Deadline: 31-Jul-22
The Fund for Workforce Equity is now accepting applications that will provide flexible resources and support to workforce development organizations seeking to pilot, adopt, and learn from new strategies as well as innovate on or extend existing strategies that:
- Authentically respect, value, honor, and compensate workers, learners, and job candidates for the skills and perspectives that they bring to designing and implementing workforce programs and policies; and
- Invest in creating spaces for People of Color to exercise their power and agency in developing and implementing workforce programs and policies.
Strategies
In addition, the Fund for Workforce Equity will support the following strategies:
- A Learning Community for grantees to share promising practices and lessons learned.
- Technical Assistance that provides grantees access to expertise and resources on human-centered design and other best practices for elevating worker and learner voice.
- Evaluation and Learning efforts that shares lessons from the initiative with grantees and the broader workforce field, and that supports funders in disseminating and investing in promising practices among their grantees.
Funding Information
The Fund for Workforce Equity anticipates that up to $1,000,000 will be awarded to support organizations in implementing initiatives that center workers and learners of color in workforce policy and program design and implementation. The total number and dollar amount of awards will depend on contributions to the Fund and the recommendations of the Advisory Committee. Applicants may request grants of up to $70,000. It is anticipated that typical awards will range from $50,000-$70,000.
Geographical Locations
While there are no geographic requirements other than being U.S.-based, there is targeted funding available for organizations providing services to workers and learners in the following geographies and target populations, in accordance with the interests and requirements of its supporters:
- California
- Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, OH
- Southeast Michigan (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, St. Clair, Livingston, Monroe counties)
- Northwest US (Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon)
- Post-secondary institutions in New York City serving young adults ages 14-30
- Western New York (Erie, Cattaraugus, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wyoming, Chautauqua, Genesee, Allegany counties)
- Rural communities
Eligibility Criteria
Must provide workforce development programming or advocacy, including but not limited to:
- Education and training programs that help individuals acquire and retain good jobs
- Efforts that help workers to increase their income and/or advance their careers
- Internships, apprenticeships, and/or learn-and-earn experiences
- Career coaching/counseling
- Providing or coordinating work supports such as transportation or child care services
- Organizing or advocacy efforts related to any of the above
- Must have already invested in organizational racial equity training
- Must be U.S.-based
- For organizations that provide direct services to individuals: Must serve a majority of workers and/or learners of color
- Must be classified as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization or be fiscally sponsored by an organization that is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization or be a federally recognized or state-recognized tribal government
For more information, visit Fund for Workforce Equity.
For more information, visit https://www.workforce-equity.org/rfp/