Stakeholder Engagement

As one of the world’s largest and most-impactful youth-serving NGOs, JA provides hands-on, immersive learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability.

Delivering more than 23 million student experiences each year through 750,000+ teachers and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

Delivering more than 23 million student experiences each year through 750,000+ teachers and business volunteers, JA Worldwide is one of few organizations with the scale, experience, and passion to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders.

Through hands-on programs in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability, JA equips young people with the skills most in demand by employers today: problem-solving, adaptability, teamwork, communication, and digital capability. Students engage in practical learning experiences, navigate real-world financial decisions, build digital confidence, practice leadership, and collaborate across cultures and perspectives.

Sitting at the intersection of education and employment, JA brings schools and industry closer together, ensuring that young people are prepared not only to enter the workforce, but also to shape it. As economies shift and automation accelerates, JA provides a pipeline of talent that is not only technically capable, but entrepreneurial, resilient, and ready to grow with the workforce of tomorrow.

Cultivating an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Through JA’s real-world entrepreneurship programs—the longest-running in the world—students work as a team to develop an innovative product or service, finance their startup business, creatively market their product, deliver finished products, and launch their careers as entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs.

Preparing Youth for the Future of Jobs

JA’s volunteer-led work-readiness experiences teach critical work skills that prepare young people for college, trade school, or the workforce. Whether job shadowing skilled mentors, testing their skills through digital experiences, or developing solutions during business challenges, JA students are prepared for the jobs of the future.

Developing Positive Financial Habits

JA’s hands-on, role-playing financial-literacy experiences expose young people to smart saving and investing, thoughtful spending and credit, the role of taxes, the value of employment and community involvement, and the opportunities of global trade. We prepare young people for lifelong financial capability.

JA Worldwide is the only global organization that bridges education and employment at scale, equipping young people with the skills, knowledge, and experiences they need to thrive in an unpredictable future. With more than a century of impact, an unparalleled network spanning 100+ countries, and deep local roots in communities worldwide, JA delivers hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial capability—turning potential into prosperity.

For partners, JA offers unmatched access to the next generation of talent, consumers, and changemakers. Our programs create a pipeline of skilled, entrepreneurial, and ethically minded young leaders, ready to fuel industries, drive innovation, and strengthen economies. By investing in JA, funders and partners gain measurable impact, brand alignment with a trusted global leader in youth development, and the opportunity to shape a future workforce that is diverse, adaptable, and prepared to lead.

At a time when economies are shifting, industries are transforming, and youth employment is critical, JA is not just relevant, but essential. Partner with us to accelerate opportunity, invest in sustainable progress, and unlock the boundless potential of young people worldwide.

The challenges of the 21st century—ranging from economic instability to technological disruption—demand a workforce that is skilled, adaptable, and entrepreneurial. Without the competencies that JA uniquely provides, the next generation risks being unemployable, unproductive, and disillusioned, leaving economies to stagnate and societies to falter.

JA Worldwide is not only an educational organization—it’s a global solution to an impending crisis. With our unparalleled network in over 100 countries and our proven, hands-on approach to learning, we equip millions of young people with the mindset, skillset, and resilience to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. Our focus on entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial health builds the foundations of prosperous, innovative, and equitable societies.

As a partner, JA offers a transformative opportunity to address critical challenges and invest in the future of economies, communities, and industries. Together, we are not simply inspiring young people, we are safeguarding the future of the world.

The stakes have never been higher. With economic instability and technological disruption transforming the world, billions of young people risk being left behind—unemployable, unproductive, and disillusioned. This isn’t just a youth crisis; it’s a global crisis with profound implications for economies, industries, and communities.

JA Worldwide is the essential bridge between education and the future of work. As the only global organization of its kind, JA empowers young people to navigate uncertainty with confidence. Through experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial health, we ensure that every young person is equipped to create a lifetime of opportunity—for themselves, their families, and the world.

For stakeholders, partnering with JA is not philanthropy; it’s an investment in the world’s future. By supporting JA, you are creating the diverse, innovative, and entrepreneurial workforce required to sustain industries, fuel economies, and tackle humanity’s greatest challenges. At a time when action is critical, JA is the global solution the world cannot afford to overlook.

