FUNDING

 

Hard Hatted Women programs and services are funded through a diverse mix of resources, including government and foundation grants; individual, union and corporate donations; fee for service; and individual donations.  HHW is a certified Workforce Investment Act provider and is a member of Greater Cleveland Community Shares.  We are not a United Way agency; however, we are the grateful recipient of a United Way community grant in support of adult education. 

Our 2009-2010 Corporate and Foundation Donors include:

Alcoa Foundation

The Cleveland Foundation
Dominion Foundation

Friedman-Klarreich Family Foudnation

Nordson Corporation Foundation

Ohio Children’s Foundation

Ronald Mc Donald House Charities

Raymond John Wean Foundation

United Way of Greater Cleveland (community grant)

 

Through the support of the Cleveland Foundation, HHW launched Superior Workforce Solutions (SWS) in July 2007.  SWS is a social venture that provides customized technical assistance to employers, unions and contractors seeking to increase women's representation in targeted fields.  SWS’s services include assistance in recruitment and retention of women, as well as services to a range of industries seeking to ensure a supportive worksite for women. See the Superior Workforce Solutions page of this website for more detail. Recent and current clients of SWS include:

  • Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Women Apprenticeships in Non Traditional Occupations (WANTO) division, to place 200 women over two years into heavy highway jobs, with multiple apprenticeship partners across the state.
  • Technical assistance to the International Brotherhood of Electricians (IBEW) Local 573 in Warren Ohio, for a diversity initiative.
  • Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections to support young women re-entering their community to secure employment in the building trades.
  • American Electric Power (AEP) to pilot a new program to increase the recruitment and retention of women in targeted fields within their transmission division. 
  • Clark-Reliance to assist in recruitment of welders

We are hearing from a range of technical, manufacturing and construction firms about the impending shortage of trained workers. While aging workers have postponed their retirement due to the economy, there is a growing realization that within the next three to five years, many workers will retire while at the same time there is a recognized challenge at recruiting young people into the skilled trades.  Employers recognize the need to recruit from a wider pool that includes those who have been underrepresented in the past. While this is a growing portion of our funding and a practical extension of our mission, net revenues to HHW are modest at this time.