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
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SOURCE Claude Moore Charitable Foundation