Attributed to: Amy Conrad, Director, Strategic Initiatives, Financial Wellbeing Programs, AARP Foundation About AARP Foundation AARP Foundation is the nation’s leading organization serving the 39 million older adults living in poverty or one life event away from slipping into it. Our mission is to strengthen financial resilience for and with Read more
What does it mean to put self-determination and innovation into practice in workforce programs built by and for Native nations and communities? On June 30, Workforce Matters hosted the second webinar in our 2026 Workforce Grantmaking in Native Nations and Communities (WGNNC) series, and asked practitioners whose organizations are doing Read more
Attributed to: Kate Partington, Program Officer – Young Adults and Working Families and Caregivers of Older Adults, Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation About the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation is a limited life foundation that sunsets in 2035 based in Detroit and investing in Read more
Attributed to: Cathy Belk, President and CEO, Deaconess Foundation About the Deaconess Foundation Deaconess Foundation is a private foundation located in Cleveland Ohio. The foundation was created from the proceeds of the sale of the Deaconess Hospital in the mid-90s, so the decision was made that all grantmaking will support Read more
A summary of key developments from the Workforce Matters spring policy briefing in May 2026, featuring updates from the National Skills Coalition. This blogpost has been updated to reflect the House Appropriations Committee’s passage of its 2027 Fiscal Year bill to fund Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education in Read more
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
Attributed to: Nina M. Bershadker, Executive Director, Taft Foundation About the Taft Foundation In service of The Taft Foundation’s mission to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) lead fulfilling lives, we are particularly focused on expanding opportunities for young adults transitioning into adulthood and increasing access to meaningful employment 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
Thanks to all members and speakers who joined us for Workforce Matters’ 2026 budget briefing and discussion on March 31. A special thanks to Economic Opportunity Funders for their always-excellent Annual Budget and Tax Briefing, which provided the foundation for our conversation, and to our speakers, Megan Evans and Melissa Read more
Interest in apprenticeship is growing across the United States—from policymakers and employers to education leaders and workforce practitioners. Yet the country’s apprenticeship system remains far smaller than those in other advanced economies. Workforce Matters members and guests explored these challenges and opportunities on our March 5 webinar, “Apprenticeship: What Funders Read more