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$$PLAIN_TEXT_PREVIEW$$
What Works Plus Bulletin:May Edition
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A digest of news and funding opportunities. The What Works Plus (WW+) funder collaborative is a partnership coordination hub across philanthropy, government, and nonprofits to advance equity and climate resilience through thoughtful implementation of historic federal infrastructure, climate, and economic development funding. WW+ is a project of Freedman Consulting, LLC, which provides strategic consulting services to foundations and nonprofit organizations.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH WW+
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A snapshot of learning events and high-impact federal funding implementation-related opportunities in need of philanthropic support. For more information about these opportunities, please contact Max Shipman at shipman@tfreedmanconsulting.com.
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New Initiative: America Achieves - “Building a Local Good Jobs Economy for Everyone Initiative”
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The Initiative: In April and May, America Achieves, America's Frontier Fund, and the What Works Plus funder collaborative hosted several convenings with philanthropic and other partners to gather feedback on the Local Good Jobs Economy initiative, a national philanthropic and private collaborative to help regions access and leverage the historic federal investments in place-based industrial policies. This initiative aims to support capacity-building of multi-sector regional coalitions that aim to build robust inclusive regional economic engines driving growth and creating good jobs, including an accompanying talent strategy to build diverse talent pipelines and expand access to good jobs. The Opportunity: America Achieves continues to co-architect this initiative with philanthropic and supporting partner organizations this summer and will launch a pilot helping up to 10 regions apply for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Regional Tech Hubs designation and strategy/implementation grants. Later this fall, building on this pilot, America Achieves plans to launch a multi-year initiative helping regions build capacity and providing technical assistance and support to support place-based implementation of historic federal funding opportunities to drive inclusive economic growth. America Achieves is seeking interested funding and regional support partners to help inform the direction of the program and support implementation. If you are interested in partnering or learning more about this initiative, please contact Sasha Beder-Schenker or Allison Jones.
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Funding Opportunity: Unemployed Workers United - “Improving Access to Quality Jobs for Unemployed and Precariously Employed Workers in the South and Southwest”
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The Gap: In the South and Southwest, historic federal investments have the potential to create the perfect storm for “race to the bottom” labor practices. Union density is low, project labor agreements (PLAs) are rarely required, and temporary staffing agencies are growing exponentially as many contractors use them to fill jobs. These agencies currently encounter little to no regulation or oversight and often evade regulations and protections, creating low-wage and unsafe workplaces for workers. In addition, unions are having trouble filling jobs created by federal investments, and need to scale and modernize their outreach in order to meet and exceed the administration’s equity standards. The Opportunity: Leveraging partnerships across the South and Southwest, Unemployed Workers United (UWU) is using its role as a trusted messenger with unemployed and precariously employed workers to ensure federal investments create good jobs, and unions center equity in pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and direct hires. UWU uses field organizing combined with data and digital tools to connect its base of predominantly Black and Brown, systems-impacted workers to union apprenticeships and job opportunities, build the infrastructure for accessing opportunities, and fight to close the growing gap between low-road and high-road contractors. UWU aims to raise $800,000 by Fall 2023 to sustain its work in Texas, Tennessee, and Arizona and expand to North Carolina. Read the full proposal here and contact Caroline Picker to learn more.
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Funding Opportunity: Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy - Women in Energy Initiative
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The Gap: The energy industry plays a pivotal role in the energy transition but requires a workforce equipped to innovate, and committed to accelerating, the shift to cleaner energy. The energy sector lags behind other industries in promoting a diverse workforce. Women comprise only 22% of the oil/gas workforce and 32% of the renewables workforce. And the energy industry demands more high-skilled workers than other industries, with 45% of the workforce requiring some degree of tertiary education. The International Energy Agency (IEA) projects 14 million new clean energy jobs will be created by 2030, while another 16 million energy workers shift to new roles related to clean energy. The Opportunity: Nested within Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy, the Women in Energy (WIE) initiative is uniquely positioned to support the growth, retainment, and development of a diverse energy workforce through three pillars that build and support talent. First, the WIE initiative will produce and share research that will positively influence the way private industry builds corporate culture. Second, the initiative will also educate and introduce university students to the energy sector so that they are better able to connect to careers in energy. Finally, the initiative will create programs that enable professional women to tackle the energy transition and advance their career. WIE seeks philanthropic funding to support the growth and execution of these three pillars. Please contact Jessica Weis to learn more.
