Community Organizations & Public Service Initiatives

Blue River Services

Blue River Services is on a mission to assist people with disabilities in realizing maximum personal growth and development in home, work and community by providing a continuum of individualized services and supports in settings least restrictive for the needs of the individual. Blue River Employment Services provides placement to individuals with intellectual, developmental and acquired disabilities and other barriers to employment. Individuals can obtain and maintain employment through career exploration, job readiness and development, soft skills training, follow-along services and individual job coaching. Services are designed in accordance with the individual’s support needs and preferences. Blue River staff assist individuals in discovering and understanding their vocational interests, values, temperaments, work-related behaviors, aptitudes, skills, physical capabilities, learning style, and training needs. Individuals are paired with an Employment Consultant, who assists with employment-related concerns helping participants further their skills training.

Center for Employment Opportunities

The Center for Employment Opportunities provides immediate, effective, and comprehensive employment services exclusively to individuals who have recently returned home from incarceration. Our comprehensive employment and training services help individuals connect to a job and career. CEO exists to create greater opportunities for people who face multiple barriers to economic success. With more than half of their our participants between 18 and 30 years old, CEO is committed to continuously building, implementing, and evaluating programming that addresses their needs and affirms their agency.

Jewish Family & Career Services

Whether you are embarking upon your first job, experiencing a career transition, or searching for a twilight career before retirement, Jewish Family & Career Services will empower you to make informed decisions regarding your individual career path. We will help you explore vocational options and prepare you to enter the job market with confidence with assessment and exploration, counseling and coaching, job search preparation, pre-employment transition services, re-credentialing and career laddering, resource coordination, vocational evaluation, and workshops.

Kentucky Bankers Association Education Alliance

The Kentucky Bankers Association is a nonprofit trade association that has been providing legislative, legal, compliance and educational services to its member institutions since 1891. KBA’s directors and staff work together with its members to make the financial services industry a more effective and successful place to work. The strength of the KBA is bankers unifying as an industry to speak as one voice.

Cedar Lake

Cedar Lake works to to engage individuals in our community while promoting independence, self-sufficiency, and spiritual health. Cedar Lake offers supported employment provided by a certified Employment Specialist whose primary focus is to obtain and maintain a meaningful job to an individual in the community. This includes searching for competitive employment to earn a living wage and a satisfying career while building natural relationships and in the workplace. In addition, this organization offers vocational rehabilitation services to assist individuals with their goals to reach their employment outcomes. Counselors are assigned to each case to discuss guidance and assessments that focus on person-centered initiatives.

Louisville Independent Business Alliance

The mission of the Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) is to preserve the unique community character of the Metro Louisville area by promoting locally-owned, independent businesses and educating citizens on the value of purchasing locally.

Seven Counties Services

The Seven Counties Services Training Institute is for community mental health professionals, and offers a variety of learning opportunities for professional development through classroom trainings and workshops. Many courses offered are submitted to Kentucky licensing boards for CE hours. Other courses offered are state-approved certifications for Targeted Case Management, Community Support Associates, and Peer Support Specialists.

Louisville Urban League

The Louisville Urban League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, community service organization dedicated to eliminating racism and its adverse impacts on our community. Our mission is to assist African Americans and other marginalized populations in attaining social and economic equality through direct services and advocacy. As part of a broader National Urban League network of historic civil rights organizations throughout the United States, the Louisville Urban League, like all affiliates, is dedicated to fostering economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities, with our focus on Jobs, Justice, Education, Health, and Housing. Currently, the Louisville Urban League’s service area includes the Kentucky counties of Jefferson, Shelby, Oldham, Bullitt, and Hardin; and the Indiana counties of Floyd, Harrison, and Clark.

Helping Hand of Hope

Helping Hand of Hope works to offer compassionate relief to people in need by providing immediate assistance and appropriate referrals to meet basic human needs. This organization provides our community with an opportunity for sharing resources that foster personal self-worth and human dignity.

Venture Connectors

Venture Connectors is an incorporated, not-for-profit business association originally formed in 1995 as the Venture Club of Louisville. Venture Connectors’ goal is to connect entrepreneurs, investors, service providers, inventors, academics, practitioners, technologists, students and business experts to encourage the expansion of business and commercial investment activities in the Kentuckiana region. Events include monthly luncheons and the annual Venture Sharks™ competition. Membership is open to founders, business professionals, venture capitalists, private investors and students who are involved in the entrepreneurial community. Anyone interested in making valuable contacts, exchanging information or pursuing mutual business opportunities is welcome to attend a Venture Connectors event.

