Charity of the week: Year Up

Year Up (yearup.org) is a rigorous one-year training program that enables young, urban high school graduates to pursue higher education and professional careers. Every year, Year Up teaches 1,900 disadvantaged 18- to 24-year-olds from cities throughout the U.S. marketable job skills ranging from business writing to computer hardware repair. The first six months focus on classes to build self-sufficiency skills in areas such as personal finance, while the second half of the program allows students to apply their new skills through internships with Year Up’s 250 corporate partners. About 85 percent of Year Up graduates are employed or attending college full-time within four months of completing the program, with those finding employment earning an average starting salary of $30,000.

Each charity we feature has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which rates not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fundraising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest rating.

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