What Cara Collective does

Cara Collective is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit workforce development organization founded in 1991 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It serves individuals facing barriers to employment — including those affected by homelessness, poverty, and prior involvement with the justice system — by providing structured job-readiness training, placement, and post-employment retention support. Its core methodology centers on the proprietary "Motivations" curriculum, delivered through classroom training, sector-specific skills cohorts, and one-on-one case management. The organization reports 17,263 jobs placed for 10,871 people since inception, with a 64% one-year retention rate and a $5.97 social return on investment per dollar invested over five years.

Cara Collective operates four coordinated entities: Cara (core training and placement), Cleanslate (a social-enterprise janitorial and facility services business that generates earned revenue and provides transitional employment), Cara Connects (an alumni network of 118 partner organizations supporting long-term career mobility), and Cara Plus (a national expansion arm that licenses the Cara model to affiliates, including LSSI Works in Fort Wayne and Atlanta Mission @Work in Atlanta). Its business model combines philanthropic revenue, government and public funding, individual donations (including a recurring "Monthly Motivators" program at $10/month), and earned income from Cleanslate and the Workforce Development Solutions Lab training priced at $850 per participant. In FY25 the organization operated with a $16.5M budget and approximately 100 staff.

Cara Collective serves an employer customer base spanning healthcare (Rush, Northwestern, UChicago Medicine), commercial real estate and facilities (C&W Services, CBRE, Sterling Bay), transportation (CTA), and food and beverage, working through more than 50 employment partners. In 2024 it received an $8M unrestricted gift from MacKenzie Scott, its largest single philanthropic contribution. Leadership is in transition: J. Todd Phillips served as Interim CEO from December 2025, with Karin Norington-Reaves appointed as the next CEO effective May 2026 and Susan Dunseth hired as Managing Director of Cara Plus in March 2026, signaling an organizational focus on scaling the affiliate and national expansion model.

Name

Cara Collective

Legal name

Cara Collective

Website

https://caracollective.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Cara Collective is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1991, that provides job-readiness training, placement, and retention support to individuals facing barriers to employment, operating through four entities (Cara, Cleanslate, Cara Connects, Cara Plus) with a $16.5M FY25 budget and 50+ employer partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Training (EDABAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

DEI, Equity & Inclusion Advisory (BPACAJAJ), DEI, Culture & Employee Engagement Training (BPACANAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Job placement programs
• Social enterprise staffing
• Transitional employment services
• Employment training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Social Enterprise Revenue: Cleanslate social enterprise generates revenue through exterior maintenance services including litter abatement, landscape maintenance, and junk removal. 20% of operating revenue comes from social enterprises.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Major grants from foundations and corporations including $8M from MacKenzie Scott. Revenue supports workforce training programs.
3. Government and Public Funding: Federal funds and public grants supporting workforce development operations. Previously managed over $500M in federal funds at Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership.
4. Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations, monthly giving program (Monthly Motivators), matching gifts, stock donations, and estate planning contributions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cara Collective is a Chicago-based nonprofit that delivers free workforce readiness training, job placement, retention coaching, and transitional employment to people experiencing poverty. Its portfolio includes the Cara signature training program, the Cleanslate social enterprise (exterior maintenance providing transitional jobs), the Cara Connects mission-driven staffing firm, and the Cara Plus national expansion arm offering training labs, affiliate partnerships, and inclusive-hiring consulting to employers and workforce organizations.

Product overview

Cara Collective is a workforce development nonprofit organization operating a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offering consists of Cara, the signature workforce readiness program providing training, job placement, and retention coaching. Supporting this are two social enterprises: Cleanslate (exterior maintenance and junk removal creating transitional jobs) and Cara Connects (mission-driven staffing). The expansion arm, Cara Plus, works with employers and organizations nationwide through training labs, affiliate partnerships, inclusive employment consulting, and research initiatives. The organization also offers specialized programs including Motivations (daily inspirational gatherings) and resources like The AdvoKit toolkit and Bridging the Advancement Gap research conducted with McKinsey & Company. Cara Collective does not offer a technology product or software platform, but rather provides service-based workforce development programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cara: Signature workforce readiness program that focuses on personal and professional development through intensive and flexible training models. Founded in 1991.
• Cleanslate
• Cara Plus
• Cara Connects

