Allianz Foundation for North America

Empowering young people to shape a secure future 

Our Purpose, Mission, and Impact

A global Allianz network

The insurance and financial services companies of the worldwide Allianz Group share a common purpose of securing the future. In all areas of their business, Allianz companies empower people to manage risks and plan well for the future, and they do this in the interest of numerous stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders and society itself. Working to secure the future is what Allianz companies do best; it is the heart of the Allianz Group's business.

Established in 2002, the Allianz Foundation for North America joined an international network of Allianz-affiliated foundations and Corporate Responsibility teams working to apply this shared concern for securing the future to challenges faced by society at large.

Promoting personal and professional growth for young people

In addressing concerns for the future in North America, we believe one of the most significant social investments we can make is one in the ability of young people to live up to their fullest potential and pursue lives of leadership and service. The mission of the Allianz Foundation for North America is empowering young people to shape a secure future – for themselves, their communities, and the world.

The Foundation supports young people in developing the skills, motivation, perspectives, and opportunities they need to be successful, self-reliant, and socially conscious members of society. We also facilitate networking among our not-for-profit partners and Allianz companies so that together we can maximize our social impact. Our focus for impact is the creation and expansion of opportunities for personal and professional growth for high school/GED-aged teenagers and young adults (ages 16-25).

A 501 (c) (3) entity under the United States Internal Revenue Code, the Allianz Foundation for North America welcomes grant applications from not-for-profit organizations in the US and Canada working to empower young people to shape a secure future.

Our exclusive focus for social impact is the creation or significant expansion (by 50% or more) of personal and professional growth experiences for high-school/GED-aged teenagers and young adults (ages 16-25).

In order to be able to offer special opportunities for youth development – such as mentoring and in-office, career-skills workshops – our grant-making is focused exclusively on select cities in which Allianz companies in North America maintain head- or major representative offices:

·         Baltimore (MD)

·         Chicago (IL)

·         Minneapolis/St. Paul (MN)

·         New York (NY)

·         Richmond (VA)

·         San Francisco (CA), including also Marin and Sonoma Counties

·         Toronto (ON, Canada)

·         Washington (DC)

All grant applications must attend to seven, equally weighted criteria:

1.      Empowering young people

2.      To shape a secure future

3.      For themselves,

4.      For their communities, and/or for the world,

5.      By supporting them in becoming successful,

6.      Self-reliant, and

7.      Socially conscious.

We award 12-month grants once each year, following the annual meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors in mid-December. Grant applicants are notified by email of action taken by the Board within three days of the annual meeting. Disbursement of all allocated funds to grant recipients follows by December 31.

Given the limited availability of funds and the broad scope of the Foundation‘s work throughout North America, first-year grants do not exceed – but are also not less than – 50,000 US dollars. We see this as a level of financial commitment at which paradigms can truly be changed and innovation can be pursued. All this means that our application process is highly competitive. However, the only way definitely not to receive a grant, is not to apply.

Grant recipients who have achieved pre-determined targets for the first grant year, based on our Annual Scorecard, are eligible for a second-year grant of 25,000 US dollars. Completion of the Annual Scorecard by November 15 each year is all that is required to be considered for a second-year grant. After the second (and final) grant year, project partners are welcome to apply again in future for new grants.

The Foundation does not provide grants for:

Individuals

Political parties, candidates, or partisan political organizations

General public-sector services

Sectarian religious purposes (e.g., religious instruction, proselytizing)

Fraternal, veteran, or sectarian groups serving only or primarily their own constituencies

Fundraising events

Conferences and workshops

Trips or tours

Capital campaigns

Endowment funds

Medical research

Sporting events

Subscription fees or admission tickets

Contact/Concept Forms: July 31

Final grant applications: September 15

Annual Reporting/Scorecards (current grant recipients only): November 15

The first step in our application process is the submission and approval of a Contact/Concept Form. The deadline for receipt is July 31st. These forms may be submitted for the current year at any time after June 1st and will be processed as soon as possible after submission. Following approval of the Contact/Concept Form – and only after approval – the final Application Form and all required supporting materials must be submitted no sooner than September 1st and no later than September 15th. The Foundation board votes on grant applications in mid-December.