St. John Center for Homeless Men

St. John Center extends care and community to homeless men, women, and children living on the streets in our city. This organization has a mission to help homeless men address the barriers to housing and self-sufficiency so they can leave homelessness for good. They offer permanent supportive housing, a day shelter and social services center, and street outreach. They are located in a former Catholic church as a safe haven for immigrants and have staff and volunteers that carry on a welcoming spirit to provide refuge to some of the community’s most vulnerable people.

The Book Works

The Book Works (formerly Emerging Workforce Initiative) is a nonprofit organization in Louisville, KY that creates programs, partnerships, information, and supports that prepare disconnected and vulnerable youth and young adults for career pathways. Young people we work with learn team work, project planning and other job readiness skills in a real-world social enterprise while working toward job and education goals.

Louisville Downtown Partnership

The Louisville Downtown Partnership works to maintain the value and importance of Downtown Louisville and the Business Improvement District, with its emphasis on providing clean and safe services, economic development, and fact-driven resources for our ratepayers, stakeholders and potential investors. We remain steadfast in our belief in our community and, most importantly, in our Downtown’s ultimate resilience and significance to our overall local and regional economy. Whether you’re a sole proprietor, start-up with one employee or established business with many employees, we support small businesses from grand openings to expansions, through promotion, technical assistance, referrals to small business resource providers, or identifying sources of financial assistance.

Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana

Junior Achievement of Kentuckiana is a nonprofit that inspires and prepares young people for success. With interactive programs tailored to elementary, middle and high school students, Junior Achievement introduces young people throughout our community to the realities and possibilities of the working world and personal finance.

Home of the Innocents – Pathways HOME

Home of the Innocents – Pathways HOME Team is a leader in transforming communities through programs that are trauma-responsive, innovative, and evidence-based. Their leadership is committed to developing and supporting a diverse, inclusive, values-led workforce. The Pathways HOME program provides services to young adults between the ages of 18 to 24 and their children. This program offers the kind of care and education that can make a huge difference in young people’s ability to care for themselves and their families. Their experienced and dedicated staff help Pathways HOME clients develop independent living skills, enroll in and complete education, access community resources, seek affordable housing, and access mental health services. Participants are expected to fulfill certain obligations in order to benefit from the program. These expectations include maintaining a job, completing education, and weekly contact with their case manager.

Rise Louisville

The mission of RISE is to bring increased economic prosperity to our region through Education and Mentoring of Entrepreneurs. This organization helps immigrant entrepreneurs navigate the system and apply innovative approaches to their business by engaging appropriate community partners.
The future plans for RISE include organizing educational and mentoring programs to help existing businesses primed for growth.

Canopy KY

Canopy recognizes the changing landscape in business; employees want purpose, consumers are paying attention to who they buy from, healthy communities are good for business, and a healthy landscape is good for business. Canopy’s mission is to grow Kentucky businesses to positively impact people, our planet, and our future. Through education, certification, and connection, we help Kentucky businesses participate and succeed within the Good Business movement.

Health Enterprises Network

The Health Enterprises Network (HEN) is the region’s premier healthcare business network. Formed by area leaders in 2000, HEN’s mission is to champion and foster the growth of the Greater Louisville Region’s healthcare economy. Comprised of 1200 professionals from 160 investor companies, HEN represents a diverse and growing industry, from hospitals and health services companies to medical device manufacturers and leading health law firms. HEN is the convener that breaks down barriers, opens doors, and is the catalyst for engagement with healthcare professionals and leaders. Health Enterprises Network is an affiliate of Greater Louisville Inc.

Render Capital

Render Capital takes a hands-on, founder-first approach that leverages their startup, venture, and corporate innovation networks. As the only institutionally-backed venture capital fund in Kentucky, this organization envisions a robust and thriving regional economy where entrepreneurs see the Midwest and South as a place they can find appropriate risk capital necessary for them to start and grow. Render Capital invests in startups that are solving problems with innovative solutions, attacking a large market with global applications, and that have a founding team and advisors with deep experience; industries they invest in include: healthcare, health technology, supply chain/logistics, advanced manufacturing, CPG/e-Commerce, food/beverage, and, B2B SaaS.

SOUL Clinic of Kentuckiana

The SOUL Clinic of Kentuckiana is a non-profit organization that offers assistance with basic needs or benefits, peer counseling, help with housing, employment or education, connections to services or resources, social and recreational opportunities, structured educational or support groups, and crisis response.

