Search Through Workforce Grants in Pennsylvania in the U.S.

In a grant cycle, the Board of Directors of AllOne Foundation specifically identifies an “Impact Area” for which grants are sought and funded. AllOne Foundation only considers grant requests for the Impact Areas identified. For grant funding in 2024, programs in all five impact areas are open for consideration.

• Behavioral Health
  • Organizations that empower people to overcome behavioral and mental health issues with appropriate and quality services.
• Women & Children
  • Organizations improving access to comprehensive, quality, health care to women and children.
• Autism
  • Organizations enhancing the delivery system and minimizing the gaps for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
• Opioid Solutions
  • Organizations developing or implementing innovative programs to correct and solve the Opioid Crisis.
• Food Security
  • Organizations implementing model solutions to address fresh food access and nutrition to combat diseases.
• Healthcare Workforce
  • Organizations in the health sector addressing the workforce crisis and resolving the future of care.

Our Vision

To work with others or independently to enhance the present healthcare delivery system of Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania and to be innovative, creative, and collaborative in crafting new ways of improving the health and welfare of the people of Northeastern and North Central Pennsylvania.

Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC)

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) is a unique federal-state partnership providing social and economic support for a 13-state region stretching along the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi, including western North Carolina.

Established by the United States Congress in 1965, when Appalachia was considered "a region apart" from the rest of the nation, ARC has worked to bring Appalachia's 26 million people into America's economic mainstream.

Area Development Program

ARC’s Area Development program relies on a flexible “bottom up” approach to economic development, empowering Appalachian communities to work with their state governments to design impactful investment opportunities supporting our mission and investment priorities.

Within the scope of our Strategic Plan, ARC’s Area Development program makes investments in two general areas: critical infrastructure and business and workforce development. Critical infrastructure investments mainly include water and wastewater systems, transportation networks, broadband, and other projects anchoring regional economic development. Business and workforce investments primarily focus on entrepreneurship, worker training and education, food systems, leadership, and other human capital development.

ARC Strategic Plan

A comprehensive strategic planning process involving federal, state, and local officials and citizens resulted in, Appalachia Envisioned: A New Era of Opportunity – ARC Strategic Plan 2022-2026, which focuses investments under these five general goals:

• Building Appalachian Businesses:
  • Strengthen and diversify the region’s economy through inclusive economic development strategies and investments in entrepreneurship and business development
• Building Appalachia’s Workforce Ecosystem
  • Expand and strengthen community systems (education, healthcare, housing, childcare, and others) that help Appalachians obtain a job, stay on the job, and advance along a financially sustaining career pathway.
• Building Appalachia’s Infrastructure
  • Ensure that the residents and businesses of Appalachia have access to reliable, affordable, resilient, and energy efficient utilities and infrastructure in order to successfully live and work in the region.
• Building Regional Culture and Tourism:
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by preserving and investing in the region’s local, cultural heritage, and natural assets.
• Building Community Leaders and Capacity:
  • Invest in the capacity of local leaders, organizations, and communities to address local challenges by providing technical assistance and support to access resources, engage partners, identify strategies and tactics, and conduct effective planning and project execution.

FirstEnergy Foundation Grant

The FirstEnergy Foundation's contributions to local nonprofit organizations help strengthen the social and economic fabric of our communities. Funded solely by FirstEnergy, the Foundation extends the corporate philosophy of providing community support.

The FirstEnergy Foundation priorities: 

• Improving the quality of life in our communities and supporting key safety initiatives
• Empowering our communities’ workforce development and educational initiatives
• Promoting local and regional economic development
• Supporting employee leadership and volunteer interests that align with our business interests

Foundations in Industry Training (FIT) Grant Program

The Pre-Apprentice and Apprenticeship Grant Program (Apprenticeship Program) is a statewide program which offers assistance to registered apprenticeship programs. The program’s goal is to increase apprenticeship availability to Pennsylvania employers to assist them with their talent recruitment and development.

Uses

Funding will be provided to eligible applicants for the purpose of reaching the goal of increasing apprenticeship accessibility across the state. Eligible uses of funds are expenses related to instruction that complements on-the-job learning.

Funding

Sponsors may request funding for plans not to exceed three years, at $3,000 per apprentice per year. Costs incurred above this amount are the responsibility of the employer.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Since its founding in 1951 by John Hartwell Hillman, Jr., the Hillman Foundation’s mission has been to improve the quality of life in Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania. The Foundation supports grantmaking that will establish the Pittsburgh region as a national leader in developing and implementing ideas that improve people's lives.Strategic PrioritiesHillman Foundation strives to improve the quality of life in the Pittsburgh region through strategic grantmaking focused on economic development, health, education, human services, the arts, and the environment.

Arts and Culture

• Intersection: Fostering the inclusion of arts and culture into all other focus areas
• Education: Increasing the availability and quality of arts and culture PreK-12 education
• Making Pittsburgh a destination: Enhancing Pittsburgh’s standing as an internationally-respected, vibrant, and diverse arts and culture destination and as an artist-friendly city

Community and Economic Development

• Economic mobility: Increasing economic mobility through affordable housing, asset building programs, entrepreneurship support, and other promising initiatives
• Supporting communities: Bolstering neighborhood anchors through capacity building for community development corporations, flexible capital for community plan implementation, and incentivizing collaboration within and between neighborhoods
• Transportation modernization: Improving quality of life by modernizing the regional transportation system for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists, and drivers through research, pilot projects, and targeted capital investments

Education and Workforce Development

• Innovative approaches to workforce development: Investing in the future of work and learning through pilots and/or expansions of education and training approaches that prepare the regional workforce for living wage careers
• Early learners: Creating strong foundations by supporting early childhood centers, staff, and teachers, and progress toward universal pre-K

Energy and Environment

• Low-carbon: Aiding the transition to a low-carbon economy
• Outdoor parks and recreation: Improving the environment for healthy living, including support for land conservation, parks, and other outdoor recreational assets
• Clean water: Ensuring access to reliable and clean water supplies and high-functioning stormwater/wastewater management
• Identifying best practices: Certification initiatives, performance measurement, and promoting best practice development

Health and Medicine

• Addressing social determinants of health: Promoting a culture of health through initiatives that support good health for all, like quality affordable housing, healthy food, and violence prevention
• Preventing chronic disease: Prevention initiatives as well as supporting those living with chronic disease through evidence-based best practices
• Accessible and affordable healthcare: Strengthening accessibility, affordability, and quality of regional healthcare, including rural health care and telemedicine
• Robust workforce: Ensuring that the region can recruit and retain a qualified and diverse health care workforce, including innovative strategies like community health care workers

Human Services

• Innovation: Continuing to build a strong human services sector through investments in organizational financial stability, innovative delivery models, and human capital
• Service models and policy change: Accelerating momentum for change, particularly in criminal justice, homelessness, substance abuse, and healthy mothers and families

About Us

Manufacturing PA is part of Governor Wolf’s Jobs that Pay Initiative, which supports Pennsylvania’s manufacturing community by offering targeted programs and services through the PA Department of Community and Economic Development and its strategic partners. Training-to-Career Grants support projects that result in short-term work-readiness training, entry-level job placement, or the advancement of the manufacturing industry.

