About the Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation
Helping to Build Scholars, Leaders and Communities
How we started
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Formed in 1976 as the philanthropic arm of the Chamber, a 501 (c) 3
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To advance education and workforce development initiatives within the Saint Paul/East Metro area.
Why the Foundation is critical now and in the future
Economic success of the Twin Cities is critically linked to higher education and investment in human capital:
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Jobs requiring an associates degree or higher are increasing. Now 30% more businesses require an associates degree, compared to 1998, and almost 25% more require a bachelors degree -- Bureau of Labor Statistics
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In the Twin Cities region, of the adults who earn less than $17,500, only 26% have a college degree or higher.
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Meanwhile more than half of middle class adults earning between $35,000 and $79,999 are college educated AND 34% of the region's knowledge economy jobs are located within either Minneapolis or Saint Paul, yet only 22 percent of the knowledge economy workers live in the two cities (making quality jobs out of reach for the low-skill, low income workers who cluster in the cities) -- Mind the Gap, Reducing Disparities to Improve Regional Competitiveness in the Twin Cities,
Brooking Institution Metropolitan Policy Program, 2005.
How the Foundation works
The Saint Paul Area Chamber of Commerce Charitable Foundation’s Mission is to create resources to invest in our region’s vitality by developing and engaging a talented work force.
We provide the following to our members and the Saint Paul/East Metro community:
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Leadership programs to educate members on the issues facing our community
Committed Volunteers
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Fundraising initiatives to address the most pressing issues surrounding workforce development and education.
Your generous donation of any size will help support the programs and initiatives guaranteed to impact your business.