All grant applicants must submit a Contact/Concept Form (see Required Forms) and have it explicitly approved before submitting a final grant application. This enables us to offer preliminary feedback on the project proposal and clear guidance on subsequent steps in the application process. Each Contact/Concept Form must include a clear, concise description of what would be done with the proposed grant of 50,000 US dollars in terms of program creation or expansion. The importance of these summaries cannot be overstated; they are the first things our grant readers and board members see. This step in the process generally includes discussion of the summary concept, follow-up questions, and redrafting before final approval.

All Contact/Concept Forms must be submitted by email to christopher.worthley@azoac.com, using the subject line "Contact/Concept Form_Name of Organization". Please ensure that the content of the Contact/Concept Form is properly saved before sending. 

After approval of the Contact/Concept Form, grant applicants may submit a final grant application, using the standardized, PDF Application Form found on this website (see Required Forms) and including all supplementary materials listed at the end of the Application Form. Final applications must be submitted by email to christopher.worthley@azoac.com, as a single/merged PDF, using the subject line “Final Application_Name of Organization”.

Because our work on Contact/Concept Forms continues through August, final Application Forms must be submitted after September 1st and no later than the deadline of September 15th.

Please note that the person listed in the Contact/Concept and Application Forms will be the recipient of all future correspondence related to the grant application, including notification of the final decision on funding made by the Foundation Board. There can be only one primary contact per grant application.

Summer Fellowships and Internships 

Fostering social consciousness

As part of our effort to promote social consciousness among young leaders – tomorrow’s community, national, and world leaders – we established the Allianz Foundation Fellowship Program. This program enables gifted and motivated young people to take part in a short-term learning experience in the not-for-profit sector. Fellowships are generally made available for the summer months. However, not-for-profit organizations applying for Fellowship funding may also do so to create carefully structured learning experiences for young people during the academic year. Fellowship alumni are also eligible to apply for a unique, immersive, summer internship in foundation management and Corporate Responsibility with the Allianz Foundation under the personal supervision of the Executive Director.

We believe that, by engaging in an intensive learning experience with appropriate adult mentors at a trusted not-for-profit organization, young people will further develop key life skills – including an ability to work well with people of different ages and backgrounds – and also enhance their knowledge of important social issues. Furthermore, as future leaders in both the public and private sectors, Allianz Foundation Fellows and Interns are able to help raise public awareness of the critical role not-for-profit and nongovernmental organizations play in creating positive social change. They also gain valuable insights into possible careers in the social and business sectors.

  • Allianz Foundation Fellowship funding consists of a single 10,000 US dollar grant made to each 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization whose application for funding to create a Fellowship site has been approved by the Allianz Foundation. Not-for-profit organizations may apply for only one Fellowship grant at a time but may structure Fellowships to accommodate between one and five Allianz Foundation Fellows during the scheduled Fellowship period.
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  • From the total grant amount, Allianz Foundation Fellows will receive individual stipends for the full Fellowship period at the appropriate discretion of the not-for-profit Fellowship site. Any remaining sum shall be used to offset costs associated with maintaining an intensive, meaningful, and well-guided learning experience for each Fellow (e.g., any relevant staff costs associated with providing appropriate mentoring during the Fellowship period). Allianz Foundation Fellows are recruited and selected directly by the not-for-profit organizations whose applications for Fellowship funding have been approved by the Allianz Foundation. 

Not-for-profit organizations interested in creating an Allianz Foundation Fellowship site should first designate one staff member to serve as Program Coordinator (central liaison for the Allianz Foundation, not-for-profit management and program staff, and the Allianz Foundation Fellows within their organization).