The Department of Community and Economic Development’s mission is to encourage the shared prosperity of all Pennsylvanians by supporting good stewardship and sustainable development initiatives across our commonwealth. With a keen eye toward diversity and inclusiveness, we act as advisors and advocates, providing strategic technical assistance, training, and financial resources to help our communities and industries flourish.

Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program

The Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant program will not duplicate existing programs such as WEDNet and Next Generation Industry Partnerships but is designed to help companies identify and train a skilled workforce for existing or near future open positions, engage youth or those with barriers in awareness building activities of career opportunities in manufacturing, and or advance capacity for local or regional manufacturers

The grant funds may be used for professional services/consultants, internships, equipment purchase, shop modifications, program development, marketing, domestic travel, and salaries and fringes.

Background

Mary Hillman Jennings (1921–1979) created the Foundation in 1968 with the intention of advancing her charitable work and her support for Pittsburgh-area nonprofit organizations. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to a wide range of community activities and believed that a truly world-class region invests in its most vulnerable citizens and its most disadvantaged communities.

Providing opportunity for people in southwestern Pennsylvania facing barriers

Improving the quality of life in southwestern Pennsylvania for all, with a focus on communities historically left out of opportunity, is central to Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation's approach.

Priorities

In the greater Pittsburgh region, Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation's grantmaking focuses on community development, health, education, human services, the arts, and the environment. Serving the most vulnerable among us is a top priority.

• Arts and Culture
• Community and Economic Development
• Education and Workforce Development
• Energy and Environment
• Health and Medicine
• Human Services

Strategic Priorities

Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation prioritizes investments that increase opportunities and promote the economic, social, and emotional welfare of those whose voices and concerns are often overlooked. Current priorities are focused on programs that provide direct services to:

At-Risk Children and Youth

• After-school programs
• Culturally relevant arts and culture education

Homeless Individuals

• Homelessness prevention and response
• Low-to-no barrier housing options and supportive services

Immigrants and Refugees

• Culturally responsive approaches that promote well-being and inclusion, such as translation, interpretation, and student supports

Low-Income Workers

• Neighborhood-based workforce development and financial empowerment initiatives

Mothers and Children

• Lowering premature morbidity and mortality
• Supporting maternal and child well-being from birth

People Struggling with Addiction and Recovery

• Prevention, education, harm-reduction, and increased access to existing services
• Increasing community response capacity

People Formerly Incarcerated who are Re-Entering the Community

• Policy changes, diversion models, collaborative approaches, and innovative in-jail and re-entry programs for juveniles and adults

Victims of Violence

• Reducing neighborhood violence through evidence-based programs
• Mental health and other essential services

The Problem

The region’s economic prosperity is hindered by a widening gap in economic opportunities among residents and education systems that are not keeping pace with what the workforce of the future needs to compete in the innovation economy

Our Vision

A region that is an engine for economic growth and vitality by investing in the ingenuity and creativity of its population, enhancing individuals’ economic prosperity, and strengthening our sense of community.

Investment Areas

Talent Development

This investment area aims to advance education, training and development for adults (age 18 and above) in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties to help them gain the skills to succeed in the new economy – an economy marked by continual technological disruption, and innovation that is empowering people to transform our world. As technologies change, so do the skills that are in high demand. We are particularly interested in proposals that aim to grow the adult talent pool’s 21st century skills, facilitate career pathways and pipelines to employment, and improve the region’s workforce systems.

Talent Development proposals should include outcomes such as:

• Improvement in skills
• Participation in, or strengthening of, industry-based partnerships
• Participation in on-the-job and work-based learning opportunities
• Development of career pipelines and pathways
• Navigation and awareness of career opportunities
• Employment and retention in new economy jobs that offer family-sustaining earnings

21st Century Skills – Individuals with transferable 21st century skills—such as critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and other workplace competencies—will have the ability to navigate the new economy, improve their employment status and wages, and enhance their resilience to industry-specific shocks. The Foundation seeks proposals that focus on education and training opportunities that convey skills and are performance-based, rather than solely knowledge- or content-based. This could include novel instructional methods that are hands-on and practical, such as on-line as well as brick-and-mortar programming; and embedding work-based learning and on-the-job opportunities within programming.

Career Pathways – The Foundation seeks proposals that aim to build and support pathways and pipelines to careers in the new economy that are person-centered and accommodate the wide variation in the ways people in our region sequence their education and careers. This could include efforts that enable individuals to secure industry-relevant certification and obtain employment within an occupational area; flexible, stackable, and micro-credentialing efforts that provide sustainable pathways for adults to improve their life opportunities; giving new skills to incumbent workers; transitioning vulnerable workers into viable and high-quality new-economy jobs; or efforts that raise individuals’ awareness about career opportunities.

Workforce Development Systems – An employment and skills-driven education and training system prepares people for the jobs of today and imparts the skills needed for the jobs of tomorrow. The Foundation seeks proposals that employ a systems approach to workforce development; proposals therefore must include sector-based partnerships or collaboration with employers in new-economy industries.

Employment Opportunities

This investment area aims to foster adults’ access to opportunities for employment in the new economy, thereby allowing them to gain income and wealth and forge economic independence. The Foundation is particularly interested in proposals that aim to expand access to jobs in the new economy, foster entrepreneurism, and support workers in the gig economy.

Employment Opportunities proposals could include outcomes such as:

• Increase in new economy jobs or businesses
• Employment, income, or retention rates of hires in new economy jobs that offer family-sustaining earnings
• Participation in activities that foster new economy business growth
• Attraction of capital to foster start-ups and businesses
• Stabilization of employment and earnings for gig economy and independent workers
• Increase in the re-entry of women or vulnerable populations who have left the labor force or who are underemployed
• Reduction in stressors of workers by supporting connections to the social safety net, improving financial literacy, lessening social isolation, or cultivating resilience in the face of constant change and uncertainty

Business and Job Creation – The Foundation seeks proposals that support the creation of jobs that offer family-sustaining wages, are career enhancing for individuals, and support individuals in obtaining and succeeding in occupations of the future or that connect underemployed or unemployed people with job opportunities in high-priority occupations in innovation economy fields.

