What does it look like when Tribal Nations don’t just participate in workforce systems, but lead them? On April 28, Workforce Matters hosted a conversation through the Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities Initiative featuring two compelling examples from Indian Country where collective governance, data sovereignty, and strategic philanthropy Read more
Central to philanthropy at the intersection of workforce development and postsecondary education, community colleges serve first-generation learners, adult workers seeking to upskill, and young people navigating the transition from high school to career. In the second meeting of Workforce Matters’ Postsecondary + Workforce Funders Affinity Group, we invited researchers John Read more
WORKFORCE MATTERS | 2026 PROGRAMMING UPDATE At Workforce Matters, we are privileged to convene a national network of funders who share a commitment to expanding equitable access to quality jobs and education for young people and adults. As we move through 2026, we want to share an overview of our Read more
On February 5-6, Workforce Matters co-directors and many of our Steering Committee members attended the National Skills Coalition’s annual Skills Summit. It was a good way to set the tone for our annual leadership retreat. We are still reflecting on a few key themes that emerged over the course of Read more
Building A Resilient Future: Aligning Climate Adaptation with Workforce Innovation During our Further Together conference this fall, we convened a powerhouse plenary conversation to discuss the intersection of climate adaptation and workforce development innovation. Moderated by Jenny LaForest of the Holloway Family Foundation, we heard from Saket Soni of Resilience Read more
Workforce Matters created and released Workforce 101 in May 2025. Developed by Nancy Snyder Consulting and delivered by Nancy Snyder and Katie Spiker of the National Skills Coalition, this webinar and slide deck provided a detailed overview of the publicly-funded workforce development system with insights specifically tailored toward philanthropic interests. Read more
The Workforce Matters team was busy in June, connecting with members in Bozeman, New Orleans, and Los Angeles at different conferences and events. On June 4th, Natasha Hale, project manager for our Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities initiative, presented “Yours in Service: Native Nation and Community Design in Read more
On May 29, Workforce Matters members working at the intersection of postsecondary education and workforce development gathered for a virtual peer to peer conversation. The goals of our call were to create a space for participants to: catch up with each other; learn about each other’s work at this Read more
Thanks to all members who joined us for Workforce Matters’ 2025 budget briefing and discussion on March 27. A special thanks to Economic Opportunity Funders for their excellent Annual Budget and Tax Briefing, which provided the foundation for our conversation, and to our speakers, Katie Spiker and Melissa Johnson from Read more
Workforce Matters hosted a post-election/2025 preview workforce policy briefing for funders last month with representatives from the National Skills Coalition, Unidos US, and the Joint Center. We are pleased to share key takeaways from the conversation below and welcome members to follow up with us on the next steps. In Read more