Center for Workforce Inclusion (CWI) is a nonprofit organization that claims to network low-income individuals with employers within the workforce. The group has received funding from several departments within the U.S government including the United States Department of Labor and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. It was founded in 1962 as the “National Council of Senior Citizens” and was later renamed “Senior Service America Inc.” before becoming the Center for Workforce Inclusion. ¹

In 2019, the group launched CWI Labs as a separate nonprofit to educate employers and policymakers diversifying the workforce. In 2021, CWI Labs started the American Workforce Coalition (AWC), a network that claims to research and report on what skills and expertise it claims are needed for low-income workers to be placed in new jobs. Members of AWC include CWI; National Able Network; Community Assistance Programs; Motivation, Education, and Training (MET); National Asian Pacific Center on Aging; National Council on Aging; National Indian Council on Aging; National Urban League; Operation ABLE; South Central Human Resource Agency; Service, Employment, and Redevelopment (SER) National; Urban League of Westchester County; Winston-Salem Urban League; and Vantage Aging. ^{2 3 4}

Activities

CWI and CWI Labs hold an annual convention, “The Equity Summit Library,” to discuss the implementation of an older workforce. The event is sponsored by T-Mobile, ARES Charitable Foundation, American Nurses Association, NFP, and Working Nation.  ⁵

Funding

Between 2021 and 2024, the Center for Workforce Inclusion (CWI) has received a total of 56 federal government grants from 2021 through 2024. ⁶

In 2024, CWI received a $181.8 million grant from the United States Department of Labor, distributed over 4 years, “to support workforce training for unemployed older workers.” ⁷ An additional $2.6 million grant was also provided by the Department to CWI, “to expand a nationwide initiative engaging employers and improving workforce outcomes for older job seekers.” ⁸ In 2020, the Department of Labor issued a $191 million grant, paid over four years to CWI for the purpose of supporting the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) to assist low-income workers.  ⁹

In 2020, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service granted a $7 million grant to CWI for the purpose of providing  “temporary paid assignments to provide technical services supporting the conservation, development, and management of the Nation’s fish and wildlife resource.” ¹⁰

In 2023, the CWI received a $250,000 grant from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations (OSF) to support its “Equity Matters” project developed to, “provide thought leadership and support to criminal justice reform coalitions and to leverage capital for communities of color. ¹¹ CWI previously received a $150,000 grant from OSF in 2021 as well as a $90,000 grant in 2020. ¹¹

Programs

In 2022, the Center for Workforce Inclusion (CWI) administered its Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) that would be funded by the United States Department of Labor (DOL), the Senior Environmental Employment Program (SEE) the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Agriculture Conservation Experienced Services (ACES), the United States Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forest Service.  ¹²

Partners and Sponsors

On its website, the Center for Workforce Inclusion’s (CWIs) federal partners include the United States Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service, the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United States Forest Service as federal partners. Employer partners listed for CWI include CVS Pharmacy, Amazon, Starbucks, Allied Universal, Lyft, Marriott, Nordstrom, Prudential, Wells Fargo, Yankee Stadium, General Mills, and Jackson Hewitt Tax Service. Local partners include The Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries International, American Red Cross, Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Clubs, United Way, University of Notre Dame, The Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), American Automobile Association (AAA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA). ^{13 14 15}

According to its website, several of CWI’s major sponsors include the United States Department of Labor (DOL), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), United States Forest Service (USFS), California Department of Aging, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Wyoming Workforce Services, Next 50 Initiative, Shell, and Zephyr. ¹⁶

People

Gary A. Officer is president and CEO and Angela Ciccolo is board chair. Officer previously held positions at Newseum, Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, and was president and CEO at Rebuilding Together. Ciccolo is general counsel and chief legal officer at the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and is secretary of the Special Olympics board of directors. ^{17 18}

1. Center For Workforce Inclusion Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. Form 990. 2022. Part III Line 1.
2. “About.” CWI Labs, March 20, 2023. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.cwilabs.org/about/.
3. “Our Work.” American Workforce Coalition, January 10, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.americanworkforce.org/priorities/.
4. “Our Coalition.” American Workforce Coalition, December 6, 2023. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.americanworkforce.org/our-coalition/.
5. “The Equity Summit Library.” CWI Labs, September 30, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.cwilabs.org/initiatives/the-equity-summit-library/.
6. USAspending.gov. Accessed October 6, 2024. https://www.usaspending.gov/search/?hash=94b845f96f4f153877d319cfa63a45b6.
7. Polles, Flávia. “The Center for Workforce Inclusion Awarded $200 Million Grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to Support Workforce Training for Unemployed Older Workers.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, September 26, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/181-8-million-grant-to-support-unemployed-older-workers/.
8. Rita. “$2.6 Million Grant to Expand Employer Engagement.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, September 27, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/2-6-million-grant-to-expand-employer-engagement/
9. Rita. “The Center Awarded $191 Million, 4-Year Workforce Development Grant.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, June 1, 2021. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/the-center-awarded-191-million-4-year-workforce-development-grant/.
10. Rita. “Center for Workforce Inclusion Awarded U.S. Fish & Wildlife $7M, Umbrella Grant.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, June 24, 2020. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/center-for-workforce-inclusion-awarded-u-s-fish-wildlife-7m-umbrella-grant/.
11. “Awarded Grants: Cener for Workforce Inclusion.” Open Society Foundations, Accessed November 4, 2024.  https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/past?filter_keyword=Center+for+Workforce+Inclusion+&grant_id=OR2023-90038
12. “Center For Workforce Inclusion Inc.” Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax. Form 990. 2022. Part III, Lines 4a, 4b, 4c.
13. “Federal Partners.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, April 29, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/for-partners/federal-partners/.
14. “Employer Partners.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, April 29, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/for-partners/employer-partners/.
15. “Local Partners.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, February 15, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/for-partners/local-partners/.
16. “Sponsors.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, February 15, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/for-partners/major-supporters/.
17. “Gary A. Officer.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, April 24, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/leadership/gary-a-officer/.
18. “Angela Ciccolo.” The Center for Workforce Inclusion, January 25, 2024. Accessed October 3, 2024. https://www.centerforworkforceinclusion.org/leadership/angela-ciccolo/.