Noir Black Chamber of Commerce

Connecting Black College Students To internships and corporate job placement & connecting companies to Black college talent. The Noir Black Chamber of Commerce offers their student members access to mentors, internships, and corporate job placement.

Kentucky Foundation for Women Grant Programs

The Kentucky Foundation for Women offers two annual grant programs: Artist Enrichment and Art Meets Activism. The deadline for the Artist Enrichment grant is typically the first week of September, and the deadline for the Art Meets Activism grant is typically the first week of March. KFW also operates a free retreat space for women called Hopscotch House. The mission of the Kentucky Foundation for Women is to promote positive social change by supporting varied feminist expression in the arts.

Greater Louisville Inc.

Greater Louisville Inc. – The Metro Chamber of Commerce, is dedicated to connecting and growing businesses. GLI leads economic development for the region, driving job creation and entrepreneurship. GLI is committed to transforming our community by improving the region’s quality of life, advocating for a pro-business environment and developing a talented workforce. Greater Louisville Inc. represents a 15-County/2-State Regional Area: Clark County, IN; Floyd County, IN; Harrison County, IN; Scott County, IN; Washington County, IN; Bullitt County, KY; Hardin County, KY; Henry County, KY; Jefferson County, KY; Meade County, KY; Nelson County, KY; Oldham County, KY; Shelby County, KY; Spencer County, KY; and Trimble County, KY.

Multi-Purpose Community Action Agency

The Multi-Purpose Community Action Agency works to eliminate barriers to economic self-sufficiency for low-income families and senior citizens through community supports and partnerships. The MPCAA works on behalf of individuals and families to help them improve their daily living situations and to stabilize the family unit. Through their various programs and services, they promote self-sufficiency and independent living, helping their customers to achieve their own success by focusing on the positive aspects of their lives.

Bardstown Nelson KY Chamber of Commerce

The Bardstown Nelson Chamber of Commerce has grown and prospered since 1923 as the united voice for business in their area. The Chamber has accomplished much because of the dedication and hard work of hundreds of volunteers, sharing the belief that our community is worth working for. As the largest business organization in Nelson County, the Bardstown Nelson County Chamber of Commerce seeks not only to sustain the business climate, but also to improve and secure a thriving future. In order to continue the growth and success of our community, we must create a talent pipeline for our growing needs. The Hub was developed to connect all workforce resources. By working together, we can take our community to the next level with one common goal – an improved workforce.

Bullitt County KY Chamber of Commerce

Bullitt County KY Chamber of Commerce offers marketing, networking, and educational opportunities to Members, as well as ribbon cuttings to welcome and develop new Members to be the business voice of the county. The Bullitt County Chamber is directly involved in creating an evolving strategic plan for the county and is working to integrate and enhance the relationship of the business community with city and county government.

Rauch, Inc.

Rauch, Inc. works to support people with disabilities and their families while encouraging a community that acknowledges the value and contribution of all people. Rauch, Inc. promotes professional growth by providing employees opportunities for promotion to supervisory roles and to apply for new roles across departments. This organization also supports employment by assisting with the job search, skill development, and job coaching as well as working with schools in the community to aid students in their journey after high school.

Louisville Youth Network

Louisville Youth Network is a one-stop shop for understanding what services and programs are available to Louisville’s youth (ages 10-24) that are not in school, working, or simply need support. Through this Network, youth will have the opportunity to receive wrap around services, support, and mentorship. Available services include: connections to educational opportunities, mental and physical health, job training, employment, housing and food, leadership, and transportation.

The Plan Room (by One West)

The Plan Room at OneWest was formed in 2014 by a diverse group of professionals in Leadership Louisville’s Bingham Fellows program. They believed that the clearest path to economic renaissance in west Louisville is an influx of private, philanthropic, and public capital. It is abundantly clear that Louisville’s continued growth and vitality rests primarily on intentional and focused inclusion of west Louisville. Their vision includes strategies to provide the residents of west Louisville with increased opportunities for employment and business ownership; to re-create the 18th and West Broadway corridor as a destination of choice where Louisvillians will spend their dollars; and, an increased economic prosperity will stabilize the housing market, enhance access to services, improve health and safety, and instill a renewed sense of pride.