Entrepreneurship – Small businesses are the backbone of our nation’s economy. Yet, the rate of entrepreneurship has been declining in the United States since the 1970s. Although the region has made recent strides in supporting small businesses and entrepreneurism, more work remains. The Foundation seeks proposals that aim to support efforts to allow entrepreneurship to thrive, to attract capital to foster start-ups and businesses, to build the region’s entrepreneurship ecosystem, and to support efforts for underrepresented groups to jumpstart or grow entrepreneurship efforts.

Economic Independence – Increasing numbers of people are disconnected workers—those who are left out of the “formal” economy. Recent estimates report that one in three prime working age (25-54) Black men and one in six white men fit this description. This is also the case for women, as the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on women’s labor-force participation. Concurrently, a relatively large portion of the workforce is made up of independent, gig, and contract workers: in July 2020, 41 percent of Americans on unemployment insurance—nearly 13 million people—were people who had been self-employed; independent contractors; gig-economy workers; those with limited recent work history; and those looking for part-time work. The growth of nontraditional work arrangements such as freelance employment and contract employment has brought about concomitant challenges, since the current labor market and workplace is not keeping pace with the shifting nature of this flexible workforce. Independent, gig and contract work often is considered tenuous and unstable because of the impermanence of “jobs.” However, there are some positive elements to independent work that could be more deeply supported: freelance type of work supports a person-centered economy in which workers have control over the type and flow of tasks. The Foundation seeks proposals that support individuals’ nontraditional, independent employment avenues and careers as freelancers and contractors, or in the gig economy. We also seek proposals that aim to grow young talent to become leaders in the new innovation economy; address inequities and challenges facing workers in these fields; and that foster needed adaptations as the region moves toward remote work in the COVID economy, or toward ways to “work” that have not yet been invented.

Community Building

This investment area focuses on transformational efforts that improve the quality of life in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. It aims to support innovation, creativity and infrastructure so the region is vibrant, exciting, welcoming and livable. The Foundation is particularly interested in proposals that enhance arts and culture; innovation districts that act as hubs for new-economy industry, work, and creative spaces; and infrastructure and transportation. These investments work in tandem to attract visitors and new residents to the region, as well as to enhance the lives of current residents.

Arts and Culture – A core element of economic development, arts and culture enhance the region’s vitality and livability. The Foundation aims to support the region as it becomes an international arts destination by investing in core arts institutions, artists, and artistic and creative communities.

Innovation Districts – Innovation Districts are geographic areas where leading-edge anchor institutions and companies cluster and connect with start-ups, business incubators and accelerators. These are investments in places and spaces where entrepreneurs and businesses can grow and thrive, further enhancing the quality of life of residents in the neighborhoods around these districts.

Infrastructure and Transportation – By investing in infrastructure, transportation, and in nimble solutions for increasing mobility and accessibility, the Foundation aims to support the region to meet the needs of a variety of users, as well as drive regional growth and competitiveness. Investments aim to connect communities to economic centers, ease traffic congestion and related air pollution, as well as facilitate economic mobility by connecting individuals to cultural and recreational assets, employment opportunities, support resources and more.

Appalachian Regional Commission

The Appalachian Region, as defined in ARC’s authorizing legislation, is a 205,000-square-mile region that follows the spine of the Appalachian Mountains from southern New York to northern Mississippi. It includes all of West Virginia and parts of 12 other states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Each year in Pennsylvania, ARC provides funding for numerous projects in the Appalachian Region in a wide range of program areas. The projects funded in the program areas create thousands of new jobs, improve local water and sewer systems, increase school readiness, expand access to health care, assist local communities with strategic planning and provide technical and managerial assistance to emerging businesses.

Uses

The state will look favorably at projects where there are new business start-ups and job creation and at those projects that will enhance the community and economic vitality of the state. When approving a particular project, the state will also consider whether the project will improve, on a continuing rather than a temporary basis, the opportunities for employment and the average level of income or economic and social development of the area served by the project.

Funding

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) awards grants and contracts from funds appropriated to the Commission annually by Congress. ARC funds are leveraged with other federal, state and local money to provide a broad array of small business assistance to the Appalachian region. The priorities for investment of ARC resources are determined essentially to accomplish five long-term strategic goals for Pennsylvania’s economy:

• GOAL 1: Economic Opportunities
  • Invest in entrepreneurial and business development strategies that strengthen Appalachia’s economy.
• GOAL 2: Ready Workforce
  • Increase the education, knowledge, skills, and health of residents to work and succeed in Appalachia.
• GOAL 3: Critical Infrastructure
  • Invest in critical infrastructure—especially broadband; transportation (including the Appalachian Development Highway System); and water/wastewater systems.
• GOAL 4: Natural and Cultural Assets
  • Strengthen Appalachia’s community and economic development potential by leveraging the Region’s natural and cultural heritage assets.
• GOAL 5: Leadership and Community Capacity
  • Build the capacity and skills of current and next-generation leaders and organizations to innovate, collaborate, and advance community and economic development.

EQT Foundation

EQT is proud to be a part of the many communities where we operate, live and work. We believe strongly that giving back is a responsibility, and we’ve stayed true to that belief since the EQT Foundation was established in 2003 as a dedicated resource for financial, in-kind and volunteer support to communities touched by our business.

Since its inception, the EQT Foundation has awarded more than $74 million to nonprofits throughout the operational footprint of EQT Corporation. We are committed to supporting the education and training of children and adults; the development of diverse, livable communities; and preserving our natural environments.

The EQT Foundation believes in meaningful engagement with the communities it calls home and takes great pride in being a responsible and responsive corporate citizen. The EQT Foundation focuses its resources on areas that have a direct effect on the stability of communities and, in turn, contribute to the success of its business operations in those areas.

Funding Priorities

The EQT Foundation’s funding strategy endorses organizations and programs that directly impact the community and its residents. The Foundation supports nonprofits that demonstrate positive, needed, and trusted impacts throughout their community with special attention given to proposals grounded in analysis that demonstrate creative approaches to addressing critical issues.

The EQT Foundation also seeks evidence of:

• Geographic setting that aligns with EQT Corporation’s business locations;
• Ability to manage available resources effectively; and
• Outreach that gains solid public recognition and support for the nonprofit, its programs and sponsors.

The Foundation’s funding priorities are:

Community Enrichment

Encourage the development of diverse, safe, healthy, and sustainable communities, which can help to retain residential, commercial and economic growth.

