Where NEPA’s Investors Build Workforce Solutions—Together

The NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative brings investors together to strengthen workforce solutions across Northeastern Pennsylvania.

NEPA Has the Building Blocks of a Strong, Growing Economy

People choose to stay, return, and build here, and many organizations are already investing in that future.

  • Diverse Industries

    Healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, and service choose NEPA for its workforce, location, and reliability.

  • Committed Employers

    Employers are hiring now, with clear demand for skilled and upskilled workers across multiple sectors.

  • Loyal Workers

    Talent stays in NEPA to raise families, drawn by affordable housing, strong community ties, and steady jobs.

  • Real Opportunity

    Growing industries and post-secondary and workforce training attracts transplants to NEPA.

When Workforce Investments Move Separately, Even Strong Efforts Struggle to Scale

We exist to bring investors together around shared priorities—supporting workers, strengthening employers, and positioning the region for larger, long-term investment.

Who We Are

What We’re Building Together in NEPA

We fund projects that help workers advance, employers grow, and our region compete.

  • Regional Alignment

    Cross-sector engagements that bring leaders from education, workforce, and industry together.

  • Local Upskilling

    Workforce and post-secondary programs bringing professional development into communities.

  • Homegrown Talent

    Efforts to connect businesses to training partners so local workers keep and grow in in-demand roles.

  • Stability to Advance

    Supports that promote security—like child care, transportation, housing, and benefits.

Explore Our Priorities

A Collaborative Built for Scale

We are a growing network of funders and partners aligned around one goal: a stronger, better connected workforce system for Northeastern Pennsylvania.

  • The mission of the Wayne County Community Foundation is to connect people with financial and non-financial resources to improve the quality of life for all people in Wayne County.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus area: Collaborative workforce initiatives across public and private sectors in Wayne County

    Investments:

    • Partnership with the Wayne Pike Workforce Alliance

    • Hosts a Worker Crisis Fund addressing employment barriers

    • Participation in the Wayne Tomorrow! Workforce Task Force

    • Workforce-serving grants through Women in Philanthropy and general grantmaking

  • Scranton Area Community Foundation improves quality of life across Northeastern Pennsylvania through philanthropic stewardship, strategic grantmaking, and community leadership.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Aligning workforce, housing, transportation, and education systems

    • Advancing transit-oriented development

    • Strengthening school-to-work pathways

    • Developing a regional workforce asset map

    • Coordinating employer-informed regional strategies.

    Investments:

    • Catalyst for launching the NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative

    • Partnership with the City of Scranton to advance a regional workforce asset map

    • Participation in the Aspen Institute’s Workforce Leadership Academy

    Opportunity:

    • Regional scale and coordinated investment

    • Reduced duplication across funders and partners

    • Stronger employer-aligned, system-level workforce strategies

  • NEPA Healthcare Foundation improves health and well-being across Northeastern Pennsylvania by investing in healthcare access, workforce strength, and social determinants of health.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Healthcare talent pipelines from secondary to postsecondary

    • Nursing, behavioral health, primary care, and allied health roles

    • Entry-level pathways and upward mobility opportunities

    • Workforce retention and worker well-being

    • Employer–education alignment

    Investments:

    • Education-to-employment healthcare pathways

    • Employer-aligned training programs

    • Retention and advancement strategies

    • Barrier reduction through provider, education, and intermediary partnerships

    Impact:

    • Careers in Care initiative (since 2021)

    • $1.5–$1.7M multi-year workforce commitment

    • $1M+ distributed in Nursing Scholarships

    • Additional workforce pipeline and recruitment grants

    • Serving Lackawanna, Luzerne, and Wyoming counties

    Opportunity:

    • Coordinated regional healthcare workforce investment

    • Aligned training pipelines

    • Reduced duplication

    • Stronger long-term workforce sustainability

  • Moses Taylor Foundation builds healthy communities and expands opportunities for healthier lives in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Expanding education and training opportunities

    • Strengthening employer retention strategies

    • Supporting health care workforce innovation

    Investments:

    • System-level healthcare workforce solutions

    • Education and training partnerships

    • Projects that educate, train, employ, and retain providers at all levels

    Impact:

    During the period January 1, 2021-December 31, 2025:

    • 29 workforce projects funded

    • 11 counties (MTF service area) supported

    • $4,053,200 invested

    Opportunity:

    • Leveraging resources to attract outside investment

    • Expanding proven initiatives

    • Advancing system-level regional solutions

  • The Luzerne Foundation enhances the lives of Luzerne County residents through strategic grantmaking, responsible philanthropy, and donor engagement.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Expanding access to education and skills training

    • Reducing barriers to career advancement

    • Supporting affordable, high-quality childcare

    • Strengthening long-term economic stability

    Investments:

    • Grantmaking across seven priority areas

    • 115 scholarship funds supporting healthcare, trades, and career pathways

    • Childcare capital improvements

    • Leadership and skills training

    • Nonprofit capacity-building

    • Dual-credit opportunities for high school students

    Impact:

    • 20+ workforce projects funded

    • Serving Luzerne County

    • $1M+ invested in workforce solutions

    Opportunity:

    • Coordinated regional investment

    • Reduced systemic barriers

    • Scalable workforce pathways for Luzerne County

  • JobsFirst creates and advances solutions that break down barriers and transform systems supporting young adults and their communities.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Community-based solutions for young adults out of school and work

    • Equitable postsecondary and career pathways

    • Employer and worker-centered practices

    • Policy innovation grounded in research and field practice

    Investments:

    • CommunityINC model expansion beyond NYC

    • Launch of local intermediaries

    • Infrastructure for collaboration and cross-sector trust

    • Policy alignment and scalable systems design

    Impact:

    • Supported launch of JobsFirst NEPA Workforce Intermediary

    • Supported NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative

    • Serving Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, and Wayne counties

    • $165K+ raised and leveraged, plus in-kind staff time and travel

  • The Carbon County Community Foundation connects donors to local causes, invests in nonprofits through strategic grants, and leads Carbon County toward a stronger future.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Youth and young adult career pathways

    • Access to postsecondary education and credentialing

    • Housing and transportation barriers

    • Nonprofit and human service capacity

    Investments:

    • Responsive grants supporting career readiness and training

    • Donor-advised funding for youth development

    • Support for skills training and economic mobility

    • Investments addressing systemic workforce barriers.

    Impact:

    • 3 workforce-related projects

    • Serving Carbon County

    • $10,000 invested

    Opportunity:

    • Alignment with regional strategy

    • Shared learning and pooled influence

    • Representation of rural workforce priorities

  • AllOne Foundation & Charities improves lives in Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania through measurable health and welfare investments.

    WHAT THEY’RE MAKING POSSIBLE:

    Focus areas:

    • Regional healthcare workforce strengthening

    • Health and wellness workforce sustainability

    Investments:

    • Designated Healthcare Workforce as a core Impact Area (2023)

    • Convened Healthcare Workforce Summit

    • Investments in regional healthcare workforce initiatives

    • Scranton Healthcare Workforce Preservation Fund

    Impact:

    • $2.25M+ invested

    • ~15 healthcare workforce projects

    • 13 counties across Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania

Join the Collaborative

Invest alongside peers, learn from regional partners, and help shape the future of NEPA’s workforce.

Get Involved