$100M Fund Connects 20M Workers to Good Jobs Nationwide

Major foundations and city leaders just committed over $100 million to help millions of Americans find stable, well-paying jobs in the communities that need them most.

The Rockefeller Foundation hosted over 250 leaders from government, nonprofits, and businesses in Baltimore this week for its second "Big Bets for America" event. Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and representatives from five major foundations announced new partnerships to expand economic opportunities across the country.

The centerpiece is a three-year, $100 million commitment to connect workers in 250 of America's most distressed communities to good jobs. The initiative targets industries with the strongest growth outlook: healthcare, clean energy, food systems, and AI-related fields.

The strategy aims to benefit 10 to 20 million people and help create roughly 1.6 million additional quality jobs nationwide. The Foundation will work with employers and public and private funders to multiply the impact of the initial investment.

Governor Moore announced $1.5 million in funding for nine Maryland communities with high childhood poverty rates. The money will support safe transportation to school, afterschool literacy programs, and expanded child care access.

The Foundation also named 10 new U.S. Big Bets Fellows working in underserved regions from Appalachia to California. These innovators will receive four months of training, networking, and support to scale their workforce development programs.

The Ripple Effect

The Baltimore event builds on momentum from last November's gathering in Oklahoma City, showing how coordinated philanthropy can transform regional economies. When foundations pool resources and align with local leaders, solutions spread faster.

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator expanded its City Climate Innovation Challenge to Baltimore and 15 other cities, helping them develop clean energy jobs. A new interactive Tough Tech Map now connects startups to the labs, test facilities, and funding they need to grow in every region.

The Rockefeller Foundation also committed $12 million more to Invest in Our Future, a fund that's already unlocked hundreds of millions for clean energy projects that create local jobs. Since 2023, the initiative has proven that combining philanthropic money with smart policy can quickly turn clean energy investments into real employment opportunities.

"For 250 years, America's promise has been that hard work leads to a stable, dignified life," said Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation. The new commitments bet on American workers' resilience and communities' creativity to make that promise real again for millions.