Social impact
Kyndryl Foundation expands global cybersecurity and AI skills grants
Press release
7 Apr 2026
0:00
0:00
Through its global support of nonprofit organizations committed to providing advancement opportunities to communities and individuals, Kyndryl Foundation reinforces Kyndryl’s values of human progress and innovation. Kyndryl Foundation commits to supporting these values long-term. We identify and energize the like-minded entities that know their communities best, and have developed effective grassroots campaigns focused on skills development, job placement, and providing pathways to advancement and belonging.
As a people-centered services firm, among Kyndryl’s first orders of business was to establish a philanthropic foundation. Now in its third year, Kyndryl Foundation’s growth and global impact mirror the company’s commitment to shared values through innovation and growth. The third-year grant program supports 14 nonprofit organizations in 13 countries — each committed to providing meaningful opportunities for personal and community advancement.
Kyndryl Foundation expands global cybersecurity and AI skills grants
At Kyndryl Foundation, we believe meaningful impact starts with trust and is sustained through long‑term commitment. Our grant program is designed not as a one‑time transaction, but as a partnership — one where we listen, learn and work alongside our nonprofit partners over time. By investing in relationships, we enable organizations closest to their communities to lead lasting change.
Fulfilling a dream
When Ankita Dey left her family’s farm in a small village in India to pursue a computer science degree, she was taking the first steps toward a new life. After she graduated, she saw a webinar for Cyber Vaahini. “Since then, there has been no turning back,” Dey says.
The Data Security Council of India joined forces with Kyndryl Foundation in 2024 to launch Cyber Vaahini, a four-month interactive training program for engineering graduates. In its first year, Cyber Vaahini provided 135 individuals who might not have otherwise had these opportunities with security skilling, access to leading industry partners, and placement opportunities.
“Cyber Vaahini helped me with a wealth of knowledge, giving me vision and direction to pursue. The program unlocked a world of cyber resources for me,” Ankita says. “This opportunity also gives me hope that I can repay the educational loan my family took to support my academic journey. I aspire to stay sincere towards work and reap the rewards that follow.”
Starting from scratch, Katarína Pořízková is one of more than 76,000 people Czechitas has helped train for jobs in IT, cybersecurity, and AI over the last decade. Following maternity leave from being an animal trainer at a zoo, the mother of three decided to pursue a career change to provide her family with a better livelihood. She started from scratch with an Introduction to Cybersecurity course offered by long-time Kyndryl Foundation partner Czechitas — a non-profit organization dedicated to providing IT skills and job preparation/placement assistance. Katarína then tackled Czechitas’ intensive, three-month Digital Academy curriculum.
“I realized that technology isn’t just for the chosen few,” Katarína says. “All it takes is the willingness to learn and a supportive environment. And that’s what I found at Czechitas.”
Kyndryl Foundation | 2026 grantees
A second chance
Second chances can be hard to come by in traditional societies. Japan’s Sodateage Net offers new beginnings for unemployed and isolated youth by helping them find employment and re-engage with society. As a hikikomori, a socially withdrawn young person, Yuichi Tanaka had fallen through the cracks. But through working with Sodateage Net — a third-year Kyndryl Foundation partner — Yuichi now has a steady job at an IT company.
“Through the Youth Drive for Cybersecurity program, I gained foundational knowledge and experience working with others,” Yuichi says. “The teamwork experience supports my learning to interact more effectively at work, as my colleagues and I bring new perspectives to managing everyday security risks,” he says. “And having responsibility and earning income has given me confidence and a sense of self-worth.”
Exploring a new world
As a resident of New Brunswick, Canada, Robert Paul grew up hunting, fishing and foraging with his father. But after high school, Robert discovered an interest in computer programming and its potential to provide him with a meaningful career. So he enrolled in a computer skills training program run by the Joint Economic Development Initiative (JEDI) — a Kyndryl Foundation partner since 2024.
JEDI has supported economic development for the Mi'kmaq, Wolastoqiyik (Maliseet) and Peskotomuhkati (Passamaquoddy) people in New Brunswick for more than 30 years. “I really loved learning Python,” Robert says. And after a year of intensive skills training, plus a four-month paid internship, he was ready to join the workforce. “I wasn’t used to a corporate environment,” Robert says. “But the JEDI internship helped me adjust.”
Robert is nearing the completion of his first year at a leading Canadian bank, where he works alongside another JEDI graduate who’s been with the bank since 2023.
Learn more about Kyndryl Foundation and its grantee partners in the Kyndryl Foundation Annual Impact Summary.
