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In 2025, AI transformed how we work. Disasters intensified. And the need for civic knowledge became more urgent than ever. Through it all, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation delivered.
We trained 5,000 employers on workforce development. We engaged 20,000 students in civics education and announced the expansion of the National Civics Bee to all 50 states. We connected more than 80,000 members of the military community with meaningful careers through 89 hiring events. And we leveraged AI—launching the Solutions Bank, Resume Engine 3.0, and a reimagined Disaster Help Desk—to get practical solutions into the hands of businesses, workers, and communities faster.
Most importantly, our work helped students like Santiago, veterans like Rhys, and small business owners like Jamal—whose stories are featured in the following pages—so they can seize opportunity and build brighter futures.
Thank you for joining us in this mission. Together, we’re shaping what comes next.
Unlocking Opportunities for Our Workforce
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365
state and local leaders from all 50 states joined Business Leads to strengthen their education-to-workforce pipelines
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350
students gained real-world work experience through our work-based learning initiative EPIC
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14
states represented in our Early Childhood and Business Advisory Council
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5,000+
employers across 29 industries used our TPM framework
Closing the Skills Gap
Our longest-running workforce initiative, Talent Pipeline Management® (TPM), is a national model in workforce development. In 2025 alone, we trained more than 1,500 employers on the TPM framework and launched our first-ever international TPM Academy in Canada. From the maritime industry in Hampton Roads, Va., to public safety agencies in rural Michigan, employers are turning to TPM to find and develop talent aligned with in-demand skills.
The New Data Paradigm
Our workforce data systems are stuck in the past. In response, we released The New Data Paradigm—a forward-looking framework to modernize how America’s education and job data are collected and used. To advance this conversation, our team spoke with leading voices, including Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and Acting Assistant Secretary Nick Moore from the U.S. Department of Education. Barron’s referenced the Foundation’s JEDx initiative as a potential solution to improving U.S. workforce data.
The U.S. Needs Better Data. Why We Fell Behind and How We Can Catch Up.
“It's a ‘high stakes’ situation. We’re making a lot of decisions based on not great data.” – Foundation SVP Jason Tyszko, in Barron’s
Education Benefits That Work
As employers compete for skilled talent, education benefits have become one of the most powerful—and underused—tools available. That’s why we launched Education Benefits That Work, a virtual series exploring how companies can turn learning benefits into a win-win investment. Sessions unpacked strategies like leveraging Section 127’s tax-free education benefits, emerging ideas such as Skill Savings Accounts, and how 529 savings plans can support building new skills across many education pathways.
From Classroom to Career
Our Employer Provided Innovation Challenges (EPIC) initiative addresses a critical issue: there are not enough work-based learning opportunities to improve career readiness for today’s youth. Across Pennsylvania, Florida and South Carolina, student teams partnered with businesses to solve real-world problems while building skills and credentials for future careers. In 2025, 350 students gained hands-on work experience through EPIC, with four teams presenting their solutions at our second annual EPIC Summer Convening.
Advancing Childcare Innovation
2025 brought new momentum for strengthening America’s childcare infrastructure. When Congress enhanced the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit (45F), we quickly produced a practical “game plan,” translating the new rules into actionable guidance for businesses and chambers. We also spotlighted the nationwide rise in public-private childcare innovations, including Tri-Share models that make care more accessible and affordable.
Elevating Civics as a National Priority
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20,000
students engaged through the National Civics Bee®
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175+
employees across 41 organizations participated in the Civics Academy pilot
Leading a New Era of Civic Learning
Our 2025 Civic and Economic Literacy Survey found that 58% of Americans fail a basic civics test, despite many believing they understand how government works. At the same time, 82% of respondents trust business to help bring people together. Through The Civic Trust®, the Foundation partners with employers to develop practical tools for civic learning in schools, workplaces, and communities—and to address America’s civic knowledge gap.
National Civics Bee® Expands to All 50 States
Since its launch in 2022, the National Civics Bee has engaged nearly 20,000 students across more than 200 communities in 40 states to promote essential civic knowledge and skills. In 2025, the Foundation announced that all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa will participate in the competition, making the Bee one of the nation’s largest and most inclusive civic education initiatives ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.
From 39 States to One National Champion
In November, 39 state finalists gathered in Washington for the second annual National Civics Bee Championship. Hosted at the U.S. Chamber headquarters and emceed by actor and producer Mario Lopez, the event was broadcast on C-SPAN and featured student presentations on real-world civic issues. The top prize—a $100,000 education savings account—was awarded to Aarit Koul of Ohio, whose proposal focused on improving health care access. The competition generated 443 news stories and received coverage in Great Day Washington, WTOP and CBS News, among others.