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May Spotlight: News from Members & Friends
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Have a notable investment, partnership, or event coming up? Let Let Max Shipman know at shipman@tfreedmanconsulting.com and we’ll feature it next month.
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In a Brookings Institution piece, WW+ Senior Advisor Xavier de Souza Briggs and Wingham Rowan highlight the unique challenges facing gig workers, and examine ways in which states and localities are using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to adopt publicly supported work-finding platforms to enhance options for gig workers and services for communities. The Milken Institute launched the Community Infrastructure Center platform to provide access to the expertise, training, capital, and partnership networks required to advance infrastructure projects. The platform helps communities find federal, state, and philanthropic grants and share resources, data, and courses to navigate project activities. It also connects communities to technical assistance, capital, and technology providers and project developers. Arnold Ventures launched a new infrastructure initiative to support research, policy development, and advocacy for faster, better, and lower cost infrastructure, focusing on housing, carbon reduction, transportation, and other infrastructure-related projects. The Local Infrastructure Hub is launching five additional bootcamps to help cities and towns develop competitive federal grant applications for Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding opportunities. Bootcamp topics include 1) the Combined Railroad Crossing Elimination Program & CRISI, 2) the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, 3) Broadband Opportunities (including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program), 4) the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program, and 5) the Bridge Investment Program. Registration closes on May 31, 2023. Amy Freitag (New York Community Trust), Lisa Schroeder (Pittsburgh Foundation), Javier Alberto Soto (Denver Foundation), and Rhea Suh (Marin Community Foundation) published a piece announcing the launch of the Community Foundation Climate Collaborative. The Collaborative will leverage the nation’s network of community foundations to help communities overcome barriers to accessing and implementing public and philanthropic funding to address climate change. United for Infrastructure, a program of Accelerator for America Action advocating for infrastructure investment, held Infrastructure Week 2023 from May 15 through May 19. As part of weeklong series of events across the country, United for Infrastructure hosted its signature event, “Infrastructure Works for America: Where We Are and the Road Ahead,” on May 16 to highlight the results from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and showcase them as examples that demonstrate the need for additional infrastructure investment at the local, state, and federal levels.
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A snapshot of this month’s key news.
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The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced $11 billion in grant and loan opportunities through two new programs for rural energy and utility providers to bring reliable, clean energy to communities. Programs include: The Empowering Rural America (“New ERA”) program, which provides $9.7 billion for rural electric cooperatives to deploy renewable energy systems, zero-emission, and carbon capture systems. Letters of interest must be submitted between July 31 and August 31, 2023. The Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program, which deploys $1 billion for partially forgivable loans to renewable-energy developers and electric service providers to help finance large-scale renewable energy systems through solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, and hydropower projects. Letters of Interest must be submitted between June 30 and September 29, 2023.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE): Is accepting applications for the Clean Energy Innovator Fellowship program from recent graduates and energy professionals interested in supporting critical energy organizations to advance clean energy solutions that will help decarbonize the power system, electrify transportation and industry, and make the U.S. power system more resilient, equitable and inclusive. Applications are due June 12, 2023, at 4pm ET. Extended the deadline to submit concept notes for their funding opportunity to expand the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program. This funding opportunity, made possible through BIL, will help communities develop or expand workforce training programs for high-quality energy efficiency, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing job pathways that, as part of the training, provide hands-on support to strengthen small- and medium-sized manufacturers or optimize building performance. Concept papers are required by June 16, 2023, at 5pm ET. Was featured in a New York Times profile of the agency’s Loan Programs Office, which saw its total loan authority increase under the IRA from $40 billion to more than $400 billion to help finance clean energy projects. The Office’s efforts will focus on funding rooftop solar panels and battery systems to cut energy costs for consumers and retooling old fossil-fuel infrastructure.
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The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA): Is accepting applications for the Economic Recovery Corps (ERC) from organizations interested in hosting a full-time ERC fellow to advance locally-driven initiatives to build stronger, more resilient, and inclusive economies. The Economic Recovery Corps is a $30 million program that will create a connected network of 65 trained fellows to address the resource gap between planning and implementation, boosting the capacity of communities to implement locally driven economic development strategies. Organizations must submit an expression of interest by June 30, 2023. The EDA is hosting a webinar about the opportunity on June 7, 2023. Launched Phase 1 of the Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Tech Hubs) program – a “bottom-up” competition, made possible through the CHIPS and Science Act (CHIPS), inviting regional coalitions across the country to apply for federal funding awards to accelerate the scale-up of their advanced industries. In Phase 1, EDA will designate at least 20 Tech Hubs across the country and will separately award approximately $15 million in strategy development grants to accelerate the development of future Tech Hubs. Applications for Phase 1 are due August 15, 2023. EDA expects to open the application period for Phase 2, which will make at least five implementation awards to designated Tech Hubs, in Fall 2023.
