West Virginia women's job readiness nonprofit wins $1 million award

West Virginia Women Work, a Morgantown-based nonprofit, recently won the national Impact Prize.Photo byWest Virginia Women Work

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — A nonprofit job readiness group that works with West Virginia women is one of four national organizations to win a $1 million prize for their accomplishments.

West Virginia Women Work, a Morgantown-based nonprofit that operates statewide, is one of four recipients of the Impact Prize, sponsored by entrepreneur and philanthropist Tom Iovino.

The Impact Prize recognizes "nonprofit programs with proven outcomes leading to high-value employment for people from diverse backgrounds," according to a release. This year marks the first year the prize was awarded.

West Virginia Women Work was one of hundreds of applicants from 39 states, according to award organizers.

"We received an overwhelming response to the 2024 Impact Prize," Iovino, the award's funder, said. "The leaders of these programs are visionaries who understand how lasting change is built from the ground up."

According to the nonprofit's website, West Virginia Women Work offers several job readiness and education programs meant to achieve economic equity for Mountain State women. The organization offers construction and manufacturing pre-apprentice programs; job mentoring; a CNC (Computer Numeric Control) machining boot camp; and workforce support.

West Virginia Women Work offers several hands-on training programs to women throughout the state.Photo byWest Virginia Women Work

Though based in West Virginia's northern region, West Virginia Women Work collaborates with and trains women throughout the state.

"We provide job skills training programs to prepare women for promising careers, while simultaneously helping employers create a work culture that better facilitates women’s success," notes the organization's website.

The Impact Prize is one of several awards granted to West Virginia Women Work in recent years. Other grants have come from the Truist Foundation and Lowe's Foundation.

"Thank you to the Impact Prize team for this recognition," representatives with the nonprofit wrote on their Facebook page. "Together, we are making a difference and advancing economic mobility for women in West Virginia."

Other winners of the 2024 Impact Prize include:

• Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse, a deconstruction workforce development program in the Chicago area;
• Lost Angels Children's Project, a nonprofit organization that empowers low income youth through vocational training, social enterprise, and outreach programs in the greater Los Angeles area; and
• Rise Up Industries, a group that prepares formerly incarcerated individuals in the San Diego area to work in careers in CNC machining.

"Each winning organization, while unique in their approach, shares a collective and inspiring commitment to provide the communities they serve with the tools necessary for high quality and sustainable employment," Iovino said.

West Virginia Women Work will share the $1 million prize equally with the three other winning organizations.

More information on West Virginia Women Work can be found at westvirginiawomenwork.org. Information about all Impact Prize winners can be accessed at theimpactprize.org.