CLAUDE MOORE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION LAUNCHES NONPROFIT TO BRIDGE FUNDING GAP FOR HIGH-QUALITY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR VIRGINIANS

Claude Moore Opportunities is separate from the private philanthropic organization but will reflect its mission to give participants a 'leg up, rather than a handout.'

FAIRFAX, Va., June 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation (CMCF), a private funding organization based in Virginia, is excited to announce the launch of Claude Moore Opportunities, a 501(c)3 public nonprofit organization. Claude Moore Opportunities is a separate organization chaired by Karen G. Schaufeld and led by CEO Dr. William Hazel, Jr., former CMCF Senior Deputy Director. The goals of Claude Moore Opportunities are to expand CMCF's statewide work to address Virginia's workforce shortage and to provide increased career opportunities for Virginians.

CMCF has invested more than $24 million in workforce programs and initiatives designed to provide entry points and advancement in healthcare careers. CMCF also is a recognized leader in the healthcare workforce field. With the support of CMCF, Claude Moore Opportunities will continue this work and use its role as a leader to build regional and statewide collaborations among educational institutions, healthcare organizations, and others to fill employment gaps in critical roles. With the ability to fundraise, it can significantly grow CMCF's impact in healthcare and expand into other areas where there are workforce shortages and meaningful career opportunities.

"More than three million Virginians do not have credentials or diplomas beyond high school. These credentials are necessary for well-paying careers that will support them and their families," said J. Hamilton Lambert, CMCF Executive Director. "For decades, our organization has worked to fund organizations that help people get to a place where they can have a job, support a family, and become financially independent, but the need in Virginia far outweighs what we can fund as a private foundation.

"We want, just as Dr. Moore did, for Virginians to have a leg up rather than a handout. Claude Moore Opportunities will hit the ground running with deep knowledge of the needs across the Commonwealth and relationships already in place in healthcare, workforce development, and education. It has the added benefit of being able to raise money," Lambert concluded.

Dr. Hazel shared, "I am honored and excited to have the opportunity to lead Claude Moore Opportunities, which has been two years in the making. We have an unprecedented number of open job opportunities in healthcare throughout the Commonwealth. At the same time, workforce development efforts for these careers are disparate and decentralized.  

"Our efforts at the Foundation have been incredibly successful, but we are not able to fund in all the areas that need support. Claude Moore Opportunities allows us to raise money so that we can do more to build healthy communities, local economies, and provide education and skills to the many Virginians who can benefit," he continued. "With our proven track record of developing multi-stakeholder partnerships that bring together the interests of educators, students, workers, policymakers, and employers, Claude Moore Opportunities will seek philanthropic partners that can help us scale our efforts to build regional and statewide collaborations."

Joining Dr. Hazel at Claude Moore Opportunities are former CMCF employees Laura Linn, Director of Development and Community Relations, and Shirley Bazdar, Program Manager.

The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation
Founded in 1987, The Claude Moore Charitable Foundation's mission is to provide assistance exclusively for charitable and educational purposes.  In addition to the annual support for the Loudoun County Education System and local charities, significant contributions have also been made to the Claude Moore Heritage Farm Park, the University of Virginia School of Medicine, University of Virginia School of Nursing, the University of Virginia Medical Library, the Roanoke Higher Education Center, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport, James Madison's Montpelier, Inova Health Systems, and the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties.

For more information, please visit www.claudemoorefoundation.org

SOURCE Claude Moore Charitable Foundation