We are proud to announce that Cincinnati Works is one of four local organizations to receive $109,000 grants from Impact 100. The 2019 Grant Recipients were announced last night at the Impact 100 Annual Award Celebration.
The grant will allow us to expand our Workforce Connection initiative, which embeds a Cincinnati Works coach in a local workforce, so they can help frontline employees manage the life challenges that may otherwise make it difficult for them to get and keep a job.
Specifically, the Impact 100 grant will pay for the salary, benefits, training and expenses for one additional coach for the next two years. That coach will be available to help hundreds of low-wage workers over the next two years, which in turn will help stabilize hundreds of families and allow numerous local companies to retain their frontline workforce.
Workforce Connection currently has four full-time workforce coaches and one financial coach who work with 11 employer partners. Coaches support employees by connecting them to resources and programs to manage work-life balance, transportation barriers, and also provide financial coaching so employees can focus on budgeting, getting to work, excelling in their job, and advancing their careers – which results in higher-paid jobs to advance people beyond poverty. We know that when companies invest in the retention and advancement of their hourly employees, they can improve business outcomes and at the same time contribute to a more economically just society.
Other 2019 Impact 100 Grant Recipients are: St. Vincent de Paul Charitable Pharmacy, NEST Community Learning Center, and Activities Beyond the Classroom.
Since its inception in 2001, Impact 100 has invested more than $5 million to innovative non-profits in the region. Impact 100 was founded in Cincinnati by a group of women who wanted to make a greater impact with their philanthropic donations by pooling their funds to create a significant grant. The name Impact 100 comes from the initial goal of 100 women, each contributing $1,000, awarding one $100,000 grant to a nonprofit organization.