VISION, MISSION, AND BELIEFS
VISION
Origami Works Foundation envisions a future in which all Chicago area residents have access to rewarding work with employers who embrace the benefits of truly inclusive employment practices.
MISSION
Origami Works Foundation supports the Cook County workforce development ecosystem, which bridges gaps between Chicago area residents who face barriers to rewarding employment and their potential employers.
BELIEFS
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Our mission is best fulfilled when we embrace the diversity of our community as a fundamental strength.
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Rewarding work meets individuals’ employment needs and career goals, and supports them in reaching their potential.
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Truly inclusive employment practices go beyond standard diversity efforts to intentionally prioritize hiring and retaining individuals who face employment barriers such as poverty, lack of education, justice involvement, and transportation challenges.
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Collaborating with partners increases the likelihood that programs are successful and sustainable.
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Removing barriers to work is a win-win-win for employees, employers, and communities.
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Experience is as valuable as formal education.
SAMPLE INITIATIVES
A Guide for Employers New to Navigating the Workforce Development Ecosystem:
Based on over three years of interviews, trusted data, and personal experience in the workforce development ecosystem, Origami Works Foundation published Talent Connections: Your Guide to Leveraging Chicago's Workforce Investments. Talent Connections is a step-by-step guide for employers new to navigating the workforce development ecosystem - a guide for how to plug in, and a wealth of stories and advice from employers who have seen real-world success from their workforce development partnerships.
Individualized Advice for Employers Curious About Partnering with Workforce Providers:
Origami Works Foundation is piloting a concierge-style program designed to give employers customized connections to workforce providers that can help address their unique talent needs. Interested employers fill out a brief questionnaire and are contacted by a workforce navigator who will make personalized recommendations and facilitate introductions.
Convening and Collaborating with Business Services Representatives:
The Employer Engagement Playbook is a resource developed in partnership with the Employer Systems Working Group that highlights leading approaches to employer relationship building across Cook County. The goal of the project is to gather the practices of various business services representatives (BSRs) all in one place, as well as to facilitate collaboration within the region's larger workforce development community.
Making Career Pathways for Youth More Visible:
Origami Works built a web-based directory of quality career pathway programs for youth who choose not to go directly to four-year colleges after graduating high school. The directory careerpathways.net features programs in many fields that require two years or less of training, and can lead to jobs that pay well. Origami Works partnered with the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, along with many members of that organization as well as youth training providers, and launched the first version of the site within six months.
Workforce Development Success Stories:
Origami Works Foundation has conducted dozens of interviews featuring leaders and collaborators in the workforce development ecosystem. These stories, featured in the Talent Champions blog series, are designed to inspire others to see how the workforce development ecosystem can help with their talent needs.
C-Suite Leaders Share Their Change Stories:
The video interview series Game Changers in the C-Suite features leaders who open up about the key moments that changed their approach to talent. Their personal stories illustrate how their decisions reshaped their organizations and continue to build stronger communities. Produced in collaboration with Corporate Coalition, Game Changers shows leaders across all sectors can reap the rewards of inclusive hiring practices.
Talent Solutions Connector Directory of Workforce Services: In collaboration with The Innovation Nexus, Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance, as well as Chicago / Cook County's Bureau of Economic Development, Origami Works Foundation was a key builder of Talent Solutions Connector. Talent Solutions Connector is a platform that allows employers to find, learn about, and engage with providers of workforce services to solve their talent needs. Origami Works Foundation continues to provide support for and maintains a place on the advisory board for Talent Solutions Connector.
Summer Internships for First-Generation College Students: For the past 5 years Origami Works Foundation has increased the number of paid summer internships available to first-generation college students living in Chicagoland. Interns are hosted by local non profit employers while Origami provides support and connections to professional development programming for the cohort of interns.
PARTNERSHIPS & GRANTEES
Origami Works is proud to provide funding to and collaborate with many Chicagoland workforce development organizations and educational institutions, including our partners below.
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Allies for Community Business
Alternatives, Inc
Audubon Great Lakes
Braven Incorporated
CareerSpring
Center for Changing Lives
Central States SER
Chicago Cares
Chicago Community Trust
Children First Fund
Christopher House
Claretian Associates
Cultural Vistas
Current
Chicagoland Workforce Funders Alliance
Embarc
Farmworker and Landscaper Advocacy Project
Fast Pitch Showcase
Friends of Pierce NFP
Genesys Works
Girls In The Game
Greenlight Fund
Chicagoland Healthcare Workforce Collaborative
Heartland Human Care Services
Jobs for the Future
Kids First Chicago
LINK Unlimited Scholars
Literacy Works
MALDEF
Music Box Foundation
New Moms
Partnership for College Completion
Polished Pebbles
ProPath Fund
Recipe For Change
Revolution Workshop
Safer Foundation
Share Our Spare
Skills for Chicagoland's Future
Urban Farm & Education | Growing Hope
UtmostU
VOCEL
Women Employed
Women's Business Development Center
Young Men’s Educational Network
TESTIMONIALS
"...an amazing experience both personally and professionally. Origami Works Foundation took on the idea that was once only a dream for many people and made it a reality in a matter of months. Their hard work, extreme focus, and excellent project management skills ... allowed them to corral many stakeholders from various sectors to create a user-friendly site that addresses gaps in the region's workforce and post-secondary planning tools.
January Miller, Embarc
The Jobs Council was connected to Origami Works just after we launched a COVID 19 resource page on our website. They offered to take their user-friendly template and reorganize our page and resources to improve access to a wide range of information. We have a small staff who were trying to quickly share information with the field of community workforce providers, and Origami Works stepped in with a way to streamline our site and provide useful analytics about site use/rs that we did not have before. Origami Works was easy to work with, kept us focused and our staff felt like their time was well-spent.
Carrie Thomas, Chicago Jobs Council
"In partnering with Origami Works, we were able to create a workforce development program strategy that aligned with and built on our existing mission and programs. They have provided a deep knowledge of best-practices, supported our team with project management and implementation, and connected us to experts in the field to achieve more than we ever could on our own. Every step of the way, the team was inclusive in decision-making, prioritized the needs of our children and families, and used data to guide our approach for expanding our two generation model.
Gloria Kuechenberg, Christopher House
Working with Origami Works has been a transformational experience for the Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance and its Progressive Pathways to Postsecondary Success Fund. Dani deftly navigates taking visions and dreams to a tangible product while ensuring that key stakeholders have input and are bought in to the process and product. As a result of Origami Works' first engagement with us, Chicagoans now have a central location to view information on programs to help them take their next step on their career journey. We look forward to a lasting partnership with Origami Works!
Adrian Esquivel & Matt Bruce, CWFA