The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute (PHI) recently raised $3.4 million to improve quality of long-term care by improving quality of direct-care jobs, exceeding the group’s first phase funding goal of $3 million.
The amount was raised during the first round of PHI’s three-part Philanthropic Equity Campaign. PHI launched this five-year fundraising effort last summer with an overall target of $9 million. PHI aims to raise a total of $6 million by early summer 2015.
The capital campaign is intended to improve the quality of life of many home care workers and the quality of care for their customers.
The direct-care workforce—projected to grow to 5 million workers by the end of the decade—will be the largest occupational group in the nation, according to projections. The estimates place the number of workers in excess of those working as retail salespersons, teachers from kindergarten through high school, all law enforcement and public safety workers, fast food and counter workers, and registered nurses.
Today, direct-care workers account for 30 percent of the U.S. health care workforce, outnumbering other health care practitioner occupations such as physicians, nurses and therapists, according to PHI.
The initial phase of the Philanthropic Equity Campaign was supported by four foundations: The John A. Hartford Foundation, with $1.6 million; the F.B. Heron Foundation, with $1.5 million; the Booth Ferris Foundation, with $200,000; and The Clark Foundation, with $100,000.
“Their contributions have already helped PHI to broaden and deepen the impact of our efforts to strengthen both the quality of jobs for direct-care workers, and the quality of care for clients. We’re excited about the possibilities ahead,” says Jodi M. Sturgeon, president of PHI, in a written statement.
So far, PHI has strengthened its management, informational technology, and development capacity, expanded its Coaching and Consulting Services and Workforce and Curriculum Development field-service capacity, and strengthened its balance sheet and cash reserves through its philanthropic equity investments, PHI says.
Written by Cassandra Dowell
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