New nonprofit initiative will use funds to support regional and collaborative efforts to expand Virginia’s healthcare workforce and create meaningful healthcare career opportunities for Virginians
Claude Moore Opportunities, a new 501(c)3 nonprofit working to address Virginia’s healthcare workforce shortage and to create healthcare career opportunities for Virginians, today announced that it will receive a major gift from Virginia Ready to support its statewide workforce development efforts.
Claude Moore Opportunities, launched in June, is building on the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation’s (CMCF) 20-year record of supporting regional and collaborative healthcare workforce development efforts. Throughout its history, CMCF has invested more than $24 million in workforce programs and initiatives, allowing thousands of Virginians to receive healthcare workforce training and credentials. Now, the work is going statewide with the launch of Claude Moore Opportunities and the support of Virginia Ready and other philanthropic partners.
“Claude Moore Opportunities is grateful to receive this extraordinary gift from Virginia Ready as we launch our new initiative to address Virginia’s healthcare workforce shortage and to provide increased and improved career opportunities for Virginians,” said Dr. William Hazel, Jr., CEO of Claude Moore Opportunities and former Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources. “Claude Moore Opportunities will use this gift to build on the important work done by Virginia Ready to help Virginians receive in-demand credentials and career readiness skills, as well as the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation’s 20-year record of success in supporting collaborative efforts to expand opportunity and meet the needs of communities around the Commonwealth.”
Founded in 2020 as a COVID-19 initiative, Virginia Ready has invested more than $6.4 million to support over 6,400 career-minded scholars to receive an in-demand credential, obtain career readiness skills, and connect them to family-sustaining career opportunities. To date, over 6,300 scholars have already received their credential and another 135 scholars are in the pipeline to obtain their credential by September 15, 2024. Over 68% of Virginia Ready scholars have received employment.
After building Virginia Ready from the ground up, the organization’s board has decided to transition to investing in entities, like Claude Moore Opportunities, that share its vision for credential-based learning opportunities to upskill Virginians for economic mobility. Virginia Ready recently announced it will sunset its operations by the end of 2024 and donate its remaining $1.3 million in funds among five recipients, including Claude Moore Opportunities.
“Virginia Ready was built on a conviction that every Virginian should have a chance to build the skills they need to help them get to where they want to go. This belief has guided our work and it’s this conviction that led us to channel our resources into the impact of other great organizations doing it well”, said Natalie Foster, Virginia Ready Executive Director.
“I am incredibly proud of the work Virginia Ready has been able to accomplish in just four short years. The team has facilitated access to thousands of motivated, skilled, and credentialed workers to fulfill critical roles across the state. We look forward to seeing that momentum continue through the good work of our funding recipients”, said Tom McInerney, Board Chair & President and CEO of Genworth Financial.
About Claude Moore Opportunities
Launched in 2024, Claude Moore Opportunities is a new 501(c)3 public nonprofit organization that will raise and distribute philanthropic funds to support regional and collaborative efforts to expand Virginia’s healthcare workforce and create family-sustaining career opportunities. The independent organization is led by CEO Dr. Bill Hazel, Jr., former Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources under Governors Bob McDonnell and Terry McAuliffe, and governed by an executive board of notable civic, philanthropic, and healthcare leaders from around Virginia. Claude Moore
Opportunities will build on the 20 years of healthcare workforce development efforts by the Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, which has invested more than $24 million to enable thousands of Virginians to receive healthcare workforce training and credentials through strategic partnerships with public school systems around the state, the Virginia Community College System, George Mason University, INOVA Health System, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, and the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers, among others.
