Creating a revenue stream that's not dependent on member subscriptions is definitely a motivating factor. The Community Grants Program suffered this year because members were far less willing to donate funds towards it.

I'm not sure that I agree with the notion that the foundation is attempting to influence anything. The influence flows the other way. It acts in support of the project.

Employers, particularly large employers, are asking for "official" certifications. The only org that can realistically offer this is the foundation itself. There are gaps in the labor market. Companies complain that there are too few developers, and developers complain that there are too few jobs. The program is in no means a complete solution to the problem, but it does bias the situation in a positive direction.