Products and services

• Cara (Workforce Readiness Program) Cara is Cara Collective's signature workforce readiness program that focuses on personal and professional development through intensive and flexible training models. It provides free workforce training, job placement, retention coaching, and personal and professional coaching to unemployed and underemployed individuals experiencing poverty, with the goal of long-term career success.
• Cleanslate (Transitional Employment Social Enterprise) Cleanslate is Cara Collective's flagship social enterprise, providing transitional employment in exterior maintenance services including litter abatement, landscape maintenance, and junk removal. It serves commercial customers in Chicago and beyond while creating transitional jobs for program participants, with services sold to enterprises such as Sterling Bay, CBRE, and Chicago Transit Authority.
• Cara Connects (Mission-Driven Staffing) Cara Connects is a mission-driven staffing firm that places Cara participants into hundreds of short- and long-term employment positions with leading Chicago companies. It is one of the four core entities of Cara Collective and serves as a direct placement channel connecting graduates to employer demand.
• Cara Plus (National Expansion & Consulting) Cara Plus is the expansion arm of Cara Collective that works with employers and organizations nationwide to build, deploy, and grow viable workforce development solutions. It encompasses the Workforce Development Solutions Lab, affiliate partnerships, inclusive employment consulting, and research initiatives.
• Workforce Development Solutions Lab
• Cara Plus Affiliate Program A partnership program where Cara Plus provides hands-on assistance, tools, and support to help organizations develop workforce development programs based on Cara's model. The program includes due diligence, co-creation, and program implementation phases, currently running LSSI Works (Fort Wayne, IN) and Atlanta Mission @Work (Atlanta, GA).
• Inclusion Action Lab

Quantifiable outcome

• 64% one-year retention rate for permanent and long-term placements
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Atlanta MissioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Launched Atlanta Mission @Work workforce development program based on Cara's model. Serves over 100 people annually, has landed over 30 jobs, with 83% participant retention for at least one year.
• Lutheran Social Services of Indiana (LSSI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015First Cara affiliate partner, launching LSSI Works workforce development program in Fort Wayne, Indiana based on Cara's service delivery model. More than 150 people have secured gainful employment, with 75% retention at same firm for at least one year.
• Russell Reynolds AssociatesminorOthersExecutive search firm conducted national search for new President & CEO, supporting board of directors in selection process.
• Sterling BaymajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommercial real estate partner maintaining retail corridors through Cleanslate services. Testimonial: 'It's rare to find a group that does such quality work at a great price.'
• CBREmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlobal commercial real estate services firm partner for Cleanslate corridor maintenance services.
• McKinsey & CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted Bridging the Advancement Gap study with Cara Plus - one of the largest national studies on frontline worker upward mobility.

Scale indicators25 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Goodwill Industries International: National nonprofit network providing workforce development, job training, and placement services for people facing barriers to employment. Closest comparable by mission, scale, and employer-partner model, though Goodwill operates a broader retail-funded social enterprise.
• Year Up: Workforce development nonprofit offering intensive training, corporate internships, and placement for young adults from low-income communities. Comparable on outcome-driven training model, employer partnerships, and national footprint ambition.
• i.c.stars: Chicago-based nonprofit workforce development program led by Karin Norington-Reaves prior to her appointment as Cara Collective CEO. Direct comparable on technology-focused training, leadership development, and employer placement outcomes.
• STRIVE: National workforce development nonprofit founded in 1984 providing training, placement, and retention services for individuals with significant employment barriers. Comparable on intensive training model, employer partnerships, and outcome-driven culture.
• Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO): National nonprofit providing transitional employment and job placement for people returning home from incarceration. Comparable on transitional-employment-first model, social enterprise approach, and strong employer partnerships.
• Per Scholas: National nonprofit providing tuition-free IT and tech skills training plus job placement for individuals from underrepresented communities. Comparable on employer-funded talent pipeline model and rigorous outcome reporting.
• Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership: Regional workforce development organization previously led by Norington-Reaves, having placed 100,000+ job seekers and managed $500M+ in federal funds. Comparable on public-funding-driven workforce services and Chicago geographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Jobs for the Future (JFF): National nonprofit driving transformation in workforce and education systems through research, policy, and program design. Comparable on workforce development expertise and federal-funding access, but acts more as a systems-level intermediary than direct service provider.

Others

• National Skills Coalition: Policy advocacy organization working to advance equitable skills training and workforce policy at federal and state levels. Adjacent peer that influences the funding and regulatory environment Cara operates within, but does not deliver direct services.

Emerging players

• Toward Employment: Cleveland-based workforce development nonprofit providing training and placement for people with barriers to employment. Comparable on barriered-population focus and social enterprise transitional employment, though smaller and regionally focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CaraChicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheCaraProgram
• Facebookfacebook.com/CaraChicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carachicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/carachicago

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cara Collective