New Hope Services

Community Ventures helps people own homes and start businesses because we believe in people’s dreams. From affordable financing to education, to neighborhood revitalization, our areas of focus offer the opportunity to dramatically improve the quality of life for people across Kentucky. This organization is focused on the areas of greatest need, where they feel they can make the most impact; they offer a range of products and services from financial counseling to large scale neighborhood revitalization. The Community Ventures Homeownership Center works to enable prospective and current homeowners to achieve their dreams through counseling, education, and affordable lending options. They have a successful history of building new homes and buying, remodeling, and re-selling homes, making it possible for their clients to purchase like-new homes and enjoy the benefits of safe, affordable homeownership.

Center for Nonprofit Excellence

The Center for Nonprofit Excellence was established in 1999 by community leaders including our Founding CEO Kevin Connelly and major funders, including the Donors Forum of Kentuckiana, Metro United Way, and the city of Louisville. It was clear that nonprofits in Greater Louisville were missing a central point to access information, best practices, professional development, and hands-on consultation aimed at helping nonprofits reach their potential. Just over two decades later, we are recognized as the go-to resource for the area’s nonprofit community. CNPE’s mission is to accelerate the success of nonprofits through capacity building, connections, and community support to amplify the good work of the sector. We were created expressly to help nonprofits achieve their missions more effectively and with excellence – from getting started through strategic planning and resource development. CNPE envisions a just and equitable community that supports and emboldens nonprofits to ensure everyone has the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.

Kentucky Refugee Ministries

Kentucky Refugee Ministries, Inc. (KRM), a non-profit organization, is dedicated to providing resettlement services to refugees through faith- and agency-based co-sponsorship in order to promote self-sufficiency and successful integration into our community. KRM is committed to offering access to community resources and opportunities and to promoting awareness of diversity for the benefit of the whole community.

The Southwest Center

The Southwest Center for the developmentally disabled provides a wide variety of community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each service is geared towards helping each person to live, work, and enjoy life in their community. The Southwest Center was founded in response to the growing need for programs and employment opportunities for adults with disabilities. Since that time, we have grown to provide a wide variety of community-based services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Each service is geared towards helping each person to live, work, and enjoy life in his or her community.

Community Action of Southern Indiana

CASI supports and empowers individuals, families, and communities striving to reach self-sufficiency and works to provide life-enhancing opportunities for every individual and family desiring to experience an extraordinary change in their lives. Community Action of Southern Indiana’s programs provide critical support in areas such as financial literacy, education, housing, literacy, energy assistance, and more. Southern Hoosiers, like many Americans, face an array of enormous challenges ranging from poverty to disability to lack of decent and affordable housing to lack of adequate employment. In order to reduce poverty in our community, Community Action of Southern Indiana works to better focus available local, state, federal, and private resources to assist low-income individuals and families to acquire useful skills and knowledge, to gain access to new opportunities, and to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

Louisville Free Public Library Immigrant Services

The Louisville Free Public Library offers a wide range of ongoing international and English Language Learning programming at the Library. LFPL’s collection includes books and movies in many languages and more than 500 learn-a-language CD sets, from Arabic to Urdu, as well as downloadable audio foreign language courses. A number of library locations also offer a rich mix of activities, including multilingual storytimes, cultural showcases, conversation groups, foreign films, and literary “salons” in several languages. During the month of September, the entire Library system celebrates Louisville’s diversity during International Month.

Workwell Industries

Workwell Industries is a non-profit organization that is committed to creating jobs for people with disabilities and others who experience barriers to employment. This organization provides quality packaging, parts assembly as well as various other services to many large organizations in the US and worldwide. By choosing to outsource these services to Workwell, companies routinely reduce overhead & save on the cost of a project.

National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) Kentucky Chapter

If you’ve been looking for a place that supports and elevates women business owners to the next level, the National Association of Women Business Owners, Kentucky Chapter, is for you. NAWBO is the essential community for all women business owners with a diverse group of members supporting, encouraging, teaching, and sharing with each other. NAWBO is a network for women in business that supports, provides resources, aids opportunities and forms partnerships among the woman-owned business community in Kentucky and beyond. While NAWBO is a world-wide organization, NAWBO Kentucky serves Kentucky, the Southern Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio areas. Members represent a variety of different business industries, providing opportunities for business connections in whatever area you need them. Membership is open to sole proprietors, partners, and corporate owners with day-to-day management responsibility, along with those who support the mission and vision of NAWBO.

Louisville Central Community Center

Louisville Central Community Center is a non-profit, community-based organization that offers a variety of programs and services to support adults in the workforce, along with emerging entrepreneurs. Employment services and job training for adults, money management and home ownership are just some of the services provided in addition to those listed below.

