The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has announced $102.5 million in new partnerships and investments to expand its work toward removing barriers to economic mobility across the United States.

The funding, which aligns with the foundation’s Economic Mobility and Opportunity strategy, is part of a four-year, $460 million commitment to expand economic mobility and opportunity among those living in poverty and help remove the barriers that prevent more than 50 million Americans from advancing economically. To that end, the initiative targets those earning at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, which translates to an income of approximately $29,000 for an individual or $60,000 for a family of four.

The program’s investments focus on three principal areas intended to address immediate challenges, reduce barriers to resources, and convene partners for long-term advocacy. Grant recipients include Families and Workers Fund ($20 million), Opportunity@Work ($16.9 million), the Urban Institute ($29.2 million), Prosperity Now, Families and Workers Fund, and Pacific Community Ventures ($15.2 million); and Results for America ($21.2 million).

“Millions of people work hard yet struggle with systemic barriers to economic mobility…education alone is not enough to guarantee that everyone will have access to opportunities or experience long-term, equitable economic outcomes,” Gates Foundation director of U.S. economic mobility and opportunity Ryan Rippel wrote in a post. “Race, ethnicity, gender, and socioeconomic status continue to predict economic security, and opportunities for economic mobility are on the decline. We couldn’t be more excited to announce these new partnerships and investments and to share the future impact they will have on the lives of millions of people experiencing poverty.”

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