The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a $500,000 grant to the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to support its Women’s Empowerment Program, which trains women in leadership and workplace negotiation skills as part of a multipronged effort to close the gender wage gap. More than 100,000 women are expected to benefit from the program in 2020.

This marks the second year in a row that The Coca-Cola Foundation has awarded a half million in funding to AAUW. Last year, the grant enabled the expansion of AAUW’s training programs, including the development of an online version of the Work Smart salary negotiation course. This year, the focus will be on delivering the trainings to college and university students, as well as faculty, staff, and alumni networks, with a particular focus on historically black colleges and universities.

“We are enormously grateful to The Coca-Cola Foundation for its continued support of our mission to ensure economic security for all women,” said Kim Churches, AAUW’s Chief Executive Officer. “Thanks to the Foundation’s boundless generosity, we will be able to provide training to a diverse group of women across the country and to empower them to advance in their careers. In addition to serving  thousands of individuals, this effort helps chip away at the gender wage gap and ensure that women get the opportunities—and the salaries—they deserve.”

“We funded this program because we know closing the gender economic empowerment gap means the difference between living above or below the poverty line, having healthy families and being prepared for the future,” said Helen Smith Price, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation. “We’re proud to partner with AAUW and to invest in its programs, which have proven track records of success.”

The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 billion in grants to support initiatives around the world. These grants have given more than 3 million women worldwide access to financial support, business training and networking opportunities.

The American Association of University Women works to close the gender pay gap through education, research and advocacy. Founded nearly 140 years ago, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization today has more than 170,000 members and supporters across the United States, as well as 1,000 local branches and more than 800 college and university members.

Media Contact: Mary C. Hickey, hickeym@aauw.org, 202.785.7748