The designated Program Coordinator in each not-for-profit organization should notify the Allianz Foundation’s Executive Director by email (see Contact) of their intention to apply for Fellowship funding – using the subject line "Allianz Foundation Fellowship" for all correspondence – and submit to the Allianz Foundation by the April 15th annual deadline a letter of intent that includes each of the  following:

1.      A detailed explanation of how the proposed Fellowship funds would be used to create an intensive, meaningful and well-guided learning experience for one or more young people in keeping with the Allianz Foundation Fellowship’s eligibility requirements;

2.      An explanation of one or more core learning areas to which Fellows would be exposed (e.g., not-for-profit administration, programming, finance, fundraising/development);

3.      The proposed timeframe for the Fellowship period (e.g., July-August; September-June);

4.      Designation of at least one staff-member who will serve as supervisor and mentor to Fellows throughout the Fellowship period (this need not be the designated Program Coordinator);

5.      A clear commitment to weekly mentoring sessions with each Fellow (at least one hour per week to discuss such issues as learning/growth edges, overall experiences at the learning site, and insights gained into not-for-profit work and careers);

6.      A clear commitment to having mentors available for ongoing support and guidance for all Fellows, as needed and appropriate;

7.      Description of an in-depth learning project – relevant to each Fellow’s core learning area(s) – that shall be completed during the Fellowship period. The learning project should enable each Fellow or team of Fellows to practice leadership skills and teamwork, while advancing their knowledge of their core learning area(s) within the not-for-profit environment.

Together with their letters of intent, all Program Coordinators must submit documentation of their not-for-profit organization’s continued status as a 501 (c) (3) entity under the United States Internal Revenue Code as well as the organization’s W-9 form. 

All Fellowship applications: April 15

Final reports: August 31

Each Program Coordinator must submit to the Allianz Foundation a final report of no fewer than three and no more than five narrative pages summarizing the experiences and feedback of all Allianz Foundation Fellows and mentors within their organization. The final report should discuss the results of individual learning projects and include anecdotal evidence – e.g., quotes – reflecting the Fellows’ learning experiences, growth edges, and insights gained into the role of not-for-profit organizations in society and career perspectives in the social sector. Final reports should be based on personal interviews and/or in-depth discussions with Fellows and mentors.

Additionally, Program Coordinators and not-for-profit mentors are encouraged to facilitate a meeting for Fellows with the executive director or other appropriate senior executive(s) of the not-for-profit organization toward the end of the Fellowship period to discuss the student’s learning experiences and other relevant issues of interest related to the not-for-profit sector, including possible career perspectives.

  • Eligibility for this program is limited to currently enrolled undergraduate students who are alumni/ae of (and/or still affiliated with) any not-for-profit that has received project funding from the Allianz Foundation for North America since 2010 (See: Project Archive and Publications). Special consideration is given to alumni/ae of the Allianz Foundation Fellowship Program.
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  • The internship is especially appropriate for those in such fields as Business, Civic Studies, Communications/Marketing, Political Science/International Relations, Psychology, Religious/Cultural Studies, and Sociology. Students from transatlantic Allianz partners, such as ASF/ARSP, are eligible to apply and take part, if and only if daily scheduling can be made to work with U.S. business hours (Eastern time).

All applicants must be nominated by their affiliated not-for-profit and submit with their application a Statement of Nomination on the not-for-profit’s letterhead (or request an email be sent directly from the not-for-profit’s senior leadership at the time of application).

Additionally, all applications must include:

1) a cover letter; 2) an individual, 500-word Statement of Purpose, answering the question: What makes this internship interesting to you, and how does it relate to your personal and professional development?; 3) a current resume or CV; 4) at least one written Letter of Reference, which may be combined with the Statement of Nomination; 5) a current undergraduate transcript.

The deadline for internship applications is April 30th each year. Applicants will be notified after virtual interviews are completed and no later than May 15th.

The internship program runs from mid-June through mid-August. In a spirit of social equity and empowerment, this internship provides a stipend, is full time and fully remote/virtual. There is no Washington, DC, summer residency requirement.

Internship applications: April 30 each year. 

Christopher Worthley (he/him)

Executive Director

Allianz Foundation for North America

Email: christopher.worthley@azoac.com