Examples: Food banks, libraries, farmers markets, arts & music programs, community festivals & initiatives

Education & Workforce

Promote proficiency in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) topics for youth, as well as training programs to create a future skilled workforce.

Examples: In-school STEM-based curricula, computer and science camps, project-based learning, teacher professional development, career planning and preparation

Environment

Support the preservation of natural resources, and educate children, residents, and businesses to employ conservation techniques to minimize adverse impacts on the environment.

Examples: community gardens, watershed conservation, environmental education, preservation and restoration of green spaces

CNX Foundation Grant

CNX has been part of our Appalachian region for over 155 years, and the pride we have for Appalachian communities is hard to put into words. So we’re putting it into action.

CNX has committed $30 million toward improving our communities and generating long-term, sustainable returns for the region, our industry, and our company. “We are on a mission to change the trajectory of our region and to improve the lives of our neighbors,” said CNX President and CEO Nick DeIuliis. “Our industry is the lifeblood of the regional economy and the foundation of our social fabric. These investments will provide returns for our local communities for years to come. This is what sustainability and ESG mean to CNX".

Mission Statement

CNX Foundation invests tangibly, impactfully, and locally to target urban and rural communities within the Appalachian Basin facing socio-economic challenges. These investments should demonstrate a return to both the targeted community and the advancement of the goals of the Foundation.

Making a Tangible, Impactful, Local Difference

CNX Foundation is committed to meeting CNX’s broader Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) philosophy by creating tangible, impactful, and local differences within the Appalachian basin. We do so by charting our course to ensure we are able to quantify and measure the visible results for the communities we serve as well as the programs we fund.

Understanding our philosophy starts with understanding the meaning of the tangible, impactful, and local initiatives we support:

• Tangible: We are laser-focused on making a real, measurable, and visible difference in the communities we serve.
• Impactful: We seek to identify true needs within our community so our support will have an immediate and long-lasting impact in helping specific programs within the region meet their goals.
• Local: Our efforts are rooted in supporting communities in our operational footprint so we can foster more opportunities for growth, close to home.

Funding Priorities

• Food Insecurity
  • A lack of consistent access to enough food to support a healthy lifestyle leads to food insecurity, affecting many communities throughout the United States, including our Appalachian region. Factors that contribute to food insecurity are, but are not limited to, housing, wages, health, and social influence. CNX works within these communities to end food insecurity through education, awareness, and access to food pantries, soup kitchens, and more.
• Children's Health and Wellness
  • Habits are developed at a young age and it is challenging to break bad routines without the proper resources. CNX works to provide the children of Western Pennsylvania and surrounding areas in grades K-12 with health and wellness education and resources as a preventative action taken to support future generations, gain understanding, develop healthy lifestyles, and help them reach their maximum potential.
    • Youth Sports and Athletic Groups – We receive a large number of requests to sponsor youth sports and athletic programs. We value the importance of these groups to their communities and, as such, we have designated a specific portion of our annual budget to supporting these groups. In order to qualify for funding, the youth organization must exist in one of our immediate areas of operation.
• Broadband and Information Technology Access
  • Many communities are falling behind due to the lack of technological equity, leading to gaps in economic growth, household income, educational performance, healthcare access, and employment searches. Providing technological and infrastructural resources for education and employment opportunities helps enrich lives and strengthen society.
• Recidivism and Re-entry
  • Life after incarceration is often difficult and discriminatory for individuals attempting to reinvent themselves into society, causing an overwhelming prevalence of homelessness, unemployment, and poverty. CNX Foundation seeks to work with individuals and organizations that understand the challenges these individuals face and can help foster a pathway forward for those previously incarcerated.
• Domestic Abuse Awareness
  • A pattern of behavior that is physically, emotionally, or mentally harmful in any relationship is domestic abuse and is challenging to escape. With survivors at the center of the cause, efforts must be made to move into the future and prevent it through advocacy, awareness, education, and support.
• Opioid Epidemic and Societal Impact
  • Society continues to be harmed by the ever-growing opioid epidemic, causing tens of thousands to suffer and experience effects from addiction. In order to begin to combat rising levels of opioid abuse, education, awareness, and strong preventative actions must be taken by individuals of all ages.
• Career Awareness and Technical/Vocational Training
  • Trade and vocational careers have developed a negative stigma, causing a shortage of employees in vital realms of work. Career awareness paired with technical and vocational training gives the future workforce and incoming employees a better look at the options available allowing them to best meet their interests, skill sets, and society’s needs.
• Water Quality Safety and Awareness
  • Clean water is a vital resource in our local communities and beyond. Research, prevention, policy, and programs should continue to be funded and utilized in order to protect and improve water quality and provide equal access to basic living necessities to future generations.

Just Born Quality Confections strives to bring sweetness to the communities where we live and work. Our corporate granting program allows us to be a catalyst for change by bringing smiles to our community, nurturing kids, helping families in need, and being a collaborative partner.

When applying for our grants, please know, particular interest will be paid to programs that specifically help underprivileged, underserved, and underrepresented children and families.

Our purpose is to bring sweetness to people’s lives and can only be fully realized by pledging to value all people, all races, all cultures, all religions, all love, all genders and all abilities, because Together We Are Better. As part of our commitment to DEI, we will provide at least 15% of our funds to non-profits with diverse leadership reflecting the communities they serve.

The health and well-being of children and their families is the primary focus of Just Born’s corporate giving program. We make grants in these areas:

Arts and Culture –The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. They are also a fundamental component of a healthy community. They strengthen us socially, educationally, and economically. Programs supported by our Arts and Culture grants should increase access to the arts, preserve history, and help enhance the overall cultural climate in our community.

Programs supported by our Arts and Culture grants include, but are not limited to:

• Music and art education
• Improving access to the arts
• Participation in visual, theatrical and musical arts
• Conservation of arts and culture
• Art therapy

Education – Providing academic opportunities for youth in our community helps to prepare them for a stable and productive future. Just Born Quality Confections is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide or supplement a high-quality education. 

Programs supported by our Education grants include, but are not limited to:

• Early Childhood Education
• School Readiness
• Early Diagnosis of Learning Disabilities
• Literacy Initiatives – Especially those aimed at reading by a 3rd grade level
• STEM/STEAM Initiatives
• Summer Learning Opportunities
• College Preparatory Programs
• Career Readiness Programs
• Programs that improve & increase academic achievement, school attendance, and positive social behavior
• Inclusion programs

Health and Human Services – Just Born Quality Confections supports programs that strive to meet the basic needs of our vulnerable and/or underserved populations. These programs should promote character building, encourage mental and physical health, create safe neighborhoods, improve food access, improve access to shelter/housing, and promote equitable opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged children and families.

