Catalyze Birmingham Challenge Awards $720k to Five Innovative Nonprofits
In 2023, Birmingham became the nation’s first city selected to host a regional version of the nationwide Catalyze Challenge, which has already awarded $10 million to more than 40 organizations. Today’s announcement marks the first of two region-wide competitions designed to identify and scale innovations with the potential to transform the lives of young people.
“The nation’s largest foundations have recognized that Birmingham is a place where philanthropic capital can have a profound impact,” said JW Carpenter, president of Prosper, which is hosting the challenge. “We were selected because of our vibrant social sector and a culture of collaboration across business, government and philanthropy. Today’s awardees reflect both the diversity - and impact - of our nonprofit leaders.”
Winners of the grants, which are funded by the Walton Family Foundation in collaboration with local businesses and grantmakers, were selected from a pool of more that 70 applications. The winning organizations stood out in their bold efforts to create educational experiences that bridge the gap between learning and work through corporate and community partnerships. The first five winners of the Challenge reflect the strength of Birmingham’s thriving nonprofit sector:
United Ability, which helps people with disabilities access education and job training, will use the grant to build and address the lack of pre-apprenticeship programs for youth with disabilities in partnership with local manufacturers and worksites where learners will also receive the minimum requirements to receive their OSHA 10 card for workplace safety.
STREAM Innovation, Inc., which introduces students from under-resourced communities to Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STREAM), will use the grant to transform a shipping container into a Health Lab that will offer STEM experiential learning, aiming to accelerate early access to STEM opportunities in Alabama.
Mechanical Craft Training Institute (MCTI), a nationally accredited training program that prepares young people for skilled jobs in in-demand mechanical fields like piping, plumbing, and HVAC, will create a platform connecting students with mechanical crafts employers, addressing industry labor shortages. It will provide free training, provide industry-recognized credentials, and facilitate employer-student connections.
Oak Tree Ministries serves alongside families in the Marks Village Public Housing Community in East Birmingham through trauma-informed community support. The grant will focus on leadership development, mental health, and social capital for high school students in the Gate City neighborhood, fostering community connections and individual success.
Spring Valley School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory school that admits students with average to above-average intelligence who have been diagnosed with a language or mathematics-based learning difference such as Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, or Dyscalculia. The grant will fund a two-day expo that will connect school graduates with employers and career opportunities that support and reflect their strengths.
The application for the next round of the Catalyze Birmingham Challenge, which will also focus on career exploration for young adolescents and activating employer partnerships, will be released this summer.
Catalyze Birmingham Challenge is a collective effort. In addition to the national grant from Catalyze Challenge and the Walton Family Foundation, funding for the challenge was matched by the local philanthropic and business community including the Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation, Protective Life Corporation, Regions Foundation, The Caring Foundation of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, Alabama Power Foundation, the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham, the Altec/Styslinger Foundation, and Innovate Alabama. The City of Birmingham and EmpowerED Birmingham serve as critical partners with Prosper to help develop the challenge contours to best serve the community.
For more information on Catalyze Birmingham Challenge, contact Carlisha Harris at catalyze@prosperbham.com.
