Funding will support career path preparation for adults in Cuyahoga County
Cleveland, OH | September 24, 2021 – Deaconess Foundation recently awarded grants, totaling over $1M, to Cuyahoga County-based talent development nonprofits and collaboratives. The grants will be used for work focused on supporting and preparing individuals seeking family-sustaining jobs as well ashelping businesses fill open roles.
“Due to the lingering impacts of COVID, it is more important than ever to provide funding to organizations who are working tirelessly to ensure anyone in our community who wants a job has the support they need to be adequately prepared and successful in that job,” said President and CEO, Cathy Belk. “We are delighted to expand our portfolio of grantees, while continuing to support systems change efforts which improve all aspects of the workforce system, including support for employers trying new approaches to make jobs attractive.”
Grantees include the Spanish-American Committee and NewBridge, both of which are working to prepare individuals for in-demand occupations in growing industries where a person can earn enough to support a family. Spanish-American Committee prepares individuals, typically in Cleveland’s Latinx community, for a career path in the construction industry. NewBridge prepares individuals for occupations in healthcare where the demand today couldn’t be higher.
Grantees also include the Fund for Our Economic Future, a collaboration of philanthropic and civic leaders which has built a portfolio of initiatives to accelerate equitable economic and workforce development (among other things). “By working with other funders through the Fund for Our Economic Future, and by supporting its talented and highly skilled team, we contribute to the creation of a pipeline of initiatives to address some of our region’s thorniest challenges,” said Belk. “By belonging to the Fund, we know challenges important to our region’s inclusive economic growth will be tackled.”
Deaconess grants approximately $2 million a year to organizations working to improve the workforce development ecosystem, including those delivering training and resources to jobseekers or helping employers locate skilled workers for open job opportunities. These grants help adults and young adults prepare for in-demand jobs in high-growth industries including manufacturing, healthcare and IT.
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About Deaconess Foundation
Established in 1997, Deaconess Foundation is a private foundation committed to helping people in need build careers that sustain them and their families. Deaconess makes grants to Cuyahoga County organizations contributing to the workforce development ecosystem. Through these partnerships, Deaconess hopes to build a community in which pathways to family-sustaining jobs and wages are visible and accessible to all. To learn more about Deaconess Foundation visit www.deaconessfdn.org.