U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
In the business of stronger communities.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation harnesses the power of business to create solutions for the good of America and the world. The Foundation anticipates, develops, and deploys solutions to challenges facing communities—today and tomorrow.
The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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The Connector is the U.S. Chamber Foundation's monthly newsletter connecting you to innovative solutions, strategic partnerships, and our top stories.
- CivicsWe believe that democracy is vital for our nation’s prosperity and that businesses can help strengthen it.Read More
- DisastersWe strengthen partnerships and bolster systems we rely on to increase our resilience for the day it is needed most.Read More
- WorkforceFor America to grow and prosper, we need new talent systems fit for our modern economy.Read More
- The Civic Trust®The Civic Trust® is a nonpartisan educational initiative dedicated to enhancing civic literacy, skills, and participation across schools, workplaces, and communities.Read More
- Small Business Readiness for ResiliencyDeveloped in partnership with founding sponsor FedEx, the Small Business Readiness for Resiliency Program (R4R) is a multi-year initiative to support small businesses impacted by disasters.Read More
- Talent Pipeline ManagementBuilt by business, for business, TPM provides employers and their education and workforce development partners with strategies and tools to co-design talent supply chains that connect learners and workers to jobs and career advancement opportunities.Read More
- Hiring Our HeroesThrough world-class hiring events, digital programs, upskilling opportunities, and fellowships, HOH has developed and cultivated a rich pipeline of military-connected talent ready for businesses nationwide.Read More
Leadership
Latest Content
Over the last 20 years, the education industry has faced many new challenges — the COVID-19 pandemic, the implementation of Common Core, and the threat of school closures due to poor performance, under-enrollment, or lack of funding. While these challenges affect all schools, schools in some areas had more resources to adapt more quickly than others.
Libbie Sonnier of the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, and Timothy Magner of the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, joined The Drumbeat to discuss the state of childcare in Louisiana and how partnerships with the business community are helping find childcare solutions.
Charles Aull, executive director of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, discussed how childcare impacts the labor market in Kentucky, specific access and affordability concerns in the state, and solutions employers can explore.
April Kimble, early childhood education specialist, joins The Drumbeat to discuss the importance of quality when evaluating childcare solutions. Kimble discussed key indicators of quality like building a positive environment, licensing, basic education, and more.
Economist Abby McCloskey joins The Drumbeat to discuss the state of early childhood education policy, what employers need to know about childcare solutions, and what we can expect moving forward with childcare policy in a divided government.
There’s no question that empowering women to participate in their local, national, and global economies can have a positive overall impact. Statistics show that greater equality in education, workforce opportunities, and entrepreneurship can lead to improved business outcomes and stronger, more inclusive economic growth.
More women than ever are starting their own businesses today — and yet, only about one-third of businesses across the globe were owned by women as of 2020, according to World Bank Gender Data. That’s because, despite the surge in new startups founded by women, female entrepreneurs still face certain barriers to growth at higher rates than their male counterparts, including a lack of access to capital and reduced availability of working hours due to pandemic-related challenges like affordable childcare.
For the first time in history, more than 10% of Fortune 500 companies are now led by women CEOs, according to January 2023 data from Fortune. This shift is indicative of an overall change in women’s participation in the workforce in recent decades, in which women are changing jobs more frequently than their male counterparts and at the highest rates of all time.
Across the country, businesses of all sizes are doubling down on their commitments to more diverse and inclusive hiring practices. This is especially true in industries like the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), where women have been and continue to be underrepresented in the workforce.