What America Achieves does

America Achieves is a national nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in New York City that operates as an action tank at the intersection of workforce policy design, systems building, and on-the-ground implementation. Its flagship Good Jobs Economy initiative, launched in July 2024 in partnership with the National Governors Association Chair's Initiative, works alongside governors, state agencies, regional coalitions, community colleges, and employers to align workforce training with high-growth sectors and connect residents to good-paying jobs. The organization also delivers the Workforce Pell Resource Library, Good Jobs Funds, and a Peer Learning Cohort with Brookings Metro, and has supported 85 regional coalitions applying for federal programs such as the Regional Tech Hubs and Build Back Better Regional Challenge, with supported communities achieving a 15x higher success rate than the national applicant pool.

America Achieves generates revenue exclusively through philanthropic grants from a diversified base of institutional funders including Blue Meridian Partners, George Kaiser Family Foundation, MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving ($15M in December 2024), Strada Education Foundation, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, John M. Belk Endowment, and the Best Buy Foundation. The organization does not charge for its services, does not sell software, and does not hold patents; its offerings are advisory, programmatic, and content-based rather than technology-based. Its go-to-market is enterprise-style direct engagement with governors and state workforce leaders, complemented by channel distribution through the NGA partnership and a coalition-support model for regional intermediaries.

The organization is led by CEO and founder Jon Schnur, with a board chaired by Stefan Pryor and a bench of more than 30 senior advisors drawn from state and local government, OMB, the SBA, city planning, and public policy. America Achieves has helped design and shape over $2 billion in federal funding for inclusive economic development programs, has active state partnerships with Oklahoma, Maryland, and North Carolina, and has set a 2030 goal of moving tens of thousands of people into good jobs. As a nonprofit, its financial sustainability depends on continued philanthropic fundraising and federal program continuity rather than commercial revenue generation.

Name

America Achieves

Legal name

America Achieves Inc.

Website

https://americaachieves.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

America Achieves is a national nonprofit that partners with governors, state agencies, and regional coalitions to design workforce programs and secure federal funding, connecting residents to good jobs through its flagship Good Jobs Economy initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Development, Employment Readiness & Job Placement (BPADAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Workforce Readiness, Career Pathways & Youth Employment Nonprofits (BPAGADAF), Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF), Institutional Capacity Building & Training (Workforce/Systems Strengthening) (BPADAEAC), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Workforce development services
• Economic mobility programs
• Policy advisory services
• Talent system consulting
• Regional coalition support

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: Receives funding from private foundations including Blue Meridian Partners, George Kaiser Family Foundation, MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving, Strada Education Foundation, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and others. These grants support Good Jobs Economy initiative and general operations.
2. Federal Program Design Services: Provides technical assistance and advisory services to state and regional partners on federal program implementation, helping design applications and implementation strategies for federal workforce and economic development funding.
3. Corporate Foundation Partnerships: Best Buy Foundation contributes grant funding and executive leadership support. John M. Belk Endowment provides major funding for Good Jobs Western North Carolina initiative.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

America Achieves is a national nonprofit that supports state governments, regional coalitions, and local intermediaries to design, fund, and implement workforce development programs that connect residents to good jobs in high-growth sectors. Its flagship Good Jobs Economy initiative provides technical assistance, policy advocacy, coalition-building, and co-funding of evidence-based programs, helping communities secure federal and philanthropic funding for talent pipelines.

Product overview

America Achieves is a national nonprofit organization that operates at the intersection of policy design, systems building, and on-the-ground implementation. Rather than a unified software product, it offers a portfolio of workforce development programs and initiatives, including the core Good Jobs Economy initiative, the Workforce Pell Resource Library (practical guidance tools for states), Good Jobs Funds (capital deployment mechanisms), and the Peer Learning Cohort (coalition support program). These offerings work together to help communities and states align workforce training with employer demand and connect residents to good jobs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Good Jobs Economy: Flagship initiative launched in July 2024 to help states and local communities build pathways to good jobs and careers with upward mobility, partnered with the National Governors Association Chair's Initiative.

