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Accenture Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$21.5M
Grant Range
$3300K - $8.6M

Accenture Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $21,544,344 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $117,422,405
  • Number of Grants: 27 awards (2023)
  • Grant Range: Typically large, multi-year grants (specific amounts vary by project)
  • Geographic Focus: International - USA and multiple countries worldwide
  • Application Process: No public application process - invitation only

Contact Details

Accenture Foundation Inc 500 W Madison St Fl 21 Chicago, IL 60661-4560

EIN: 36-4296414

Official Skills to Succeed Academy: https://s2sacademy.com

Related Information: Information about Accenture's corporate citizenship initiatives can be found at accenture.com

Note: The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications

Overview

Founded in 1999, the Accenture Foundation Inc is a private foundation with total assets of approximately $117.4 million and annual giving of $21.5 million (2023). The foundation operates as the philanthropic arm of Accenture, focusing on Skills to Succeed - a global initiative that has equipped more than 5.8 million people worldwide with employment and entrepreneurship skills since 2010. The foundation's mission centers on providing support for initiatives that create positive, sustainable change in people's lives by building skills that enable them to participate in and contribute to the economy and society. The foundation works in partnership with Accenture Corporate Citizenship and does not have a public application process, instead making contributions to preselected charitable organizations aligned with their strategic priorities.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Accenture Foundation provides charitable grants exclusively to organizations aligned with Skills to Succeed, Accenture's global corporate citizenship initiative. Grants are typically large and multi-year, varying based on the organization and project being funded.

Recent Grant Examples:

  • Save the Children: $8.6 million multi-year grant (2025) to expand youth livelihood programs; previous $4.5 million grant to provide job skills training to 47,000 at-risk youth in Indonesia and the Philippines
  • Youth Business International: $6 million grant to skill 686,000 youth and enable 205,800 to start or grow businesses; over $18.5 million awarded over five years
  • UNICEF Generation Unlimited: $7.8 million to connect 580,000 youth to skilling and earning opportunities across Brazil, Egypt, India, Philippines, South Africa, and Türkiye
  • KIPP: $3.3 million three-year grant to expand Future Focus program and support KIPP Through College programs
  • Junior Achievement Worldwide: Multi-year partnership (specific amounts not publicly disclosed)

Priority Areas

Education and Skills Development:

  • Employment skills training for opportunity youth (ages 15-24)
  • Entrepreneurship and business development training
  • Digital skills and technology training for the digital economy
  • Transferable life skills and career counseling

Specific Focus Areas:

  • Sustainability initiatives and green economy skills
  • Refugee and displaced person support
  • Gender equality in employment
  • Closing unemployment gaps for marginalized and vulnerable youth
  • General operating support for aligned organizations

Geographic Priorities: The foundation supports projects globally, including cities across the United States and internationally in Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Bengaluru, Berlin, Boston, Brazil, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Philippines, South Africa, and Türkiye.

What They Don't Fund

The foundation does not accept unsolicited grant applications and only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations. This means organizations without an existing relationship or strategic alignment with Accenture's corporate citizenship priorities are not eligible for funding.

Governance and Leadership

Key Personnel:

  • Jessica Jecmen - Executive Director, Accenture Foundation; Managing Director, Accenture. Jecmen leads Responsible Skilling in Accenture's Operations business and represents Operations on Accenture's Corporate Citizenship Council. She focuses on considering a holistic approach to continuous learning throughout the employee career lifecycle.

  • Jill Huntley - President/Director, Accenture Foundation

Note: Officers of the Accenture Foundation serve in uncompensated positions.

The foundation operates in close coordination with Accenture's Corporate Citizenship Council, aligning grant-making activities with the company's broader sustainability, responsibility, and charitable giving priorities.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Accenture Foundation does not have a public application process. The foundation has indicated it only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds.

