Community Funding Accelerator Secures More Than $60 Million in Four Months to Power Cradle-to-Career Education Efforts Across the U.S.
Over the past four months, the Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) has helped partners secure more than $65 million in 12 awards to support communities across the nation who are addressing some of the most pressing needs in education, including expanding access to high-quality instruction, strengthening career pathways, and preparing students for an ever-shifting job market.
This $65 million tranche of new grants is part of more than $500 million raised since 2023 to support cradle-to-career education and workforce initiatives in communities across the United States. With these grants, CFA has now supported 100 applications for grant funding, representing more than $1 billion in requested support for communities nationwide.
Announced within a four-month period, these recent wins highlight the scale and breadth of CFA’s impact across partners, states and education and workforce priorities.
CFA has delivered its unique model of grant-writing expertise, program development, and implementation support to communities from Delaware to North Carolina to Montana and Utah — helping them equip young learners with the knowledge and skills to access high-wage, in-demand jobs, while building thriving local workforces and economies to support their careers now and in the future.
“The need in communities across the country is real and urgent,” said Amy Zhou, Director at Delivery Associates and Lead for CFA. “Every dollar we help unlock improves student learning outcomes and opens the door to good jobs in the communities where students live. We are proud of what we have accomplished and energized to keep expanding that impact.”
Highlights of the recent grant wins include:
- Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC) secured a $1.3 million award from the U.S. Department of Labor to sustain and expand its YouthBuild program in Bogalusa, Louisiana. The funding will support 58 young adults with pathways to industry-recognized credentials, employment, and postsecondary education, alongside wraparound services to help participants overcome barriers and succeed.
- The Maryland State Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce each secured $9 million awards from the U.S. Department of Education Career Pathways Exploration Grant Program. The program funds states to build career exploration capacity, exposing K-12 students to real-world careers aligned with state priorities. Ohio will pilot its Career Connections Framework in 10 districts and build a statewide K-12 advising system. Maryland will build a state-owned career exploration program and develop personalized six-year plans for every student in grades 7-12.
- The Montana Office of Public Instruction and the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction secured awards for more than $3 million and nearly $4 million, respectively, through the Title I, Part B: Competitive Grants for State Assessments. The program funds states to improve the quality of assessment instruments and systems used to measure student achievement. Montana will strengthen implementation of its existing assessment system with curriculum-alignment maps, educator data reports, family-facing reports, and statewide professional learning. North Carolina will scale its Skills for the Future initiative, using AI-assisted scoring with human oversight to assess durable skills such as critical thinking that align with its Portrait of a Graduate framework.
- The Delaware Department of Education secured a $16 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Charter School Programs. The program increases the number of high-quality charter schools and strengthens accountability and transparency among charter authorizers. Delaware will award 26 subgrants over five years to open, replicate, and expand charter schools, and strengthen authorizer oversight, targeting ~10% growth in statewide charter enrollment capacity.
- The Advanced Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Tech Hub (Virginia) secured a $16 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Tech Hubs program. The program invests in regions with the talent and assets to lead in critical technologies, strengthening domestic supply chains and economic competitiveness. Virginia will use its award to develop and scale AI-enabled domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing.
- Southern Utah University (SUU) secured a $1.5 million, three-year award from NASA’s State Hubs initiative and a $1.75 million, five-year grant for Southern Utah University’s TRIO Talent Search program. The NASA award will establish the Utah NASA Aerospace Skilled Technical Workforce Hub, connecting employers, community colleges, and high school programs to build apprenticeship pathways into aerospace careers. Talent Search will provide college and career readiness services to 700 students each year across three rural southern Utah counties.
“CFA helped us sharpen our proposal, clarify complex federal requirements and strengthen the story we were telling about Utah’s aerospace workforce needs. Their strategic support was instrumental in helping us submit a stronger application with confidence,” said Melinda Pfundstein, Executive Director, Community & Workforce Development, Southern Utah University.
Tami Shugart, Director, TRIO Talent Search and Student Support Services, Southern Utah University, stated, “Southern Utah University’s TRIO Talent Search program is especially important in rural communities, where students may have fewer opportunities to explore college and career options. This continued funding will allow us to keep providing that guidance and support for students and families for another five years.”