Mattingly Edge

Mattingly Edge cultivates partnerships that enable people with disabilities to thrive at work, at home, and in relationships. We support people to spend their time, not in day services or specialized programs, but instead working, volunteering, attending school, exercising, socializing, performing personal and household tasks, and investing in other responsible engagements. We support people to spend evenings and weekends in their home and community, hosting friends, attending a book club or art class or yoga session, participating in a community of faith, going to the local nightspot for a beer, and other ways to enjoy oneself, meet people, and grow as a person. We refer to these things as “the good things in life.”

The Spot: Young Adult Opportunity Campuses

The Spot: Young Adult Opportunity Campus offers free career and educational resources for youth and young adults ages 16-24 across the Louisville region. We provide an inviting environment for anyone needing guidance in figuring out the next step in life – continuing education, starting a career, gaining credentials – creating a path to independence and self-sufficiency.

Options Unlimited, Inc.

Options Unlimited, Inc. (OU) provides a variety of employment services at no cost to individuals with disabilities and supports individuals so that they may achieve their desired vocational goals of working in the community. Individuals begin the Supported Employment process at the assessment and planning stage. During this time OU will look at the individual’s interests and skills and match these to a potential employer through job development. On-the-job training and coaching is a support that is offered to assure success of the individuals in the OU Supported Employment Program. Ongoing follow up and support is provided to ensure the long-term success of the individual working in the community with services such as training programs, resume development, interviewing skills, job readiness, job development services and on-the-job support.

Decode Project

Decode Project’s mission is to eliminate inequities in education by fostering a diverse community of learners prepared to navigate the world. This organization prepares future educators and community leaders with training in evidence-based, multi-sensory Structured Literacy; anti-racist/anti-biased relationship building; resilience-building; and trauma-informed care. Decode Project also provides workshops, resources, individualized reports, and advocacy support for caregivers, community agencies, schools, and educators.

Catholic Charities – Migration & Refugee Services

Catholic Charities of Louisville accompanies people, regardless of their background or faith, with programs that serve immigrants and refugees, new/expecting parents, people who need job training, trafficking survivors, and, the aging and residents of long-term care facilities, This organization also focuses on West Louisville residents in need of emergency assistance programs by providing the most basic of human needs such as food, clothes, rent, and utilities assistance as they move from struggling to self-sufficiency so they can fully engage in our community.

Metro United Way: Business United

Metro United Way works every day to lift our community by mobilizing people and maximizing resources to advance opportunity and equity for all. We bring together businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, and individuals to engage in the kinds of collaboration that changes lives. Through data-driven insights we identify our community’s greatest needs and address systemic challenges. Together, we fight to improve the disparities that persist in early care and education, economic mobility, home ownership, racial equity, and public policy in Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham and Shelby counties in Kentucky and Clark, Floyd and Harrison counties in Indiana.

Align Southern Indiana

Align Southern Indiana strives to actively facilitate a shared regional process that will align resources, address needs and produce sustainable solutions resulting in our region achieving its potential as a best place to live, work and play. This organization strives to meet the current and future talent needs of the regional workforce with a goal of high paying jobs, increased productivity, and retention of talented graduates. Through aiming to enhance quality of place in the region, Align Southern Indiana’s goal is to create an area that is attractive for economic development and is inviting for citizens to live, work and play.

Fern Creek KY Chamber of Commerce

The Fern Creek Area Chamber of commerce is organized to advance the welfare and prosperity of the Fern Creek area so that its citizens and all areas of its business community shall prosper. All necessary means of promotion shall be provided and particular attention and emphasis shall be given to the area’s economic, industrial, and educational interests.

Louisville Association for Community Economics

The Louisville Association for Community Economics (LACE) is a non-profit developer committed to fostering an ecosystem of cooperative social enterprises built on racial and economic equity. This organization strives to educate the community about how cooperative economics can create community wealth and support the development of cooperative businesses. LACE helps launch cooperatives by supporting feasibility and business planning, connecting with communities and stakeholders, creating financial and governance models, and assisting with capitalization strategies. Their first major initiative is bringing the Louisville Community Grocery (LCG) vision to life.

