The Work of Opportunity
Updates
Sep 29, 2025
As the US approaches its 250th anniversary, we are reflecting on America’s founding ideals—and asking whether the promise of opportunity still holds true today.
Featured
Media
Oct 20, 2021
Sharma: Acceleration vs. Remediation, Closing the Achievement Gap, Keeping Academic Growth Going — Insights from Math Learning in the Pandemic
Writing for The 74 Million, Zearn CEO and co-founder Shalinee Sharma highlights key insights from math learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Media
Oct 20, 2021
How $24M in Cash Grants Provided a Lifeline for Returning Citizens During Pandemic
Writing for The Crime Report, Sam Schaeffer of The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) and Ivonne Garcia of MDRC highlight a recent study by MDRC which shows the positive impact of CEO's Returning Citizen Stimulus program.
Media
Oct 19, 2021
Adoption program expanding to find kids forever homes
A local news outlet in Indiana reports on the expansion of the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program to help more children in the state's foster care system find permanent, loving homes.
Media
Oct 19, 2021
Families win, poverty loses
A local news outlet in Idaho highlights how home-visiting programs, including Nurse-Family Partnership, are helping to end intergenerational poverty in the area.
Media
Oct 11, 2021
No college degree? More employers than ever just don’t care
CNN Business highlights Year Up's workforce training program and its partnership with employers like Accenture to help fill labor shortages while addressing systemic inequities and bias in hiring and promotion practices.
Media
Oct 11, 2021
Sanders-Clyde students given free glasses through Vision To Learn non-profit
A South Carolina news outlet reports on an effort to bring free eye exams and eyeglasses to students in Charleston through Vision To Learn.
Media
Oct 5, 2021
Foundations, new donors build $51M fund to support workers
Alex Daniels of The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports on a fund aimed at supporting workers during the pandemic and cites Blue Meridian Partners' COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund as an example of other efforts to support hard-hit communities.
Media
Oct 5, 2021
“Revisit the Assumptions.” A New Report Poses Big Questions About Funders’ Impact in the 2020s
In an article highlighting a recent report from the Monitor Institute by Deloitte, Inside Philanthropy uplifts Blue Meridian Partners as an example of multiple funders collaborating to share risks and amplify their impact.
Media
Sep 30, 2021
Bank of America is doubling down on plans to hire from low-to-moderate income communities by recruiting 10,000 new employees by 2025
Business Insider reports on Bank of America's efforts to hire more individuals from moderate- to low-income communities through partnerships with Year Up and other non-profit organizations.
Media
Sep 28, 2021
This program is testing what happens when you give cash to people leaving prison
Fast Company details how Center for Employment Opportunities is teaming up with For the People to provide cash assistance to individuals recently released from prison in order to address every day needs and set them up for long-term success.