Programs supported by our Health and Human Service grants include, but are not limited to:

Nutrition and Food Access:

• Programs that increase access to sufficient and nutritious food
• Meal service programs that ensure homebound people have access to nutritious food
• Projects that increase cold storage and handling or that make other modifications necessary to serve more people

Health Care Needs:

• Providing medical care to unhoused populations
• Nurse Family Partnership programs
• Health Education Programs
• Mobile Healthcare Programs
• Mindfulness and Mental Health Initiatives
• Pediatric Therapy Programs – (e.g.: Equine and Developmental therapy…)
• Programs serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Programs enabling older adults to remain independent

Trauma, Abuse, and Safety:

• Programs that support trauma informed practices
• Programs that reduce the long-term traumatic effects of abuse and exposure to community violence.
• Domestic violence programs that provide safe shelter, counseling, legal assistance, and other support services.
• Shelter for those fleeing physical, mental, economic, and sexual abuse.
• Prevention and treatment programs that strive to reduce, and alleviate the effects of, sexual and physical abuse and human trafficking
• Drug education and prevention programs

Community Building and Development – Just Born Quality Confections believes that behind every successful business is a strong community. We support causes that encourage community collaboration and improve the general well-being of our community. Programs supported by Community Building grants should invest in people by increasing skills, knowledge, abilities or well-being, and strengthen community resources.

Programs supported by our Community Building grants include, but are not limited to:

Housing:

• Stable affordable housing for individuals, children, and families
• Emergency Shelter
• Rapid Re-housing programs that include case management, limited financial assistance, job services, and career development
• Housing for veterans, young adults with developmental disabilities, those escaping domestic violence, and other vulnerable populations
• Services that allow young adults with disabilities and seniors to live independently at home

Workforce Development:

• Job-training programs that collaborate with local businesses to educate students on high-priority occupations and career pathways. Particular interest will be placed on programs supporting workforce development in the field of manufacturing.
• Life-skills and job-readiness training
• Hard and soft-skills training
• Paid internship opportunities
• Opportunities for young adults with disabilities who are transitioning from a school environment into the workplace
• Programs to reduce recidivism and encourage job readiness

Financial Literacy and Economic Stability:

• Financial coaching programs to help participants decrease debt, increase savings, and set long-term financial goals.

Environmental, Conservation, and Sustainability – Just Born Quality Confections invests in initiatives that foster sustainable communities. This includes projects that protect threatened ecosystems, preserve the health of our planet, and promote environmental education.

Programs supported by our Environmental, Conservation & Sustainability grants include, but are not limited to:

• Programs to protect and restore our waterways and preserve land
• Opportunities for children to participate in nature-based programming
• Environmental education initiatives
• Waste reduction and recycling programs

Truist Foundation

The Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. Established in 2020, the foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life. The Truist Foundation's grants and activities focus on building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses.

Inspire Awards

We’re collaborating with MIT Solve to kick off our third year of the Inspire Awards. Nonprofits from across the country are invited to pitch their solution to advance workers through career navigation and workforce development.

This year’s Inspire Awards challenge aims to improve resources and wraparound services for workers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career transitions to uplift themselves—and their families. For workers looking to develop skills to help them adapt to industry changes, career navigation and workforce development solutions can make an impact. These tools can aid smoother career transitions, foster economic mobility, and empower workers to pursue personal growth.

2025 Truist Foundation Inspire Awards Challenge Question

How are nonprofits providing innovative solutions for the reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation needs of adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers?

Challenge Dimensions

We are seeking innovative nonprofit solutions that improve resources and wraparound services for adults who are in the middle or late stages of their careers seeking reskilling, upskilling, and career navigation support, including:

• Wraparound Services – Supporting unemployed and underemployed individuals on their journey to economic mobility through innovative and comprehensive resources including transportation support, childcare, mentorship, mental health services, and more.
• Coalition Building – Generating greater buy-in and support for workforce navigation efforts through coalitions, promoting communication and collaboration across diverse sectors and stakeholders including businesses, nonprofits, and government entities.
• Career Navigation – Enabling workers to navigate their career choices more easily, helping to facilitate informed decisions about which high-quality jobs and career trajectories best suit them.
• Upskilling and Reskilling – Providing accessible, high-quality, skill-building and training opportunities for those transitioning between careers or facing unemployment.

Here are the grants for this challenge

• First place: $250,000
• Second place: $150,000
• Runners-up: $25,000
• Audience favorite: $75,000

Schools to Work Grant- Round 5

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announces the availability of approximately $3,300,000.00 in state funds for Schools-to-Work -Round 5 (STW5) Grant awards, that will be competitively awarded up to $250,000.00 each. The STW5 Grant focus is building programs to fill current and anticipated labor market needs by increasing workforce training and partnership programs, as well as utilizing the Apprenticeship Training Office’s current workforce initiatives, to develop the skills of traditionally underrepresented groups and those with barriers to employment through Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Powering Equity Grants

Advancing diversity, equity and inclusion through programs that move racial and social justice forward such as:

• Diversity Education and advocacy programs
• Programs focused on protecting underrepresented residents (ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability and veterans)

Champions in Action

Citizens' Champions in Action program is designed to support nonprofit organizations that address social challenges facing our communities. Since 2002, the program has awarded over $12.3 million to more than 400 Champions. In partnership with media outlets, we also provide support through promotion, publicity and volunteerism to help our Champions in Action better serve our communities.

Champions receive:

• $50,000 in Funding
• Local Media Coverage
• Volunteer Support
• Promotional Opportunities

Current Focus: Uplifting Resilient NonprofitsNonprofits are adapting to a fast-changing environment marked by increased community needs, staffing challenges, and evolving funding sources. According to the National Council of Nonprofits, more than half have experienced a rise in service demands, and nearly 70 percent cite staff burnout as a major concern. In response, many are reimagining their operations to remain effective and accessible.

At Citizens, we are proud to champion organizations that lead through change and deliver lasting impact.

The 2026 Champions in Action award will recognize nonprofits advancing financial empowerment or workforce development through innovation. These organizations are demonstrating resilience and creativity by embracing new approaches to strengthen their teams, enhance results and expand their reach in the communities they serve.

