JPMorgan Chase Commits $30 Million to Help Close Wealth Gaps for Black and Latina Women

Six collaborations throughout the U.S. awarded $5 million each to catalyze long-term economic prosperity for Black and Latina Women

January 25, 2022 (New York, NY) – JPMorgan Chase today announced two of six winners to receive $5 million each in philanthropic capital as part of an annual competition to source innovative and sustainable ideas to advance equity in communities across the U.S.  This year, the firm sourced proposals for projects designed for and by Black and Latina women to address racial and gender wealth gaps.  Starting with Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD, JPMorgan Chase will award winning collaborations across six U.S. cities a total of $30 million in philanthropic commitments.

When COVID-19 disrupted America’s economy, it exacerbated deep economic disparities faced by Black and Latina women.¹  Over two million women left the labor force during the COVID crisis, and the unemployment rate for Black and Latina women remains persistently higher than the unemployment rates for White and Asian men and women.²  According to the JPMorgan Chase Institute, Black and Latina women were particularly vulnerable to the financial effects of the pandemic and saw differential impacts such as childcare responsibilities created by closed or virtual schools and day cares. For example, Black and Latina female-led households experienced the fastest depletion of their stimulus balance gains.

“To help address the challenges faced by many Black and Latina women across the U.S., we are investing in collaborations, drawing on the strengths of public and private sectors, to develop and test innovative and sustainable solutions. We know taking on these monumental issues will require a diversity of perspectives, areas of expertise, and skills,” said Demetrios Marantis, Global Head of Corporate Responsibility, JPMorgan Chase & Co. “Nearly two years into the pandemic in the U.S., we have continued to lose ground on the longstanding economic disparities that have disproportionately impacted Black, Hispanic and Latino people, especially women.”

These proposals will help drive solutions to support Black and Latina women who have been disproportionately impacted by the effects of COVID-19. Winning collaborations demonstrated significant experience improving outcomes for Black and Latina women, and offered timely and promising approaches to financial health and coaching, entrepreneurship, housing stability and career support. Winning proposals were selected both on the strength of their ideas and their potential to reach scale through policy and practice change. JPMorgan Chase will also work with national partners to support evaluation and facilitate a learning community among the six winners to enhance the long-term sustainability of their solutions, meet the changing needs of each community, and share learnings.

Today’s announcement is part of JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion racial equity commitment to drive economic inclusion and builds on the firm’s initiatives to invest in solutions to drive equitable growth and community-based strategies across the country.

Five of the six collaborations are led by Black and Latina women.  Today, the firm announced two of the winners:

Advancing Early Education in Washington, D.C:

In the Washington region, the majority of early childcare educators are Black and Latina women and only one-fifth of all early childhood educators in the Washington region have a bachelor’s degree. Educators with bachelor’s degrees have more access to promotions, and the overall average hourly wage for educators with a degree is higher than wages for educators without a degree.³ With JPMorgan Chase’s $5 million three-year commitment, Martha’s Table, LIFT-DC, Venture Philanthropy Partners+ Raise DC, American University, Trinity Washington University, and the Urban Institute are launching the Advancing Early Education Collaborative—a partnership to increase access to education, skills, and training opportunities, as well as wealth building and capacity building for early childhood educators and the centers that employ them. The Advancing Early Education Collaborative will:

• Expand access to postsecondary education through fully funded scholarships and certification opportunities;
• Provide services such as education and financial coaching, technology access, professional development, stipends for childcare and transportation, access to children’s clothing and professional attire, and access to healthy groceries for participants;
• Support early education providers by coordinating and centralizing costs such as information technology, billing services, human resources, professional development, healthcare and retirement benefits for staff.

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The original press release can be found here: https://www.jpmorganchase.com/news-stories/jpmc-commits-30m-to-help-close-wealth-gaps-for-black-and-latina-women