American Express - Community Giving Programme

Background

The American Express Community Giving programme is provided through the American Express Foundation, which was created in 1954 to support charitable organisations.

Objectives of Fund

The Foundation provides support to not-for-profit organisations whose work aligns with its priorities. Grants are available for projects in the following areas:

• Backing equal futures: programmes helping empower more diverse, equitable and inclusive workforces and communities.
• Backing small: programmes building inclusive economic growth and empowerment through financial literacy, mentoring and training for diverse small business owners and individuals.
• Backing low-carbon communities: programmes advancing climate innovation and action to address climate challenges and promote resilient communities globally.

Value Notes

There are no minimum or maximum funding levels stated in the guidelines.

Who Can Apply

Grants are made to organisations that are able to provide documentary evidence of not-for-profit status.

Location

Worldwide

Restrictions

Funding requests are not accepted for:

• Individual needs, including scholarships, sponsorships and other forms of financial aid and assistance.
• Fundraising activities, such as benefits, charitable dinners, galas or sporting events.
• Goodwill advertising, souvenir journals or dinner programmes.
• Travel for individuals or groups.
• Sectarian activities of religious organisations.
• Political causes, candidates, organisations or campaigns.
• Books, magazines or articles in professional journals.
• Endowments or capital campaigns, except restoration projects.
• Travelling exhibitions (the Foundation will only consider each venue on its own).

Organisations that discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, genetic information, citizenship, veteran or marital status, or any other basis prohibited by law will not be supported.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is for projects that address the following priorities:

Backing equal futures:

• Programmes that provide skills and pathways to prepare youth (ages 13-30) for long-term success and the future of work. (Including the green economy, STEAM and digital futures.) This may include school-based, college, trade school, public service or workforce-related training or mentoring to support skill-building, education, the transition to meaningful employment and self-sufficiency for under-represented populations.
• Advocacy to support education and workforce development in under-represented communities. Eligible organisations for under-represented communities include those supporting racial, ethnic and Indigenous minorities, women, refugees, incarcerated or formerly incarcerated, unhoused and formerly unhoused people, veterans or families of veterans, disadvantaged or people with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Backing small:

• Support for diverse small business owners and entrepreneurs, including grants, mentoring support and technical assistance issued through established community partnerships.
• Financial literacy education, training and mentoring for under-represented individuals and families to build financial awareness, fiscal acumen and success (including at school age, during higher education or when individuals are entering/re-entering the workforce).

Backing low-carbon communities:

• Programmes, partnerships and action focused on energy transition, emissions reduction and efficiency.
• Community-led climate projects focused on nature-based or clean energy initiatives, including those led by diverse or under-represented groups.
• Disaster relief and resilience building programmes and initiatives in extreme weather prone areas and other locations where American Express colleagues and customers live and work, to provide both immediate and/or long-term relief and community preparedness to natural and man-made disasters and help create climate-resilient communities.

How To Apply

The Foundation does not actively solicit applications for grants and new partnerships. However, interested organisations are invited to submit details about their work at any time by email.

These submissions will be reviewed each year between November and January and those organisations that align with the funder's priorities may be contacted for further information and invited to submit a grant application.

Only one form entered per organisation will be considered and organisations that submit multiple entries will be disregarded.