innovative efforts that create or use data and research to advance programs encouraging diverse talent to pursue and succeed in media and technology careers.
“We are thrilled to support this outstanding cohort of Data for Good grantees,” said Andrea Bertels, President and Executive Director, Grantmaking, Nielsen Foundation. “Changes in the media and technology industries are happening at breakneck speed, from the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence to the evolving talent needs for digital careers. These seven organizations in the 2024 Data for Good portfolio are doing impressive work, both programmatically and systemically, to ensure that all individuals have opportunities to pursue and succeed in media and technology careers.”
Supported projects include:
–America On Tech: to support an AI-enabled alumni analysis, in turn advancing their mission to prepare the next generation of technology leaders from underestimated communities.
–Black Kids Predict: to expand after school high school programming empowering youth to see data science as a superpower, using sports technology to teach computational thinking, data science, and engineering design—turning STEM into a gateway for real-world innovation and endless possibilities.
–Break Through Tech: to support the semester-long AI Studio program enabling diverse college students to gain the skills and experience needed to pursue jobs in data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence.
–Hollywood Cinema Production Resources (CPR): to enable data management upgrades, advancing their mission to support individuals from all backgrounds to gain greater access to careers in union entertainment trades.
–NPower: to support their new pilot program, Path2Tech: Networking & Systems Administration, helping the organization create pathways to economic prosperity via digital careers for military-connected individuals and young adults from underserved communities.
–Public Knowledge: to enable an updated study on diversity in early career tech policy roles, building upon a 2019 Data for Good grant studying diversity trends in tech policy careers.
–Tech Accountability Coalition: to support Aspen Digital’s Counting Communities initiative for inclusive employment across the tech industry.
About the Nielsen Foundation
The Nielsen Foundation is a private foundation originally funded by Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. The Nielsen Foundation envisions a more equitable world, enabled by inclusive media and technology, where everyone has voice and opportunities to succeed. Our grantmaking is focused on powering and advancing inclusive innovation and representation in the media and technology industries, especially through the use of data and research. We support organizations that drive greater representation, inclusion and equity in media and technology, including initiatives that use data in innovative ways to advance media and technology as forces for good.