2025 National Civics Bee first-place winner Aarit Koul (right) celebrates with second-place winner Barrett Hodorek (left) and third-place winner Maanha Nasir (center).
Mario Lopez hosts the 2025 National Civics Bee Championship in Washington, D.C.
Building Stronger Civic Culture in the Workplace
Through Civics@Work, we help employers take simple, impactful steps to strengthen civic culture in their workplaces and communities. In 2025, we launched Civics Academy to extend civic learning beyond classrooms. More than 175 employees across 41 organizations completed a five-module course exploring government, civic responsibility, and workplace-relevant skills. Participants also took part in a Civic Day of Action, putting their learning into practice through local service. Ninety-four percent reported feeling more connected to their communities and workplaces.
America250 Business Playbook
To help employers and chambers prepare for the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026, we developed the America250 Business Playbook. The guide offers nonpartisan tools and ideas to foster civic pride through service, education, and community engagement.
Connecting the Military Community and Employers
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8,000
companies recruited military talent at Hiring Our Heroes events
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130+
military career-focused professional development and education events
Empowering Military Entrepreneurs
In 2025, we awarded five $10,000 grants to veteran-and military spouse‑owned businesses through our Small Business Grant Program, supported by the FedEx Founder’s Fund and USAA. The program drew more than 1,250 applications, reflecting strong demand from military‑connected founders. By investing in these entrepreneurs, we help build sustainable businesses that create jobs and strengthen local economies, demonstrating that opportunity begins with empowering those who have served.
Five veteran- and military spouse-owned small businesses were recognized with the HOH Small Business Award, and a $10,000 grant to grow their business in April 2025.
Opening New Career Pathways
We launched the Skilled Trades Academy in Jacksonville, N.C., with support from the Lowe’s Foundation, to prepare transitioning service members for high-demand careers in construction and skilled trades. This hands-on program meets a critical need by addressing the national shortage of trades workers. With expansion planned for 2026, the academy builds secure futures for military talent while strengthening the workforce for employers nationwide.
Marketing Military Skills
In March, we introduced Resume Engine 3.0, part of our innovative suite of digital tools, to translate military service into civilian resumes in minutes—no writing required. Candidates add branch, specialty, and rank, and the platform creates a polished resume ready to share with military-friendly employers. Free to use and built to eliminate jargon, Resume Engine ensures employers see the strengths of military talent immediately.
Skills That Drive Career Success
We worked with industry leaders to expand our upskilling programs. Career Forward, powered by Google, celebrated its 8,000th certificate earner, opening doors to careers in IT, data analytics, and cybersecurity. We also launched IBM SkillsBuild for flexible, self-paced learning, and partnered with Microsoft on Military Datacenter Pathway-VETS, a mix of virtual and hands-on training for datacenter roles. These programs keep military talent competitive, and employers gain skilled professionals ready to lead.
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$105,000
average salary offer for the nearly 2,500 transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses who completed an HOH fellowship
Connecting Talent to Opportunity
In 2025, we delivered 89 hiring events serving members of the military community in all 50 states, four U.S. territories, and on military installations in 11 countries. From career summits to virtual fairs, these events provide networking, skill-building, and confidence, while employers step up with real opportunities. Every event moves us closer to our mission: connecting military talent with meaningful employment.
Impact Story
Spreading Ideas, Co-Creating Solutions
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7,000+
attendees at our signature events
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975
news media mentions
Bringing Leaders Together
From Business Solves and Talent Forward to Building Resilience and Military Spouse Employment Summit, our signature events helped shape the conversation on how business can address society’s most pressing challenges. Our 2025 events drew over 7,000 attendees and 400 speakers—including Allstate CEO Tom Wilson, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Dr. Albert Bourla, entrepreneur and inspiration for The Pursuit of Happyness Chris Gardner, Small Business Administration Associate Administrator Chris Stallings, and Harvard University Director Leonard Marcus—to advance actionable solutions in civic engagement, workforce development, disaster resilience, veteran employment, and early childhood education.
Recognizing Excellence in Corporate Citizenship
Since its inception, our Citizens Awards have recognized more than 200 businesses for their leadership in strengthening communities. In 2025, 10 winners were selected from a highly competitive field—highlighting how businesses expand opportunity and drive progress in every aspect of society.