Dismas Charities

Dismas serves as the primary re-entry point for over 8,000 men and women returning to society from state and federal prisons each year. At our re-entry centers across the nation, Dismas provides a range of tailored services that address specific community needs and meets or exceeds stringent government regulations associated with residential re-entry centers. Dismas Charities provides quality, cost-effective, community-based supervision and support services while focusing on healing the human spirit. A critical component of all our work is a focus on helping our residents obtain meaningful employment. Through employment, our residents repay their debts to society and become responsible, independent citizens, taxpayers, parents, and contributors to the community. Thousands of agencies and employers across the country work with Dismas to provide employment opportunities for residents. Dismas staff works with residents to deliver job-specific training and support to help make a successful transition to long-term employment.

Mission Behind Bars & Beyond

Mission Behind Bars and Beyond (MB3) directly addresses the causes of recidivism and seeks to reduce the rate of recidivism among returning citizens released from Kentucky correctional facilities. The program adopts a multi-layer, holistic approach that begins with the individual while incarcerated, assists with pre-release preparation, and provides support and assistance once the individual returns to the community. Mission Behind Bars and Beyond is making a safer Kentucky, one returning citizen at a time.

Community Services Project

Community Services Project (CSP) is a nonprofit organization that works with individuals to find and maintain jobs within the community. They strive to help a diverse group of people (including persons with disabilities, veterans, and Youth in Transition) find jobs of their choosing. Jobs are targeted to an individual’s abilities, health status, and goals. They provide programs and services to help our clients enhance their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. This creates a clear path to increased self-confidence and self-sufficiency!

ACE Mentor Program

The ACE Mentor Program of America (ACE) is a free, award-winning, afterschool program designed to attract high school students into pursuing careers in the Architecture, Construction and Engineering industry, including skilled trades. High school students in the Louisville area can now benefit from a nationwide program designed to introduce them to the wide range of career opportunities through mentors from the design-build construction industry in hope of securing young students to become professionals or tradesmen in the industry. Over 10,000 students participate annually, drawn from approximately 1,450 high schools.

Kentucky VALLO

Kentucky VALLO: Veterans Accelerated Learning for Licensed Occupations (VALLO) works to ease transitions for military service members by overcoming burdensome disconnects between military training and civilian licensure requirements. With an identified 35 disciplines, the VALLO team has worked diligently to accelerate pathways to occupational licensure, bridge coursework/degree curriculum, and impact state legislation to benefit veteran employment and licensure mobility.

Adelante Hispanic Achievers

Adelante Hispanic Achievers is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization chartered with a mission to inspire and empower Hispanic youth to become self-sufficient, successful individuals who have the tools they need to achieve their dreams and participate as creative, educated world citizens. Our programming focuses on the holistic development of our students, including academics, career exploration, cultural awareness, and personal and social development. We provide long-term educational guidance, programming and resources to our students starting in grade 6 and continuing through their senior year of High School. All Adelante programs and services are provided free of charge to our Achievers and families.

Women’s Business Center of Kentucky

The Women’s Business Center of Kentucky helps female-owned businesses start and grow, and is one of over 120 women’s business centers across the country that provides technical assistance to help women start and grow their small businesses. We empower entrepreneurs by offering tools and support to established businesses so they can stabilize their companies, generate sustainable profits, strategize future growth, and contribute to the growth and economic development of our community. The Women’s Business Center offers free, confidential business coaching to start-up and existing businesses.

Evolve502

Evolve502 works to help thousands of students pursue the dream of a post-secondary education, ensuring that every child in Louisville is prepared for college, a career, and successful, productive life. This organization strives to remove the persistent barriers to a college education by providing scholarships and grants, coordinating wrap-around services, and facilitating systems change. Evolve502 is a community-focused organization helping every Jefferson County Public School student pursue the dream of a college education. By expanding educational opportunities and reducing systemic barriers, they strive to ensure that children reach their full potential and enjoy successful, productive, and fulfilling lives.

River Valley Resources

River Valley Resources (RVR) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1990 to help low-income and disadvantaged Hoosiers obtain and maintain gainful employment. They have offices in New Albany, IN and others throughout the state. Since its inception, RVR has managed over $250 million in federal, state, and local workforce development related grants and contracts. RVR is currently responsible for administering more than 1.8 million in federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds in Indiana. Services include: comprehensive case management, job readiness and life skills management, work experience and job placement, and job coaching and retention services. RVR is also a Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) voucher agent in 12 counties. RVR programs and services have positively impacted the lives of more than 115,000 dislocated workers, disadvantaged youth, people with disabilities, and ex-offenders.

