About Azgari Foundation

Our mission

The Azgari Foundation's mission is to provide tuition-free career training, mentorship, and job-ready skills education to young adults ages 16–25 who are aging out of foster care or the juvenile justice system. We believe every young person deserves a pathway to economic independence, regardless of the circumstances they were born into.

Where we are, September 2026: our first cohort of six participants is in training with partner Youth First Community (two each in the Marketing Specialist, Web Developer, and Administrative Assistant tracks), and the first graduates are expected in late 2026. Referrals and applications for the next cohort are open at azgari.org/apply.

What we do

We deliver tuition-free, fully online workforce training that takes a young person from no work history to job-ready in 16 to 24 weeks, depending on the program. All five programs are $0 to the participant and designed for young adults aging out of foster care and other opportunity youth.

Our five programs are:

• Marketing Specialist. AI-enabled digital marketing, including brand building, content, websites, social media, SEO, and paid advertising (~24 weeks)
• Bookkeeping & Accounting Clerk. Transaction recording, invoicing, reconciliations, and cash-flow management (~24 weeks)
• Computer User Support Specialist (IT Help Desk). Help-desk fundamentals, business software setup and support, and basic AI automation (~20 weeks)
• Web Developer. Planning, building, and launching small-business websites with AI-assisted tools (~24 weeks)
• Administrative Assistant. Business communication, scheduling, document and records management (~16 weeks)

Eligible young adults can apply directly. Case managers, transition-living programs, and other youth-serving agencies can also refer an eligible young adult, and the Foundation coordinates with those partners under written agreements to provide wraparound support. Participants who complete a program receive placement support, ongoing mentorship from volunteer instructors, and access to the Foundation's employer partner network. No job, income, or business result is guaranteed.

Our story

Azgari Foundation was incorporated in Delaware on December 3, 2025, and received IRS 501(c)(3) determination as a public charity under IRC §170(b)(1)(A)(vi). The Foundation was founded by Azgari Lipshy, an entrepreneur and nonprofit executive who saw firsthand how few structured pathways exist for young adults exiting the foster care system.

Governance and independence. Azgari Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) public charity under IRC §170(b)(1)(A)(vi), governed by its own Board of Directors under Delaware nonprofit law and IRS public charity standards. It maintains separate legal, operational, and financial controls, including its own financial records and bank accounts, from all commercial firms and outside business entities. All directors serve without compensation under a conflict-of-interest policy adopted at formation. The Foundation designs, staffs, and delivers all of its own training, mentorship, and educational programming, and 100% of donations and grant revenue support its charitable workforce mission.

Legal and tax information

Leadership

Azgari Lipshy, Founder & Executive Director

Azgari Lipshy is a nonprofit executive and the founder of Azgari Foundation. She created the Foundation after recognizing that the foster care system produces economically vulnerable young adults who lack the professional networks, mentorship, and capital access that most career pathways assume. Her work focuses on closing that gap through structured, free, skills-based training.

Governance and transparency

Azgari Foundation is governed by an independent Board of Directors operating under Delaware nonprofit law and IRS requirements for public charities. All directors serve without compensation. The Foundation maintains a conflict-of-interest policy adopted at formation.

Name	Role
Azgari Lipshy	Founder & Executive Director (Director)
Stephen Dugan	Co-Founder · AI & Software Director (Director)
Dr. Md Enamul Karim	Faculty Chair · AI & Computer Science (Director)
Khadijah Karim	AI Education Fellow (Director)
Nasreen Ahmed	Clinical Support Lead · LPC-A (Director)
Rowshanara Moly	Director

The Foundation's IRS determination letter, financial statements, and board information are available upon request. Annual Form 990 filings are submitted to the IRS as required.

Download the IRS determination letter (Letter 947, PDF). To request financial statements or Form 990 filings, contact: grants@azgari.org