Grants are awarded through:

  • Strategic partnerships identified by Accenture leadership
  • Organizations with existing relationships with Accenture
  • Initiatives aligned with Accenture's corporate citizenship priorities
  • Multi-year partnerships with established nonprofit organizations

Getting on Their Radar

The Accenture Foundation primarily identifies grant recipients through strategic alignment with Accenture's Skills to Succeed initiative and through existing corporate relationships. Organizations working in youth employment, digital skills training, and entrepreneurship development that demonstrate:

  • Large-scale impact potential (often serving thousands to hundreds of thousands of beneficiaries)
  • Geographic alignment with Accenture's global operations
  • Strong focus on measurable outcomes in employment and entrepreneurship
  • Capacity for multi-year partnerships and programmatic collaboration

Organizations seeking partnership should focus on building relationships with Accenture through:

  • Corporate partnership discussions (separate from the foundation)
  • Demonstrated success in skills training and youth employment programs
  • Alignment with Accenture's geographic and programmatic priorities

Decision Timeline

Specific decision timelines are not publicly available. Given the foundation's model of preselected partnerships and multi-year grants, funding decisions are made strategically as part of Accenture's corporate citizenship planning rather than through a rolling or cyclical application process.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the foundation operates on an invitation-only basis without a public application process.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - organizations do not apply but are selected by the foundation based on strategic alignment.

Application Success Factors

Since the Accenture Foundation operates on an invitation-only model, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, examining the foundation's funding patterns reveals what types of organizations and programs receive support:

Partnership Characteristics:

  • Scale and Reach: The foundation favors partnerships that can reach tens of thousands to millions of beneficiaries. Recent grants have targeted 28,000 to 686,000 youth, demonstrating preference for large-scale impact.

  • Skills to Succeed Alignment: All grants align with the foundation's Skills to Succeed initiative, which focuses on equipping people with employment and entrepreneurship skills. Programs must demonstrate clear pathways to employment outcomes or business creation.

  • Multi-Year Impact: The foundation makes "typically large and multi-year" grants, indicating preference for sustained partnerships rather than one-time funding. Recent grants have ranged from three years to ongoing 15-year partnerships.

  • Measurable Outcomes: Grant recipients demonstrate concrete results. Youth Business International's partnership, for example, specified that 205,800 participants would start or grow businesses. Save the Children partnerships have documented improvements in employability skills, employment status, and income.

  • Geographic Alignment: Organizations operating in regions where Accenture has significant business presence receive funding, including major cities across the United States and key international markets.

Program Elements the Foundation Supports:

  • Transferable life skills training
  • Vocational and on-the-job skills training
  • Career counseling and mentoring
  • Business start-up services and entrepreneurship training
  • Job linkages and employer connections
  • Digital skills and technology training
  • Focus on vulnerable populations: opportunity youth, refugees, at-risk youth, and underserved communities

Demonstrated Results from Funded Programs: According to research on funded initiatives, successful programs show participants experiencing:

  • Demonstrable improvements in employability skills
  • Changes from unemployed to employed status
  • Increased income
  • Improved workplace relationships and communication skills
  • Enhanced ability to manage emotions and identify strengths/weaknesses
  • Better job searching skills and functioning at work

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Not a Public Funder: The Accenture Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications. Organizations cannot apply for grants through a traditional application process.

  • Strategic Partnership Model: The foundation operates through preselected partnerships aligned with Accenture's corporate citizenship strategy. Funding decisions are made at the strategic level, not through competitive grant cycles.

  • Scale Matters: Funded partnerships consistently target large numbers of beneficiaries (tens of thousands to millions), suggesting smaller organizations may not align with the foundation's impact goals unless part of a larger coalition.

  • Skills to Succeed Focus: All funding must align with employment skills training, entrepreneurship development, or digital skills building. Organizations working outside these areas will not be considered.

  • Long-Term Commitment: The foundation favors multi-year partnerships with established organizations. Recent partnerships have ranged from three years to 15 years, indicating preference for sustained engagement.

  • Global Reach with Strategic Geography: While international, the foundation focuses on specific countries and cities where Accenture has business operations. Geographic alignment with Accenture's footprint appears to influence funding decisions.

  • Corporate Connection Required: Organizations seeking funding should explore partnership opportunities through Accenture's corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility channels rather than approaching the foundation directly.

References

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