Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance
The Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance (CWFA) collaborates with employers and other workforce stakeholders to increase employment, earnings and racial equity for underprepared workers in the Chicago region.
As the Chicago region’s workforce development funder collaborative, the Funder Alliance develops and fund initiatives that empower employer-led workforce solutions, improve our region’s workforce development systems and promote job quality for every worker. It is hosted by The Chicago Community Trust.
The CWFA was founded in 2012, and it created the ProPath fund in 2015. Today, it’s a driving force behind improving employment conditions and developing the workforce throughout Chicagoland.
About the ProPath Fund
In 2015, the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance came together with a number of education funders to advance a shared interest in promoting the development of a Chicagoland education and workforce system with a seamless transition from secondary to post-secondary programs. The ProPath Fund was created to improve this transition by expanding the transparency and accessibility of post-secondary programs.
About Origami Works Foundation
Origami Works Foundation is a member of the ProPath Fund. Based in Chicago, Origami Works is a funder and leader of workforce development initiatives.
Advisory Committee
An advisory committee for Chicagoland CareerPathways was formed in January 2020. As of that date members are Matt Bruce (Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance; Committee Chair); January Miller (Embarc; Product Owner); Maria Bucio (Chicago Public Schools); Pam Johnson Davis (OneGoal); Andrea Elzy (Thrive Chicago); Cheryl Freeman (City Colleges of Chicago); Jonathan Furr (Education Systems Center); Dana Horstein (Chicago Jobs Council); Robin Lavin (The Osa Foundation); Dinaz Mansuri (The Mayer and Morris Kaplan Family Foundation); Michael Moriarty (Chicago Teachers Union Foundation); Jay Rowell (Hire360); Alex Ritson (OneGoal); Emily Rusca (Education Systems Center); Misuzu Schexnider (UChicago Poverty Lab).
Thank You
Many organizations and individuals have provided input to this project, contributed to making this directory available, and / or provided feedback to early versions. These include (but are not limited to) Axil / DoGood Strategies; CCAPS; Center for Workforce Development, Southern Illinois University; Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership; Chicago Jobs Council; Chicago Public Schools; Chicago Teachers Union Foundation; Circle of Service Foundation; City Colleges of Chicago; College Possible; Educational Systems Center at North Illinois University; Embarc; Enlace; John Horan; iMentor; Intrinsic Schools; Kaplan Family Foundation; Knackbuilders; Noble Charter Schools; OneGoal; Osa Foundation; State of Illinois; Thierer Family Foundation; University of Chicago Consortium on School Research; University of Chicago Urban Labs; Utmost U; YI Advisors; Young Invincibles; Youth Guidance.