• Digital native; may feel anxious without mobile device

• Excited to try new platforms and new technology

• May also feel isolated by technology; enjoy analog experience

• Comfortable with diversity

• Entrepreneurial and competitive

• Driven by financial goals but seeking meaning in career and life

• Politically engaged on certain issues

• Busy with schoolwork, after-school activities, work, friends, and family

• Connection and friendship

• Sustainability, especially the effects of climate change

• The economic realities they may face as adults

• Mental health

• Boredom

• Busywork

• Disconnect between coursework and life/work

• Mistreatment of friends or classmates

• Being talked down to or disrespected

• Adults who assume students can’t make real contributions

• JA is training for real life that fits your life right now.

• Start here. JA will take you wherever you want to go.

• We connect students to mentors.

• Ready to change the world? JA helps you solve the biggest challenges in your community . . . and in the world.

• You don’t have to wait to start a business. JA gives you startup tools you can use today.

• JA trains a new young entrepreneur every hour of every day, year in and year out

• Smart, career-driven, and entrepreneurial

• Eager to expand friendships, contacts, and mentors

• Feels deep connection to other alumni because of similar youth experiences

• Looking for long-term and short-term mentors

• Interested in new, emerging career paths

• Expects to have a high number of jobs and careers

• Confident that abilities and experiences will lead to meaningful career path

• Busy with work, volunteering, side hustle, networking, relationships

• Considering grad school, but also sees value in boot camps and mini-courses that can lead to accreditation

• Developing and updating skills

• Making global connections 

• Building personal brand

• Showcasing ideas and skills 

• Volunteering that turns into free labor

• Being disrespected or not taken seriously

• Meaningless engagements (conferences or coffee talks that aren’t well planned, for example)

• Conferences, courses, or opportunities that are too expensive

• Corporate-speak from JA

• Any platform that isn’t mobile-friendly

• Coffee talks and conferences not only build skills but also build networks.

• JA makes introductions; you take it from there.

• Your ideas really can change the world. You are JA’s global force for good.

• Challenges and competitions test your skills and help you build your CV.

• JA changed your life. Now you can help the next generation build thriving communities all over the world.

• Volunteering with JA helps build your personal brand.

• Respects and understands youth

• Aims to be a memorable, impactful educator

• Sets high expectations for classrooms and schools

• Seeking ways to improve teaching and make it relevant

• Looking for ways to add sustainability, STEM, entrepreneurship, financial health, and work-readiness to current curriculum

• Values diversity

• Busy, possibly to the point of exhaustion

• Creating a warm, welcoming, innovative learning environment

• Keeping students interested and engaged 

• Teaching multiple real-world skills (for example, teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving) through single lessons

• Helping students find their place in the world

• Reaching isolated, disconnected, or underserved students

• Corporations trying to market to students through the classroom

• Cookie-cutter curricula that bypasses educator expertise

• Curricula requirements that don’t have demonstrated impact on students

• ·       JA learning experiences bring real-world learning into the classroom, connecting students to mentors.

• ·       JA is where business and education meet.

• ·       We mix technology with hands-on, immersive learning that has a human element.

• ·       Our learning experiences can be fully customized by educators to make the most impact on students.

• JA seamlessly blends entrepreneurship, sustainability, STEM, and work-readiness.

• JA’s programs animate even students who may be disconnected from other school subjects.

• Focused on building a career that is engaging, rewarding, and meaningful

• Looking for opportunities for professional growth and development

• Eager to get to meet new colleagues within the organization and work cross-departmentally

• Sees volunteering as a way to make a difference while also learning new skills and making new connections

• Happy to discuss work and career path with younger generations to help them on their way

• Often report that time spent with JA students was the most meaningful volunteering experience of their lives

• Purpose; working for more than a paycheck

• Making connections within and outside of the organization

• Giving back to their communities

• Making connections with young people, especially about their career paths

• Wasting their time or experiencing frustration; volunteering should be frictionless

• Students who aren’t serious about learning or come unprepared

• Being taken for granted or unappreciated

• Spending too much of their own resources to volunteer

• You can make a difference in young people’s lives by sharing your expertise and experience.