Grants Focus Areas

As a member of the South Pittsburgh community, The Birmingham Foundation supports local organizations in developing, implementing, and advancing their efforts to help young children birth to age eight and their families thrive. Annually, the Foundation welcomes letters of interest from nonprofit organizations whose services align with one of our three focus areas:

Maternal and Child Health (Prenatal to 3)

Every child deserves a healthy start in life and every mother should have access to quality healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth.

• Pre and Post Natal Care
• Home Visiting
• Developmental Screenings and Early Intervention
• Social and Emotional Wellbeing Supports

Early Care and Education (Birth to Age 8)

Children with access to quality early learning are more prepared for kindergarten, have increased vocabulary, enhanced language, math and social skills, and more positive relationships with their classmates. These children are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college, enter the labor force, earn living wages, and thrive.

• Workforce Supports
• Access to Quality Culturally Responsive Programs
• Kindergarten Transition
• Social and Emotional Wellbeing Supports

Parent and Family Wellbeing

All families deserve a better future no matter their race, ethnicity, or zip code. Poverty, like wealth, is passed down from generation to generation. Decades of racial inequity and underinvestment in our communities have kept families trapped in a cycle. Breaking the cycle by investing in parents and families builds overall well-being, financial strength, and social connections to lift two generations at once.

• Family Engagement
• Access to Services
• Social Connectedness and Leadership
• Social and Emotional Wellbeing Supports

Program Purpose

As stated in statute, the intent of Pennsylvania Act 143 Adult and Family Literacy Education Act is to provide coordination among and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in the commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved.

The goals of the act include:

• Increased and improved services to adult learners and their families through the coordination of funding streams and programs across state agencies; and
• Expanded adult and family literacy education programs so that adults and their families will function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for workforce training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society.

Under Act 143, adult and family literacy education providers may apply to PDE for grants to provide the following services:

• Adult literacy education programs for eligible adults;
• Family literacy education programs for eligible parents and their children;
• Training for volunteer adult literacy education instructors; and
• Administration, support services for learners, and outreach activities.

This grant opportunity is for family literacy education programs. Family literacy education is defined in Act 143 as services that are of sufficient intensity and duration to make sustainable changes in a family and that integrate the following four components:

• Interactive literacy activities between parents and their children (ILA);
• Training of parents to be the primary teacher for their children and full partner in the education of their children (parent education)
• Parent literacy training that leads to economic self-sufficiency (adult education); and
• Age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school (early childhood education/ECE)

Our Mission

The Provident Bank Foundation invests in marginalized communities within Provident Bank's branch network by collaborating with nonprofit organizations that align with the values we care about. Together, we empower individuals on their paths to economic self-sufficiency by addressing the multifaceted issues that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.

Empowerment Grant

The Empowerment Grant program provides two years of flexible funding support for programs, projects, or initiatives that are based within our geographic footprint and that align with at least one of PBF’s newly revised funding priorities and the corresponding areas of interest. Funding requests must demonstrate community enhancement and meaningful impact over the grant term.

Funding Priorities and Areas of Interest

Our vision is to build strong and healthy communities where everyone can live a fulfilling and prosperous life. Organizations applying for an Empowerment Grant must measure their program’s impact in a manner that aligns with at least one of our newly revised funding priorities and one of the specific areas of interest.

• Education
  • Quality education and vocational training to build the skills needed to participate fully in the economy.
  • Areas of Interest:
    • Community colleges
    • Vocational programs
    • Special education services
• Human Services
  • Social safety nets to support vulnerable populations in times of greatest need.
  • Areas of Interest
    • Housing assistance
    • Food security
    • Healthcare access for un-/underinsured individuals
    • Youth mental health services
• Workforce Development
  • Career opportunities and skills development to support pathways to economic self-sufficiency.
  • Areas of Interest:
    • Job training
    • Employment supports
    • Reentry programs

Funding

Empowerment Grants will be awarded in the range of $5,000-$10,000 per year for two years for organizations with operating budgets between $50,000-$1 million per year, and in the range of $10,000-$25,000 per year for two years for organizations with operating budgets between $1 million-$15 million per year.

Program Purpose

As stated in statute, the intent of Pennsylvania Act 143 Adult and Family Literacy Education Act is to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in the commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved.

The goals of the act include:

• Increased and improved services to adult learners and their families through the coordination of funding streams and programs across state agencies; and
• Expanded adult and family literacy education programs so that adults and their families will function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for workforce training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society

Under Act 143, adult and family literacy education providers may apply to PDE for grants to provide the following services:

• Adult literacy education programs for eligible adults;
• Family literacy education programs for eligible parents and their children;
• Training for volunteer adult literacy education instructors; and
• Administration, support services for learners, and outreach activities.

This grant opportunity is for programs to train volunteer adult literacy education instructors, called tutors, and support those tutors to provide instruction to students participating in adult education and literacy activities. Grantees may have community-based tutoring programs, peer tutoring programs, or both. Interested applicants should refer to Appendix F in the Adult Education and Family Literacy Program Guidelines for the requirements for each type of tutoring program.

Program Funding Requests

Applicants should apply for those funds necessary to meet the grant requirements, provide the proposed services, and meet the state-imposed performance standards and the Tutoring Program for Adults targets. The Division of Adult Education will expect successful applicants requesting higher amounts to prioritize providing intensive one-on-one tutoring services to students at Adult Basic Education (ABE) Levels 1-2 and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) Levels 1-2. PDE reserves the right to adjust the actual grant award amount and contracted number of tutors of successful applicants during the grant contract approval process.

Pennsylvania Grant Opportunities

The PPL Foundation empowers communities by supporting student success from cradle to career; advancing diversity, equity and inclusion; and promoting the development of vibrant and sustainable communities.

The PPL Foundation’s grant programs provide grants up to $50,000 to support education, workforce development and community revitalization initiatives.

Empowering Communities Grants

Enriching the overall vitality of the community through programs that protect the environment and improve people’s lives, these grants support programs focused on:

• Environmental stewardship and education
• Economic development
• Workplace development

Background

Since our founding, Greenspring has aspired to give back by making meaningful financial and relational investments in our local communities. To further our stewardship efforts and commitment to charitable giving, we created the concept of the Greenspring Grant Program in 2012 to support the mission of local non-profits.

Now in its tenth year, this effort is completely employee-run and, each year allows a new team of individuals the rewarding (but very difficult!) task of selecting and awarding monies to worthy organizations. This year we are awarding a total of $100,000 in grant monies to organizations dedicated to economic and workforce development. At its sole discretion, Greenspring awards grants ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 based on the funding requested and the needs addressed.