Young Professionals Association of Louisville

The Young Professionals Association of Louisville (YPAL) provides leadership development, educational opportunities, and philanthropic support to Louisville’s Young Professionals for the benefit of the local community. The mission of YPAL is to connect, engage, and develop metro Louisville’s young professionals through community, professional, and social opportunities.

Indiana Small Business Development Center

The Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC) helps small businesses start, grow, finance, innovate, and transition through no-cost, confidential business advising and training. The Indiana SBDC was established in 1985 with funding support from the U.S. Small Business Administration and State of Indiana and has worked with over 50,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses. With a network of 10 regional offices throughout the state, the Indiana SBDC helps Hoosier entrepreneurs and small businesses start stronger, grow faster, and work smarter.

Community Foundation of Louisville

The Community Foundation of Louisville mobilizes people, networks, and assets to drive meaningful change in and beyond Louisville. Together, we connect community resources and relationships to advance racial equity and open opportunity for all. Founded in 1984, the Community Foundation is one of the largest charitable foundations in Kentucky with over $800 million in assets and more than 2,300 charitable funds created by donors.

Junior League of Louisville

The Junior League of Louisville is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women, and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. Established in 1921 the Junior League of Louisville plays an integral part in the development, improvement, and support of the communities of Louisville, KY.

Americana World Community Center

Americana World Community Center works to bridge the gap from surviving to thriving for Louisville’s refugee, immigrant, and underserved populations. This organization provides holistic, comprehensive programs to immigrants, refugees, and low-income individuals that enable people to overcome the challenges of integrating into a new community and of living below the poverty line. They offer workforce development programs such as mentoring, coaching and referrals, college/career readiness preparation, and more.

Community Ventures

Seed to Oaks

Job One is a job readiness program that can be operated through a church in collaboration with local businesses. For churches, Job One provides a ministry that can place your members and community into full-time employment. For businesses, Job One increases revenue reduces expenses, and provides qualified employees when you need them most.

Edge Employment

At Edge Employment, we believe everyone has something to contribute to the workforce. Our team works with employers to engage in an innovative hiring approach that matches the contributions of job candidates with disabilities to the operational needs of a business using Customized Employment. We foster partnerships by learning about individuals looking for work and then consulting Louisville businesses to create negotiated positions that work for both parties. One of our Employment Specialists will walk you through the process and remain available for as-needed consultation for the duration of the employee’s career. Our services are free to job candidates and employers!

Lincoln Foundation

Lincoln Foundation has empowered youth to overcome adversity through education since its founding by Berea College in 1910. Their mission is to provide educational enrichment programs that develop and support youth in overcoming social and economic barriers to achievement. Lincoln Foundation provides a signature college readiness program: Whitney M. YOUNG Scholars®, which annually admits high-potential youth from under-resourced communities throughout the greater Louisville region. Students commit to participating in experiential Saturday morning and summer programs that prepare them academically, socially, and emotionally for high school graduation and the rigors of college.

Teach Kentucky

Teach Kentucky launches the education careers of ambitious college graduates in Louisville, Kentucky’s public schools. The organization has grown from bringing two teacher candidates in its first year to annually bringing a new 40-45 person cohort of aspiring teachers from across the nation to our city. Once they are here, teachers have found a home to stay and build their professional and personal lives.

Every Commute Counts Program

Every Commute Counts is a program that promotes and creates opportunities for ridesharing. Rideshare is easier and more flexible than you might think, and isn’t just ordering an Uber or Lyft. Any form of transportation besides a single-occupancy motor vehicle is considered rideshare. Most people know rideshare as two or more people riding to work or any other event together. But rideshare is bigger than that. It includes : group transportation such as carpooling and vanpooling; nonmotorized forms of transportation such as bicycles; or, working from home some or all days, also known as “Telework”.

Opportunity Network

The Opportunity Network was created to bring criminal justice system decision-makers together with users and providers of services and supports to improve outcomes and remove barriers to successful reentry for justice-involved youths and adults. The Opportunity Network will drive changes in practice, policy, and legislation at the local and state level, with an overall goal of building a healthy, vibrant community that works to achieve successful reentry and eliminating barriers to reentry by advocating for effective policies and practices connecting Kentucky communities.

Eastern Kentucky Concentrated

The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) through federal funding from SITE, assists workers and businesses throughout the state of Kentucky meet the challenges and & seize opportunities in today’s economy. EKCEP administers programs that help adults looking for work, workers who have been dislocated from their jobs, and economically disadvantaged youth. In the GLI area, EKCEP covers the counties of Jefferson, Bullitt, Henry, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble.. EKCEP works with workforce centers across the state, and provides access to more than a dozen state and federal programs that offer employment and training assistance for job seekers and employers.

