Announcement marks third year of funding by the NBA Foundation in support of Valley women

PHOENIX (Aug. 1, 2024)— Valley of the Sun United Way today announced today a $210,000 grant by the NBA Foundation in support of Valley of the Sun United Way’s Pathways to Economic Opportunity program that supports young Black and Latina women throughout Maricopa County.

Pathways to Economic Opportunity works with Black and Latina women ages 16-29 to close the gender and race wealth gaps by providing job-skills training and upskilling, access to mentorships, internships and apprenticeships, financial literacy workshops and other opportunities. Led by Valley of the Sun United Way, the program is facilitated in partnership with Chicanos Por La Causa, the Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation, Pipeline AZ, Year Up Arizona and YWCA Metropolitan Phoenix.

“We envision a community where every person has every opportunity to succeed,” said Carla Vargas Jasa, president and CEO of Valley of the Sun United Way. “By increasing access to mentors, networks, skills training and more, we’re investing in the careers for young Black and Latina women and we’re also strengthening our entire community today and into the future."

Many Black and Latina women often lack access to the same opportunities as their white peers, putting them at a distinct disadvantage when starting their careers. This disparity contributes to a significant national wealth gap where Black women earn $0.66 and Latinas earn $0.52 for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.¹ In Arizona, this equates to $19,156 less income annually for Black women and $25,511 less each year for Latinas.²

In 2022, the NBA Foundation made an initial investment that helped create and launch the Pathways to Economic Opportunity program in Maricopa County. During the program’s first cohort, 100% of participants were paired with a professional mentor, 52% secured internships and 42% enrolled in college.

“We are grateful for the NBA Foundation’s continued commitment and for our partners’ support in making equitable opportunities available to our community’s future leaders,” added Vargas Jasa.

The Pathways to Economic Opportunity program team is currently recruiting for mentors and mentees for the upcoming 2024-2025 cohort. For more information about the Pathways to Economic Opportunity program or to get involved, visit www.vsuw.org/pathways.

About Valley of the Sun United Way
Valley of the Sun United Way envisions a community where every child, family and individual is healthy, has a safe place to live and has every opportunity to succeed in school, in work and in life. As we work with our community, corporate and nonprofit partners to implement our MC2026 plan for Mighty Change, we are putting all our efforts toward reaching Bold Goals for Maricopa County in the areas of education, housing and homelessness, health and workforce development. Join us at www.vsuw.org.

About the NBA Foundation
Created in August 2020, the NBA Foundation is the league’s first-ever charitable foundation dedicated to driving economic opportunity for Black youth. The Foundation invests in local and national organizations that promote school-to-career and workforce development opportunities. For more information visit www.nbafoundation.com.

Data Sources
¹ National Partnership for Women & Families (2024, March). The Wage Gap #IRL (In Real Life) for Women of Color: Groceries, Child Care and Student Loans. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://nationalpartnership.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/quantifying-americas-gender-wage-gap.pdf
² National Partnership for Women & Families (2024, March 5). The Wage Gap in Arizona. Retrieved July 23, 2024, from https://infogram.com/the-wage-gap-in-arizona-1h7z2l9jkool2ow