Grant Focus

Organizations must be focused on or have programs that address Workforce and Economic Development. Examples include (but are not limited to):

• job/skills education and training
• job creation
• entrepreneurship
• developing and maintaining career pathways
• growing internships and career opportunities
• increasing financial literacy

Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry

The Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) employs more than 5,000 workers in 200 offices statewide. Established in 1913, the department originally inspected the working conditions in factories around the state. Over time, the department's responsibilities expanded. L&I administers benefits to unemployed individuals, oversees the administration of workers' compensation benefits to individuals with job-related injuries, and provides vocational rehabilitation to individuals with disabilities. The department prepares job seekers for the global workforce through employment and job training services for adult, youth, older workers, and dislocated workers. In addition, L&I enforces various laws and safety standards in the workplace and administers the commonwealth's programs for community service by young Pennsylvanians. L&I also promotes economic development and an improved business climate through a variety of initiatives and programs to help Pennsylvania's workforce remain world-class and globally competitive.

Supporting Pennsylvania’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Through Apprenticeships and PreApprenticeships NGA

Overview

The PA Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) announces the availability of approximately $4,000,000 in funding for Supporting Pennsylvania’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Through Apprenticeships and PreApprenticeships (“Supporting PA’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector”). Awards will support two opportunities for the development and expansion of registered apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships. 

Opportunity 1

Approximately $2,000,000 is available to build, support and register new apprenticeship or preapprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing. The grant will competitively award up to $400,000 per grantee in the advanced manufacturing sector with a concentration on serving populations traditionally underserved in registered apprenticeships/pre-apprenticeships.

Opportunity 2

Approximately $2,000,000 is available to expand an existing registered apprenticeship or registered preapprenticeship in advanced manufacturing. The grant will competitively award up to $200,000 per grantee to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the advanced manufacturing sector.

By creating pathways to good jobs, the initiative not only addresses workforce shortages but also builds a stronger, more inclusive economy. Additionally, the rising demand and competition for professionals has spurred the initiative for apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs in the advanced manufacturing sector.

Nordson Corporation Foundation

The Nordson Corporation Foundation awards grants to non-profits in our communities throughout the United States. Since 1989, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million in grants to improve the quality of life in our communities, placing a special focus on causes related to education. Employees support the foundation by making donations during our annual A Time to Give Campaign, or by participating in a Community Affairs Committee (CAC). Committees review grant applications and vote to distribute Foundation funds to deserving local causes. During the last financial year, the Foundation gave out 362 grants totaling $6.3 million.

Nordson Foundation Giving Strategies

The geographic areas in which Nordson has major facilities determine the Nordson Foundation's giving priorities.

Within these geographic areas, granting priorities are driven by community needs. Although needs change quickly, our vision is long term. We pursue and support results-oriented opportunities that prepare individuals for full and equal participation in the economic and social mainstream. We believe these kinds of programs help improve the quality of life over the long term and produce stronger, more enlightened communities in which we live and work. We strive to fulfill these responsibilities in our communities through contributions to charitable activities with a focus on education. Other major giving categories that are supported are human welfare, civic affairs and arts and culture. 

Nordson Foundation Values 

In the spirit of our corporate founders, the Nordson Corporation Foundation continues to operate on the belief that business, as a corporate citizen, has a social responsibility to share its success with the communities where it operates and draws employees.  

The Nordson Foundation is dedicated to improving our communities by supporting the continuum of education from birth to adulthood in the belief that education is the key for individuals to become self-sufficient, productive members of society.  

To prepare individuals for economic independence, a variety of quality educational experiences are necessary. To be successful today, individuals not only need to master the basics, “reading, writing and arithmetic”, they must also know how to think critically and creatively. Strengthening the community’s human capital – through quality education – is crucial.  

The Nordson Foundation offers support to non-profit organizations that cultivate educational curriculum and experiences that foster self-sufficiency, job readiness and goals to aspire to higher education. The Foundation is well aware of the fact that for non-profit organizations to remain viable they must receive operating support. With this in mind, Nordson Corporation Foundation does invest in general operating support.  

As stewards of the Foundation assets, the directors feel strongly that the organizations that are supported by the Foundation be able to measure the effectiveness of their mission and programs. Quantitative and/or qualitative data allows for the Foundation to ensure that the organizations it supports are bringing about the desired outcomes in our communities.   

Nordson Foundation Goals

The goals of the Nordson Corporation Foundation are to insure that:

• All children have access to and receive quality educational experiences from early childhood  
• All individuals have the opportunity to be self-sufficient members of society 
• There is a continuum of quality educational opportunities 
• Our communities are strengthened by the organizations we fund whether their focus is education, human welfare, civic or arts and culture

Nordson Foundation Funding Strategy

Through its grant-making, the Foundation supports organizations that directly or indirectly seek to maximize success before, during and beyond the traditional classroom years. Grants will be reviewed and considered on the basis of their enrichment to the communities where our employees live and work. Organizations and programs receiving grants will be expected to identify relevant, measurable outcomes to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs.

Education

• Early Childhood Care and Education
• Maximizing Student Success
• Access to quality educational opportunities
• Innovative programs
• Partnerships/collaborations with school districts
• Funding gaps not covered by public monies
• Augmenting core curriculum
• Exposure to programs that expand on traditional education
• Workforce Preparation
• Initial preparation for the world of work
• Retraining for the new job market
• Strengthening our communities

Human Welfare

• Promote prevention and lifestyle maintenance programs and activities
• Promote crisis intervention
• Promote life transition opportunities
• Promote systemic change

Arts and Culture

• Actively seek to broaden the audience bases in Nordson communities
• Support the visual and performing arts
• Provide educational enrichment for students
• Motivation for at-risk youth
• Provide access to the arts for special needs audience
• Promote greater understanding among people via the arts

Civic

• Work to improve the physical or economic environment
• Provide cultural or historical preservation
• Strive to inform citizens and increase their participation in community improvement

About the Presser Foundation

The Presser Foundation was formally established in 1939 under various deeds of trust of the late Theodore Presser. In the charter of incorporation, The Foundation’s purposes are set forth to promote primarily the cause of musical education and musical philanthropy as follows: to provide scholarships for promising students; to increase the value of music education by erecting suitable buildings; and to administer aid to worthy teachers of music in distress.

While The Foundation’s priorities have evolved over time, it has provided much needed funding to further the cause of music for over 75 years. It has been said that Theodore Presser wanted to give back to music what he had made from it. When he died in 1925, he left no children. He had been widowed twice, and the bulk of his fortune was left to The Foundation.

The small staff and Board of Trustees continue to oversee the work of The Foundation. The Foundation is fortunate to have had a founder who clearly stated the purpose which he desired to achieve. The Board of Trustees includes prominent local and national leaders in music. All Trustees share a passion for music and all are committed to carrying out the intentions of the benefactor.