Shaping the National Conversation
The nation’s leading media outlets, from The Wall Street Journal and Forbes to Yahoo Finance and CBS News, featured our work and views on critical issues that affect America and the world. In 2025, we earned a significant increase in news media coverage with 975 mentions, elevating the national conversation on workforce, resilience, civics, and more.
Bolstering America's Resilience
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663
leaders across business, government, and nonprofit sectors joined our disaster coordination calls
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228
companies featured in our Corporate Aid Tracker
Empowering Small Businesses with AI
We partnered with Google and the U.S. Chamber to launch Small Business B(AI)sics—a national initiative to equip 40,000 small businesses with practical artificial intelligence (AI) skills. Over the next three years, we will deliver hands-on AI training through local and state chambers to help small business owners grow their businesses and strengthen local economies.
Making the Case for Resilience
Our resilience report, Beyond the Payoff, with Allstate and the U.S. Chamber, found that every $1 not invested in disaster resilience today can cost communities up to $33 in lost future economic activity. We brought this important message to state and local leaders in Mobile, Ala., and Charleston, S.C., at the Disaster Resilience Forum, generating significant coverage in local media to empower communities to act.
Helping Communities Rebuild Faster
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4,845
small businesses participated in our Readiness for Resiliency program to improve their ability to weather a disaster
Our Readiness for Resiliency (R4R) program, launched to build small business resilience in regions most vulnerable to disasters, has helped nearly 5,000 businesses better prepare for disasters. We awarded grants to 37 businesses affected by events like the Los Angeles wildfires and severe storms in Texas, Washington, and additional locations. These grants helped cover critical expenses, such as employee salaries and repairing damaged inventory.
Building Awareness for Preparedness
Our small business preparedness resources reached communities nationwide, with coverage in Fast Company, USA Today, and key markets including South Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma. This visibility helped raise awareness about the importance of preparedness and equipped businesses with the tools to build resilience against future crises.
Disaster Preparedness is Not a Solo Sport
"Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation offer guidance and step-by-step planning tools tailored to small businesses.” – Melissa Brotz, Chief Marketing, Communications and Sustainability Officer, Abbott, in Fast Company
AI-Powered Disaster Support
AI is amplifying our ability to deliver timely, practical solutions across the Foundation's work. This year, we enhanced our Disaster Help Desk, which assists small businesses with disaster readiness, relief, and long-term recovery, with an AI-powered chat feature that delivers critical answers to communities when every second counts.
Innovation: Our Greatest Asset
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300+
leaders participated in our second annual Business Risk Intelligence Forum
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80+
organizations across government and private sector prepared for threats through our war games
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40
community leaders from Springfield, Ill., took part in our disaster preparedness simulation to enhance local resilience
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25
judges from 18 countries defended the rule of law in our Judicial Fellowship Program
Strengthening Legal Systems Globally
We partnered with the Presidential Precinct to convene a cohort of senior judges from 18 countries for our second Judicial Fellowship Program, an immersive two-week experience focused on strengthening the global rule of law. Fellows engaged with the U.S. Supreme Court and federal courts, academic institutions, and business leaders while exchanging best practices with peers worldwide. Applications grew by more than 500%, signaling strong global demand for the program.
2025 Judicial Fellows. Credit: The Presidential Precinct
Introducing the Solutions Bank
We unveiled the Solutions Bank, an AI-powered platform that delivers clear and actionable solutions to the challenges facing the business community. The Solutions Bank grew out of our conversations with business leaders—while there’re many solutions the business community is advancing, there is no single place to find and sift through them. Our first pilot focuses on childcare solutions and will expand to encompass additional topics after we capture learnings from the pilot launch.
Navigating Emerging Risks
Our experts convened war game simulations with government and industry leaders to safeguard American communities and economic prosperity. These exercises examined critical emerging threats—from cyber attacks on critical infrastructure to bioterrorism and misinformation. In Springfield, Ill., a half-day simulation focused on water-system disruption, equipping local decision-makers with actionable resilience strategies.
Preparing for Global Threats
Through our Global Threats Initiative, we brought government and industry together to confront 21st-century threats through public-private leadership. Our reports highlighted the growing urgency of geopolitical risk and how business can manage such risk.
Many U.S. Companies Plan to Keep China Ties, Survey Finds
An exclusive in The Wall Street Journal outlines the findings of our report on how American businesses are approaching their engagement with China amid today's complex geopolitical environment.
Thank You to Our Supporters
Because of our supporters, friends, foundations, and corporations, we are solving the toughest challenges facing communities in America and around the world.
In the business of stronger communities
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation harnesses the power of business to create solutions for the good of America and the world. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to get our latest updates directly to your inbox.