The Brookings Institution published a report on CHIPS’ potential to foster innovation and provide more opportunities in STEM fields for underrepresented groups. The report finds that ensuring access to these opportunities will require federal coordination, regional capacity building and collaboration, and leveling the playing field across all stages of innovation to diversify talent in the workforce. Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, published a piece arguing that climate stakeholders and industrial employers have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to collaborate with labor leaders, worker centers, and community groups around a new good jobs framework pioneered by the Families and Workers Fund to ensure green jobs are good jobs. California’s Governor’s Office of Planning and Research announced $39 million in grants from the California Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) for economic development projects across the state that support California’s transition to a low-carbon, green growth future. The grants will support communities with their transition to more sustainable, climate forward industries while strengthening access to good jobs. Read more about the projects here.
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The White House released the Investing in America Agenda to create good quality jobs across construction, manufacturing, and clean energy industries. The roadmap focuses on four priorities: 1) connecting people to good jobs; 2) ensuring a skilled, diverse workforce; 3) boosting education and training efforts to meet community labor needs; and 4) creating good quality, family-sustaining jobs, including union jobs. To advance the Agenda, the White House also announced new initiatives to build America’s workforce, including: Workforce hubs that partner with state and local officials, employers, unions, community colleges, high schools, and other stakeholders to ensure a diverse and skilled workforce can meet the demand for labor driven by these investments. The hubs will start with five focus regions beginning in Summer 2023: Phoenix, Columbus, Baltimore, Augusta, and Pittsburgh. Advanced manufacturing sprints to expand and diversify pathways into good jobs and careers. The Good Jobs, Great Cities Academy with the National League of Cities to provide technical assistance and support in launching workforce initiatives.
The U.S. Department of Treasury published a piece describing ways ARPA’s State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) have and can be used to hire, support, and retain public sector employees working on BIL, IRA and CHIPS implementation. David Owen published an article in The New Yorker outlining worker shortages facing skilled trades such as electricians and plumbers, which may impact the success of IRA programs and climate efforts that rely on these workers. The article follows workers pursuing careers in these trades and explores potential solutions based on training efforts across the country.
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According to a recent Brookings piece,three paths for building a more inclusive broadband workforce through implementation of BIL funding include: 1) tapping into an existing supply of telecom workers who were dislocated during the pandemic, 2) identifying individuals with similarly aligned skills in lateral occupations and engaging them in the broadband workforce, and 3) developing social infrastructure and services to meet workers’ needs (e.g childcare, professional development, housing, and transportation).
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Smart Growth America (SGA) announced the new Community Connectors Grant program to help advance locally driven projects that will reconnect communities separated or harmed by transportation infrastructure and tap available federal and state funds to support them. The grant program seeks 15 teams from communities with populations of 50,000-500,000 to receive a capacity-building grant of up to $130,000, tailored training and support from national experts, and the opportunity to engage with peer communities at an expenses-paid convening and learning exchange in Fall 2023. Applications are due July 15, 2023.
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Rocky Mountain Institute published a spreadsheet that breaks down funding opportunities and tax incentives from the IRA. The spreadsheet was developed for use by state and local/municipal governments, tribal nations, businesses, non-profits, institutions of higher education and individual consumers, allowing a variety of users to easily find out which IRA programs and tax incentives can benefit them.
Atlas Public Policy published a report on BIL and IRA, with updates on six key programs, tax credits, and other implementation efforts. In order to better track where funds are invested, the report suggests making improvements to data quality released by agencies, an expansion of the General Services Administration’s centralized data collection effort, clarity on tax credit provisions, and clear reporting on funding sources when publishing data. The Benton Institute for Broadband and Society released the Affordable Connectivity Program Enrollment Performance Tool which displays enrollment levels of the ACP within a zip code and compares enrollment performance with the national average.
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WW+ Bulletin: May Edition
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