The Award Winning Meaning of Collaboration

Today, the National Fund for Workforce Solutions was presented the highest award bestowed by the Council on Foundations: the Distinguished Grantmaking Award for Collaboration. It speaks to the leadership role that philanthropy must take in helping America’s workers and businesses succeed in a post-recession economy. Even more important, it speaks to how the National Fund operates.

The National Fund is a partnership involving approximately 200 funders nationwide. It is led by some of the nation’s leading foundations. As Barbara Dyer, president and CEO of The Hitachi Foundation and Chair of the National Fund, discusses in this brief video interview, it is structured to support and learn from local innovation. Yes, there are strategies that help guide the 22 local sites. But what’s unique is that this award-winning collaboration is structured to ensure that workers are prepared for careers, businesses have skilled employees, and resources are allocated based on community priorities.

Take three minutes and watch this interview. Dyer talks about how the National Fund is built upon local ownership. She also discusses the value of shifting some of the billions of dollars invested in training by employers to the training of low-income employees.

(Dyer refers to two initiatives in the video: the National Fund and Jobs to Careers, another workforce development project, this one specifically focusing on frontline health care employees, that also won a prestigious award today.)