Special Projects Grants

Introduction & Purpose

The Trustees of The Presser Foundation created the Special Projects Committee to consider grant requests that fall outside the Foundation’s core grantmaking programs. Grant amounts typically range from $5,000 to $25,000 annually for music organizations operating in a broad range of music traditions, genres, and styles. In 2024-25, 9% of The Presser Foundation’s distributed funds ($320,230/$3.73 million) went to Special Project grants. This fiscal year (2025-26), the Special Projects Committee will consider applications for:

• General Operating Support for newly established music organizations (up to 5 years in existence).
• Resilience Grants for small music organizations impacted by government funding or policy changes. These grant requests of up to $7,500 are for organizations with operating budgets under $150,000. Organizations seeking support for the following are encouraged to apply:
  • Artistic and/or organizational development (e.g. workforce programming) projects that have been impacted by government funding cuts;
  • Organizations seeking legal, financial, fundraising, or communications guidance to navigate government funding or policy changes;
  • Efforts to share costs and collaborate* with another nonprofit organization to maintain financial stability for the organization; and
  • Other efforts to maintain your organization’s core mission and/or financial viability in response to the changing arts funding landscape will be considered.
  • *Not intended for one-time creative collaborations.

About the Ag & Youth Grant

The Pennsylvania Ag & Youth Grant Program offers direct and matching grants for youth-centered organizations, projects, programs, and equipment to promote agricultural, leadership, and vocational skills, along with peer relationships.

Funding

$500,000 is available for grants for two different grant types that can be awarded under the program:

• Direct, non-matching reimbursement grants of up to $7,500 to defray costs of an eligible project, other than a capital project; and,
• Matching reimbursement grants of up to $25,000 to defray the costs of an eligible capital project or equipment purchase, where the grant covers no more than 50% of the project cost.

Program Purpose

Federal WIOA Title II

The purpose of this funding is to create a partnership among the federal government, states, and localities to provide, on a voluntary basis, adult education and literacy activities, in order to:

• Assist adults to become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and economic self-sufficiency;
• Assist adults who are parents or family members to obtain the education and skills that
  • are necessary to becoming full partners in the educational development of their children; and
  • lead to sustainable improvements in the economic opportunities for their family;
• Assist adults in attaining a secondary school diploma and in the transition to postsecondary education and training, including through career pathways; and
• Assist immigrants and other individuals who are English language learners in
  • improving their
    • reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension skills in English; and
    • mathematics skills; and
  • acquiring an understanding of the American system of government, individual freedom, and the responsibilities of citizenship.

State Act 143

Act 143 aims to provide coordination and broaden the scope of educational activities to uneducated and undereducated adults in the commonwealth and their families, including those who speak other languages, and to provide programs to those individuals who have previously been unserved.

The goals of the Act include:

• Increased and improved services to adult learners and their families through the coordination of funding streams and programs across state agencies; and
• Increased and expanded adult and family literacy education programs so that adults and their families will function more effectively in their personal lives and as citizens and be better prepared for workforce training and employment that they may become more responsible and productive members of society.

Adult Basic Education Direct Service Grant

PDE requires successful applicants for Adult Basic Education Direct Service 064 grant funds to provide a full range of services throughout the course of a program year. PDE requires programs to provide the following to be considered full service:

• Adult education and literacy activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for adult basic education students at all educational functioning levels Adult Basic Education (ABE) levels 1-6, including high school equivalency test preparation as needed.
• English language acquisition activities as defined in WIOA, including instruction for English- as-a-Second Language (ESL) students based on area needs. Such instruction must include supporting ESL students to transition successfully to ABE instruction within the programing funded by the grant and to earn a high school equivalency credential, if needed. PDE has identified 19 counties in which successful applicants must provide these services. See Appendix C.
• Year-round, real-time instruction (in person, remote, or a combination of in person and remote), including during the summer. Programs may have a reduced schedule over the summer but must provide real-time instruction that meets community needs.
• Supplemental distance learning opportunities to students participating in real-time instruction.
• Year-round student support services to help students address barriers to participation.
• Year-round student support services to help students identify education and career goals, develop employability skills, and successfully transition to postsecondary education/training and/or employment, as appropriate.
• Integration of workforce preparation activities and activities to promote digital literacy and digital resiliency into instruction and support services.
• A cadre of volunteer classroom aides to provide additional instructional support to students participating in classroom instruction. (All grant recipients must use at least 10 percent of the state grant funds to recruit, train, and support volunteer classroom aides, except those that are not eligible providers under state law.)
• A program administrator who is a full-time employee of the grantee agency. If the program administrator is not working 100 percent on division-funded activities, the agency must provide evidence that this individual has sufficient time allocated to these activities to meet all of the requirements of the program administrator position. (Note: The program administrator does not have to be paid from grant funds; however, the person must have sufficient time allocated to activities supported by the grant.)

PDE also requires all successful applicants under this RGA to be partners in the local PA CareerLink© site and delegates all the roles and responsibilities of a one-stop partner to the grantees.

Additional Allowable Activities

In addition to the required services listed above, applicants may propose to provide one or more of the following activities:

• Corrections education (to ensure that Pennsylvania does not exceed the federal and state ceilings for corrections education, applicants may not budget or expend more than 20 percent of the grant amounts for corrections education).
• Integrated English literacy and civics education activities (not the Section 243 program).
• Integrated education and training activities (federal funds only).
• Workplace literacy activities.

Applicants should refer to the Adult Education and Family Literacy Guidelines for more information on these activities to ensure that proposed activities are compliant.

Multi-Year Contracts

Successful grant applications will be approved for a five-year grant cycle. Grant funds will be awarded through annual one-year notifications of funding contingent on the availability of funds.

Program Funding Requests

Applicants may apply for up to the maximum allocated for the areas in which they propose to provide services. Applicants should apply for those funds necessary to meet the grant requirements, provide the proposed services to the number of students they can serve based on need and interest in the service area, and meet the state imposed performance targets. PDE requires programs to provide a 25 percent match on the federal portion of the funds, and applicants should consider that requirement when determining funding requests. PDE reserves the right to adjust the actual grant award amount and contracted enrollment of successful applicants during the grant contract approval process.

Applicants may apply for funding up to a maximum of $2,250.00 per contracted student, with the total requested not to exceed the amount allocated to the proposed service area. PDE strongly encourages applicants requesting the maximum allowable cost per student to prioritize the use of funds for full-time direct service staff positions with benefits.