Path Forward of Kentucky

Path Forward of Kentucky provides supported employment, community rehabilitation services (CRP), and pre-employment transition services. They also provide support and coordination for Medicaid Waivers; authorized Social Security Tickets to Work; contract opportunities, business consulting for ADA and inclusionary workplaces, and benefits consulting. This organization’s mission is to provide customized services, support and encouragement needed by individuals with disabilities to build and increase their independence.

USA Cares

USA Cares: Veteran & Family Support offers career readiness which provides individuals with tools and resources to better prepare them for the hiring process and refers qualified candidates to corporate organizations with open positions of employment specific to their skill sets. In addition, this organization offers many additional programs including a Military Assistance Response Program, a Financial Education & Empowerment Program, and, a Senior Leaders Corporate Fellowship Program, and more.

Russell Promise

Russell Promise is an initiative started by Cities United and the Louisville Metro Government and is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Community Foundation of Louisville. The vision of this initiative is to build Black wealth through investment without displacement including sharing decision-making and leadership with residents; connecting individuals and families to resources leading to homeownership and traditional and nontraditional business ownership; building pathways and opportunities to strengthen existing Black-owned businesses; creating innovative connections to career-track jobs; and, community ownership of neighborhood assets.

Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation is a program provided by the Kentucky Career Center to empower Kentuckians with disabilities to maximize independence and economic security through competitive, integrated employment. Services include supported employment, vocational and other training services, counseling and guidance, job placement and retention, employment follow-up, telecommunications, sensory, and other technological aids and devices.

Advanced Manufacturing & Logistics Network

Coalition for Workforce Diversity

The Coalition for Workforce Diversity helps supply local businesses with the help they need, while helping individuals with disabilities lead more productive and fulfilling lives. Partner businesses work collaboratively with Agency providers to support their candidates in getting and maintaining jobs. A monthly networking meeting is held the third Thursday of each month where business can present their openings to job coaches and agency providers. Both UPS and Best Buy have seen very positive results from working with the Coalition. Because their employees have been carefully matched to the positions they hold, these employees tend to excel in their roles. Furthermore, Coalition employees tend to have better attendance and more impressive safety records when compared to their workplace peers.

Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana: Excel Center

The Excel Center, created by Goodwill of Central and Southern Indiana, is a full service non-traditional high school for all ages and languages in Clark County Indiana. Graduates receive a free Indiana Core 40 high school diploma, plus a post-secondary occupational certification of preference. The school provides free day care for its students, as well as transportation options, flexible scheduling, coaching and support, along with assistance with college and career pathways.

Henry County KY Chamber of Commerce

Henry County KY Chamber of Commerce works to promote pride and progress in Henry County through the cooperation and dedication of the citizens, businesses, and industries of the entire county. The Henry County Chamber offers business and community event promotion, shop local programs, a Leadership Henry County program, ribbon cutting/grand opening events, business networking events such as dinners, business showcases and more.

Zoom Group, Inc.

Zoom Group has been providing support for individuals with disabilities for 35 years. Zoom Group’s mission is to empower, educate, and employ people of all abilities. We offer work adjustment training programs (including job placement) and pre-employment transition services programs like job exploration, work-based learning experiences, counseling, workplace readiness training for social skills and independent living, and self-advocacy. We also offer supported employment programs designed to help individuals be trained in and secure the jobs they want.

The Healing Place

The Healing Place strives to transform individuals affected by addiction or homelessness through accountability and connection. With nearly 1,000 beds available on three campuses, The Healing Place provides a number of services to best fit the client’s needs and give them the best chance at long-term recovery from drugs and/or alcohol. This includes detox services, a long-term inpatient recovery program, intensive outpatient services with sober housing, transitional housing, an overnight shelter for those experiencing homelessness, and specialized services for homeless and addicted veterans. Most services are provided at no cost to the client.

Please note: All organizations on this page are displayed in a random order, and that order will change upon each visit to the page. This will allow an equal opportunity for exposure for all organizations.

LEARN MORE ABOUT

Don’t see your organization listed?

Do you offer resources for either job-seekers or employers? We want to include you! We did our best to gather community resources and are continuously adding new organizations as we become aware of them. Please submit your organization’s information with the link below or by emailing Tosha Ridenour at tridenour@greaterlouisville.com.