Cara Collective

Kathleen St. Louis Caliento, President and CEO

Economic Mobility

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Cara Collective engages job seekers, employers, and other organizations to build an inclusive economy by developing employment pathways to advance transformative individual and community success.

Year Founded: 1991

Cara Collective reconnects individuals from communities facing major barriers to economic mobility with the power of gainful employment. The organization’s program combines leadership development, transitional job experiences, permanent job placement, and coaching services. Refined over more than three decades, Cara Collective’s approach has a dual focus on both workplace competencies and socio-emotional skills to fully support members of overlooked communities and ensure the success of its program participants.

Since 1991, Cara Collective has supported more than 9,500 people with getting placed into more than 15,100 jobs. Currently, Cara Collective engages approximately 1,000 job seekers annually. Cara Collective also tracks the social return on investment and community impact of their direct service work with program participants, estimating a one-year SROI of more than $6 million, including nearly $5 million in annualized savings to society through a reduced need for government benefits, substance abuse treatment, and healthcare subsidies.