Community Funding Accelerator

Cradle-to-Career Pathways

The Community Funding Accelerator (CFA) partners with organizations to make sure the future workers are set up for success in emerging industries. CFA announces new opportunities for technical assistance through our website and newsletter.

Since CFA’s launch, we have supported over 50 coalitions to apply for nearly $600 million in competitive grants, winning and implementing a total of $280 million in public awards— and counting. We are continuing to expand our offering to create sustained investment in local communities. Join the movement to put public funding in the hands of communities.

Career Pathways

CFA prioritizes partnerships that promote and scale workforce pathway strategies. We seek to support career pathways efforts that are:

Backed by evidence of effectiveness in improving student academic or career success;
Aligned with growing sectors and technological evolution for a future-ready workforce;
Connected to employer-informed employment pathways; and/or
Stackable with transferable credits or offering credentials of value.

CFA partners with organizations to make sure the workers of the future are set up for success in emerging industries. CFA supports the following diverse workforce pathway strategies found below, with the understanding that each is not mutually exclusive. These strategies grant students opportunities to meaningfully engage in their areas of interests and flexibly to explore new courses or pathways.

Early Postsecondary Credit Opportunities

Work-Based Learning

Career-Connected School Models

Integrates career training directly into the school's curriculum, aligning academic learning with specific career pathways. Transforms the school experience to prepare students for career success, often incorporating elements of work-based learning. Two particularly strong models are Career Academies and Career Technical Education (CTE) Courses and Concentrations.

Early Career Exposure

Counseling and Mentorship

Foundational Education Programs

CFA prioritizes the implementation and scaling of foundational education programs that:

Focus on improving outcomes for high school students;
Align K-12 curriculum materials with emerging industry needs; and/or
Increase the quality of academic supports, including tutoring, out-of-school learning, or summer learning.

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Foundational education programs that CFA prioritizes include:

High-Quality Instructional Materials

Materials that provide a structured framework for teachers to deliver effective lessons, ensure consistency in content delivery, and support student learning outcomes. The research-based materials should be aligned with standards, engaging for students, and address industry needs. Resources should be available in the form of textbooks, digital content, multimedia, and other educational tools.

High-Impact Tutoring

Who We Work With

CFA considers several factors to ensure its prospective community partners are aligned on program effectiveness, strategic priorities, and evaluation targets. Our most successful partnerships include programs that:

Can adopt or scale the strategies described above;
Can adapt their plans to address the education and workforce development needs of their communities;
Aim to better resource communities that typically receive limited philanthropic, federal, or state support; and/or
Collaborate with local partners.

Who are ideal partners for CFA?

Nonprofits, government agencies, and other organizations serving regions and communities that have innovative approaches to cradle-to-career education and workforce pathways prime for scaling.
State and local education and workforce development agencies looking to test new approaches and expand innovative, evidence-based practices in education and workforce development programs.

What support does CFA provide?

BUILD AWARENESS

CFA demystifies the process for communities to win the public funding they need to provide the best opportunities for young people.
INCUBATE IDEAS

CFA assesses organizational needs and matches them with potential grants.
APPLY FOR FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

CFA helps selected partners assemble a winning coalition and develop a competitive application.
IMPLEMENT IDEAS

CFA offers support and coaching to kickstart delivery and pursue additional funding.