The Challenge
Northeastern Pennsylvania has always excelled at collaboration. Yet despite strong partnerships, a 2019 Workforce Strategy Group study revealed a critical missing link: the region lacked permanent workforce intermediary infrastructure.
Without a neutral entity to transform collaborative vision into scalable action, systemic progress remained elusive. The missing piece wasn’t ideas – it was infrastructure.
Collaboration is Strength:
NEPA has a history of collaboration.
The Gap (2019 Study):
Research by the Workforce Strategy Group identified a critical lack of a permanent workforce intermediary infrastructure.
The Consequence:
Without a neutral entity, collaborative ideas fail to translate into scalable, systemic realities.
More Than Members and Money, But a Movement: The NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative
nfrastructure such as this requires coordinated investment. That is why SACF and JobsFirst NYC spent the past year building something equally critical for this region, through the development of the NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative.
This coalition of eleven founding funder organizations—formally committing in October 2025 supported with an award by the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation —represents a significant shift in how workforce development will be advanced in the region. As the first collaborative of its kind locally, these funders are coming together to work and learn collectively, building a coordinated, pooled approach that complements their individual portfolios. The Steering Committee is currently composed of co-chairs Danielle Breslin,of the Moses Taylor Foundation, and Laura Ducceschi of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, along with fiscal agent the AllOne Foundation leadership, John Cosgrove, and Jesse Ergott. With JobsFirst NYC serving as the Technical Assistance & Advancement Agent, we help ensure funders have access to high-quality learning and experts, research on how best to leverage collective resources, and strategic advice as they position themselves to be a vehicle for impact and investment in the region.
Their shared vision is “a thriving and equitable Northeast Pennsylvania where collaboration and inclusivity drive innovation, ensuring all individuals have equitable access to family-sustaining jobs and the resources needed for sustainable economic stability.”
The NEPA Workforce Funder Collaborative was officially launched in the first quarter of 2026.