February 13, 2023 The Power of Reentry: New Grants Demonstrate the Potential of Holistic Support for Returning Citizens February 13, 2023/ Dawn Wolfe New backing from the Michigan Justice Fund shines a light on the unmet needs of people reentering society after incarceration — and how attention to this area could help funders address a whole range of social ills.Read More
January 17, 2023 Report: What Philanthropy Can Do About Workers’ Struggles in a Digitalized Global Economy January 17, 2023/ Martha Ramirez Though touted as a force for progress, digital technology has negatively impacted many workers, especially in the Global South. A new report backed by the Ford Foundation lays out the problem and how funders can respond.Read More
January 12, 2023 Mental Health Professionals Are in High Demand. Who’s Funding Workforce Development? January 12, 2023/ Paul Karon As mental health programs expand, the nation is facing a growing shortage of professionals to work in settings from schools to hospitals. A few major players are engaged, but there’s a huge opportunity here for more funders.Read More
August 11, 2022 Why the Walton Family Foundation, a K-12 Funding Leader, Is Focusing on Career Pathways August 11, 2022/ Connie Matthiessen The Walton Family Foundation is a giant in the ed funding world, and its priorities are worth keeping an eye on. Here’s the story behind its expanding support for job and career pathways.Read More
August 10, 2022 Want Good Jobs? Support Small Employers August 10, 2022/ Rhett Buttle, Todd Greene, Tammy Halevy and Lauren Paul, Guest Contributors Based on a survey of over 1,200 diverse small business owners, this guest piece makes the case that grantmakers who want to improve job quality should be paying more attention to the needs of small employers.Read More
May 02, 2022 Funder Spotlight: How the James Irvine Foundation Backs California’s Low-Income Workers May 02, 2022/ Ade Adeniji In our latest funder spotlight, we look at the origins of the James Irvine Foundation and how it’s harnessing a hefty endowment to empower California’s low-income workers, including by getting behind the labor movement.Read More
April 26, 2021 How the Pandemic Spurred a Rise in Giving to Worker-Focused Charities April 26, 2021/ Holly Hall As COVID-19 prompted mass layoffs and exacerbated existing inequities in employment, it also shone a light on the essential roles many low-income workers play. We look at how these factors have affected nonprofit fundraising.Read More
March 25, 2021 Workers First: How a Unique Funder Collaboration Is Reimagining Workforce Development March 25, 2021/ Philip Rojc For several years, ReWork the Bay has sought to model what a truly worker-centered approach to workforce development giving might look like. Here’s how it wants to evolve a creaky workforce system in the face of rapid change.Read More
August 11, 2020 As COVID Leaves Millions Unemployed, Here's How Workforce Funders Are Evolving August 11, 2020/ Philip Rojc The COVID-19 employment shock has only exacerbated deep structural inequities in the U.S. workforce. In response, funders are leaning into digital infrastructure and racial equity, as calls increase for more comprehensive change.Read More
October 15, 2018 A Retail Giant Gives Millions for Workforce Development. But Could It Do More? October 15, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly Walmart and its foundation recently gave $4 million to organizations that train workers for better jobs. As America’s biggest private employer, though, the company’s real power to expand mobility lies in improving its own labor practices. Read More
July 26, 2018 Millions to Improve Job Skills From a Top Funder May Help Workers Move Up. But How Far? July 26, 2018/ Caitlin Reilly Steve and Connie Ballmer are among the big funders who are putting new money into workforce development. But what can this approach achieve in the face of large-scale structural inequities that hurt workers? Read More