About Center of Workforce Innovations
A mission-driven 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides cost‑effective workforce solutions by mobilizing and integrating leadership, services, and resources to support workforce development, education, and economic development in Northwest Indiana.
Focus Areas
Workforce developmentAdult education and literacyYouth workforce programs (JAG)ApprenticeshipsRe-entry servicesBusiness services and employer engagementCareer advising and case management
Who They Fund
local communitiessmall businesseslocal entrepreneurscommunity-based organizations
Funding Style
About Center of Workforce Innovations
The Center of Workforce Innovations Inc. directs its grantmaking toward workforce and economic development in Northwest Indiana, with a clear pattern of funding local organizations that help employers, jobseekers, students, and communities. Its largest recent awards went to Jobworks Inc in Fort Wayne and Goodwill Industries of Michiana Inc in South Bend, each receiving multi-million-dollar support grants for community and business investment across 2023 and 2024. That same funding stream reaches schools, youth-serving organizations, and service providers in cities such as Hammond, Michigan City, Gary, Merrillville, and East Chicago. The foundation also uses a mix of direct program support and RFP-based contracting tied to specific workforce functions. Its active programs include youth workforce services, re-entry services, adult training, business services, and regional planning for workforce hubs and listening sessions. The structure suggests an intermediary role as well as a grantmaker: it administers WIOA Title I programs, operates WorkOne centers, and supports initiatives such as READY NWI and the La Porte County SkillUp Network. Across these activities, the emphasis stays on workforce pathways, employer engagement, and regional coordination rather than broad general philanthropy.
What Center of Workforce Innovations Funds
Workforce development appears in several forms. The foundation funded School City of Hammond and Michigan City Area Schools with support grants for community and business investment, while its active WIOA youth programs are designed to serve in-school and out-of-school youth in Jasper, Lake, and La Porte counties. That combination points to a strong interest in education-to-employment pathways. Adult employment services are another recurring theme. The WIOA Adult Program special projects stream is built to provide re-entry services for people on probation and people with felony or misdemeanor records, and the foundation also operates WIOA Title I programs through regional WorkOne centers. Employer-facing work is visible too. It supports consulting and planning for Workforce Hubs and offers business services training for its WorkOne staff, alongside the Indiana SkillUp Funds used locally for incumbent worker upskilling and training in La Porte County.
How Center of Workforce Innovations Gives
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.6M
Total Assets
$3.9M
Total Revenue
$16.4M
Total Expenses
$16.4M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $111K and $336K, with a median of $154K.
25th Percentile
$111K
Median
$154K
75th Percentile
$336K
Geographic Reach
Local1 state funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
LISA DAUGHERTY
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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