• JA makes it easy to volunteer and mentor, with simple, step-by-step volunteer guides.

• As a mentor to emerging business leaders, you’re preparing the next generation for employment and entrepreneurship.

• You can help the next generation build thriving communities all over the world.

• Not only will you inspire youth, you'll also add new skillsets to your résumé. JA helps move your career forward.

• Eager to solve large-scale problems and looking to NGOs for solutions

• Wants to integrate agency priorities with JA ideas, either through existing JA programs or through co-creation

• May also need “last-mile” assistance with non-JA programs

• Looks to NGOs that have both experience and demonstrated impact

• May need quick fixes of a year or less, or may seek longer investments of many years or even decades

• Usually grateful for good PR but may have stringent guidelines

• Generally apolitical

• Direct solutions to identified problems 

• The biggest impact for the smallest investment

• On-time, well-formatted communication and reports

• Internal consensus and approvals, which may mean quick and extensive editing of applications, reports, learning content, project plans, or marketing/PR content

• Partisan or political actors

• Unscrupulous or suspicious accounting

• Lack of interest in impact measurement

• Lack of flexibility

• Pushing back too hard on requested changes

• Problem X requires both scale and experience. We have both.

• JA prepares youth for life, for meaningful work, and for an opportunity to do good in the world. 

• Global peace and prosperity are possible only when youth in all countries are economically empowered to succeed.

• Our work enables young people to develop the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.

• JA provides “last-mile” implementation of programs and projects.

• We’re here for the long haul, bringing both experience and demonstrated impact.

• JA is the conduit between education, government agencies, and the business world.

• Eager to show impact around well defined priorities

• Unlikely to invest in an organization that doesn’t match those priorities

• May want to work with existing JA programs, co-create new programs, or collaboration with several NGOs on joint programs

• May need “last-mile” assistance with non-JA programs

• Looks to NGOs with a scope and reach that matches their desired geographies 

• Usually looking for specific PR and social-media metrics and may provide budget or corporate assistance in meeting those targets

• The Global Goals, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion), and ESG (environment, social, governance)

• Balancing per-student cost with impact

• Co-marketing and PR 

• On-time, well-formatted communication and reports

• Opportunities for corporate volunteering

• Slow responses or incomplete information

• Mistakes in public communication (misspelling of CEO’s name, etc.)

• Lack of flexibility and innovation

• Unscrupulous or suspicious accounting

• Priority X is why JA exists. Here’s more about our Priority X expertise.

• We’re one of the few nonprofits with the scale and experience to work on Priority X.

• Here’s how we worked with [another corporation or foundation] on Priority X.

• JA provides “last-mile” implementation of programs and projects.

• We’re here for the long haul, bringing both experience and demonstrated impact.

• Our work enables young people to develop the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.

• JA is the conduit between education and business.

• JA is where business and education meet.

• Often mid-career or late-career C-suite executive or entrepreneur

• Confident that skills, knowledge, and experience can make a real difference

• Busy; often values time over money

• May be too busy to attend meetings, but this likely has little to do with interest or commitment

• Enjoys in-person camaraderie and networking

• May have interest in mentoring JA staff

• Usually very interested in modernization and technology

• Is passionate about JA

• Being informed on progress, issues

• Using connections and introductions to help the organization

• Making a difference through the organization

• The impact of time or funds given

• Being recognized

• Hearing directly from students

• Wasting time

• Glossing over our challenges

• Not being asked (for help in their field of expertise, for financial assistance, etc.). 

• Finding out about an issue after it’s too late to help

• JA prepares youth for life, for meaningful work, and for an opportunity to do good in the world. 

• Global peace and prosperity are possible only when youth in all countries are economically empowered to succeed.

• Our work enables young people to develop the skillset and mindset to build thriving communities.

• JA learning experiences bring real-world learning into the classroom, connecting students to mentors.

• We mix technology with hands-on, immersive learning that has a human element.

• We need your experience to guide and mentor our organization.

• Too busy to attend meetings? Here’s another way to stay involved.