Our Mission
The Ares Charitable Foundation strives to accelerate equality of economic opportunity through grants that provide career preparation and reskilling, encourage entrepreneurship and deepen individuals’ understanding of personal finance.
Our strategic grantmaking helps address critical societal issues to make a measurable, meaningful and sustained difference.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which equitable access to knowledge, resources and opportunities enables people to achieve their full potential.
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Our Grantmaking
Our partnerships with some of the world’s leading nonprofits strive to help close the widening wealth gap — a disparity that often threatens basic human dignity and survival.
Employee-Directed Grants
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Protecting and Retaining the UK Government’s Commitment to Women’s Economic Justice
The grant will support the nonprofit to develop case studies, videos and a policy brief on women entrepreneurs to examine how unpaid care work creates barriers to women’s economic justice. In addition, it will support an event for members of Parliament and Ares employees to both disseminate these research findings.
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Bringing Generations Together: The CoGenerate Challenge
The grant will support the organization to design and implement the framework for the CoGenerate Challenge (the “Challenge”), a program that will elevate the need and opportunity for intergenerational teams of entrepreneurs to help solve some of society’s most pressing issues. In addition, the grant will support the nonprofit to launch the inaugural Ares Foundation-branded Challenge that will engage teams to devise solutions to economic inequity.
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Common Cents Personal Finance Program
The grant will support the organization to integrate personal finance lessons into its curriculum for middle school students and develop no-cost digital games that align with both the New York State Next Generation Mathematics Learning Standards and Common Core Standards for Mathematics. In addition, the nonprofit will design and deliver a series of personal finance seminars for parents.
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Increasing Economic Mobility Among Low-Income Women in Singapore
The grant will fund the organization to pilot strategic financial interventions for low-income women in Singapore - including income support and personal finance coaching - to help create pathways out of poverty and improve the Ministry of Social and Family's services. In addition, the grant will enable the nonprofit to publish a book to advocate support for Singaporean women in poverty.
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Supporting Disabled Founders to Succeed
The grant will support the organization to engage a DEI specialist whose research will inform the nonprofit’s action planning to democratize access to entrepreneurship through the scale-up of programs and services for disabled founders in the U.K. In addition, the grant will enable the nonprofit to publish a report of findings and pilot affinity launchpad cohorts that provide mentoring and small grants for disabled founders.
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Youth Jobs Gap 2
The grant will support the organization to analyze the UK government’s Longitudinal Education Outcomes (“LEO”) dataset to develop a series of reports, an interactive digital data tool and an awareness campaign that will raise visibility for the drivers of – and barriers to – young people’s labor market outcomes. In addition, the organization will leverage the data in its work with youth-serving charities so that they can better devise interventions for young people.
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Recentering Civil Rights and Good Jobs in Community Impact Investing for a More Inclusive Economy
The grant will support the organization to establish its Good Jobs Innovation Lab, which will develop and disseminate knowledge products as well as pilot data-driven interventions to improve job quality in small businesses, especially those operated by underestimated owners in economically distressed communities. It will also help the nonprofit deliver advisory services to small business owners across the U.S.
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Women’s Empowerment Initiative: Advancing Equity Through Economic Opportunity in Atlanta and New York
The grant will support the organization to enhance its flagship Career Path program so women living below the poverty line who participate in STRIVE’s Women’s Empowerment Initiative can increase their employability and strengthen their financial skills. The grant will help ensure women’s economic opportunity and help reduce the gender wage gap.
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Disabilities and Work: Regional Conversations and Stories
The grant will support the organization to design and facilitate a town hall in Atlanta, Georgia, with input from thought leaders, experts and influencers on how best to ensure more equitable workforce opportunities for people with disabilities. In addition, the nonprofit will produce two short documentaries on this topic in Atlanta and Chicago, Illinois and launch a social media campaign to generate awareness about this issue.
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Creating the Playbook for Strategic Market Diligence and Expansion
The grant will support the organization to design and pilot an expansion methodology in Denver, Colorado, to strategically assess the viability of successfully entering new regions to deliver no-cost job training to less-advantaged young adults. In addition, the organization will leverage the findings to develop an evidence-based playbook that will guide its national expansion efforts.
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Our Governance
Board of Directors
Michael Arougheti
Director, Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer and President, Ares Management Corporation
Greg Margolies
Partner, Head of Markets, Ares Management Corporation
Michael Weiner
Former General Counsel and Head of Public Policy & Legislative Affairs, Ares Management Corporation
Caroline Blakely
President & CEO, Rebuilding Together