Products and services

• Good Jobs Economy The flagship initiative of America Achieves that works alongside governors, states, and local regions to connect residents to good jobs while helping employers access skilled talent, aiming to help hundreds of thousands of Americans reach and stay in the middle class.
• Workforce Pell Resource Library A collection of practical resources from America Achieves to help states prepare for Workforce Pell, including playbooks, fact sheets, recommendations for governors, and guidance for philanthropy implementation.
• Good Jobs Fund A fund mechanism to identify and fund the development and growth of evidence-based, scalable models that connect employers, job seekers, and education and training providers in local regions. States like Oklahoma have launched Good Jobs Funds with initial commitments.
• Good Jobs Western North Carolina A regionally coordinated workforce initiative in Western North Carolina targeting 1,200 residents in healthcare, manufacturing, and skilled trades over three years following Hurricane Helene, bringing together all 11 community colleges across 23 counties.
• Good Jobs Economy Peer Learning Cohort A collaborative program working with regional coalitions on coalition governance, providing technical assistance, site visits, and problem-solving sessions to strengthen regional economic development efforts.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15x higher success rate for supported communities in Regional Tech Hubs competition compared to national average
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Governors AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 July 2025Good Jobs Economy is a centerpiece of the NGA Chair's Initiative 'Reigniting the American Dream' led by Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt. America Achieves serves as core partner to help governors build modern talent systems and launch Good Jobs Funds. Partnership includes development of Workforce Pell implementation resources for governors.
• Brookings MetrocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated to produce 'The Coalition Imperative' guidebook with Brookings Metro, sharing practical guidance from regional coalition efforts. Partnered on Good Jobs Economy Peer Learning Cohort with 11 regions.
• StriveTogetherminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on cradle-to-career community impact. Collaborated on workforce strategies that strengthen communities and featured in StriveTogether's coverage.
• Guild (Talent Development Organization)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNation's leading talent development organization partnering with Oklahoma on workforce training programs for aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and AI infrastructure.
• Merit AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-performing initiative incubated by America Achieves that has served over 10,000 low-income adults with emerging evidence of substantial impacts on wage gains.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• New America: Large think tank with substantial education and workforce policy programs. Comparable as a policy think tank producing research and recommendations on workforce development, though broader in scope across many policy domains.

Direct peers

• MDRC: Nonprofit social policy research organization conducting rigorous evaluations of education and workforce programs. Comparable as an evidence-generation and program-evaluation partner for workforce development initiatives.
• Jobs for the Future: National nonprofit focused on workforce development, economic mobility, and education-to-career pathways. Directly comparable as a policy and systems-change organization working with states and regional coalitions on workforce initiatives, with larger scale and longer operating history.
• National Skills Coalition: Nonprofit advocacy and policy organization focused on building equitable skills training and workforce development systems. Directly comparable mission around aligning federal policy with state workforce implementation.
• Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program: Program at the Aspen Institute focused on expanding economic opportunity through workforce development, quality jobs, and inclusive growth. Comparable in policy advocacy, research, and state-level technical assistance work.
• StriveTogether: National nonprofit network focused on cradle-to-career community impact through local coalitions. Direct peer and current partner; both organizations work with regional coalitions on workforce and economic mobility outcomes.
• Brookings Metro: Policy research program focused on metropolitan economic growth, inclusion, and workforce. Direct peer in producing research and frameworks for regional economic development; partnered with America Achieves on 'The Coalition Imperative' guidebook.
• Strada Education Foundation: Major philanthropic organization focused on education-to-employment pathways and workforce development. Functions as both a peer (workforce policy/advisory) and a current funder of America Achieves, operating in highly overlapping content areas.

Others

• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE): Adjacent nonprofit working with educational institutions. Connected through workforce development ecosystem but focused on educational advancement rather than workforce policy directly.

Emerging players

• Corporation for a Skilled Workforce: National nonprofit focused on building equitable talent development systems. Comparable in working with states and regions on workforce policy, though smaller scale than America Achieves' current initiative footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/americaachieves?lang=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/america-achieves

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 America Achieves