Over the last few decades, leaders from across the political spectrum have been working on criminal justice reform.  Many in the Roundtable network have been part of these movements and many of those reforms have benefited individuals and communities across the country; some have not.  

With recent reductions in law-and-order policies and diminishing police resources available in critical markets, philanthropy, nonprofits and policymakers are reconsidering how our country can most effectively address criminal justice issues. By investing in programs and leaders that prioritize community-based, evidence-informed approaches undergirded by sound policies, Philanthropy Roundtable believes charitable donors can improve public safety and provide more pathways to the American dream. 

The Roundtable’s view on criminal justice reform is informed by the following: 

• Incarceration is a needed response to crime in America, yet more effective policies are needed to address the spectrum of prevention, incarceration, reincarceration and recidivism.  
• Nonprofits and philanthropy have successfully worked together with government to enact policies including the First Step Act (which reauthorizes the Second Chance Act). We believe more policies like this could accelerate significant strides in further criminal justice reform.  
• Since people of color and those who are materially poor are disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system, we believe all Americans deserve the right to fair treatment and due process in their legal proceedings. 

Given the diversity of viewpoints regarding the most effective approaches to criminal justice, we’re highlighting a diverse group of organizations taking innovative approaches in the criminal justice space: 

1. Council on Criminal Justice works to advance understanding of the criminal justice policy choices facing the nation and builds consensus for solutions that enhance safety and justice for all. With a wide range of members, the organization redoubled efforts to bridge partisan divides and build common ground for policies rooted in facts, evidence and fundamental principles of justice. The organization works on violence reduction, long prison sentences, racial disparities, veterans in the justice system and more.  

2. EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute is a nonprofit that provides formerly incarcerated adults with a foundation in the culinary and hospitality industries and a support network for long-term success. In addition to culinary training, students receive free housing, legal services, basic medical care, clothing, job coaching, literary programs and more. Brandon Chrostowski, founder of the organization, created the institute in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2007. Since then its impact has grown to graduate 100 students each year. Chrostowski was named a semi-finalist for the prestigious 2023 James Beard Awards as Outstanding Restaurateur (nationally).  

3. The Just Trust is on a mission to tackle the incarceration crisis and address public safety side by side. By partnering with organizations across the political and ideological spectrum, The Just Trust helps advance smart solutions to shrink the footprint of the justice system in American lives, and create a system that prevents crime, centers safety and fosters real accountability, rehabilitation and healing. Their core activities include strategic advising, real-time public opinion and messaging research, narrative work and grantmaking. 

4. Manhattan Institute‘s public safety work advances creative, evidence-based policy ideas for better policing, public safety and criminal justice. From reports, interviews, commentary and policy recommendations, their team impacts myriad issues related to public safety and the criminal justice system.  

5. Prison Fellowship believes a restorative approach to prisoners, former prisoners and all those affected by crime and incarceration can make communities safer and healthier. Founded on the conviction that all people are created in God’s image and no life is beyond God’s reach, the organization seeks to bring an amazing awakening to new hope and life purpose. Those who once broke the law are transformed and mobilized to serve their neighbors, replacing the cycle of crime with a cycle of renewal. 

6. The First 72+ mission is to stop the cycle of incarceration by fostering independence and self-sustainability through education, stable and secure housing and employment, health care and community engagement. Through the leadership and wisdom of formerly incarcerated people, the First 72+ transforms the re-entry experience into one that builds on the strengths and abilities of people returning home from prison and ensures they, their families and communities are given the greatest opportunity to grow and thrive. 

The above organizations are taking an impactful approach to addressing criminal justice issues. Given the complexity of the criminal justice system and its impact on communities throughout our country, we recognize no one organization can fully address the nuances we face. But we do believe collective learning and action will lead to more effective and meaningful outcomes for individuals and communities.  

If you are interested in learning more about funding criminal justice and community related initiatives, please contact Senior Director of Programs, Esther Larson. 

The post Criminal Justice and Philanthropy’s Response  appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

Rosado had left home at age 17. Since then, he’d dealt with tragedy from the death of his mother to “three violent experiences” after which he suffered depression and was diagnosed with PTSD.  

At 50 years old, Rosado was ready to turn his life around — and reconnect with his 15-year-old daughter, who he hadn’t seen for a year. But he needed the hard skills to help him compete in the workforce. Then he heard about The Doe Fund’s Ready Willing and Able program, which takes participants through a year-long program that offers job training, education and sobriety support.  

“It was unique,” Rosado says. “Other shelter systems did not have that.” 

Rosado, who is currently a member of the program, has since been through Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and welding training, and he and his daughter have reunited.  

“That’s been my thing,” he says, speaking of the motivation to see her again. “It’s helped me out mentally to get back into a relationship with my daughter.” 

Rosado’s experience with Ready Willing and Able has been life changing. But unfortunately, it’s also unique for someone who has experienced homelessness. The Doe Fund boasts that 78% of participants retain their job after six months and there’s a 62% reduction in recidivism three years after graduating from the program.  

Compare that to programs with the popular “housing first” model, which became the United States’ default solution to homelessness in the early 2000s.  

“There was a lot of rhetoric 10-15 years ago that we would solve homelessness with the housing first model in 10 years or so,” says Judge Glock, director of research at the Manhattan Institute.  

When the federal government adopted “housing first” as its policy in 2013, former President Barack Obama promised the federal government would end homelessness by 2023. Gavin Newsom, then mayor of San Francisco, pledged to end homelessness in his city within 10 years.  

“You had a lot of people very excited about this housing first model who made a lot of pretty expansive claims about what it would do to reduce the homelessness problem,” Glock says. “That bill has come due, and by most measures, the problem has gotten much worse.” 

Today, cities that were meant to be the poster children for the promise of “housing first” have become cautionary tales. San Francisco has the ninth highest homelessness population in the country, with 9.5 unhoused people per 1,000.  

“We’ve built over 200,000 new [permanent supportive housing] units for the homeless, as they’re known, and, since 2013, the federal government has mandated the Housing First strategy nationwide,” Glock writes for the Cicero Institute. “Yet since that nationwide mandate has gone into effect, we’ve seen street homelessness increase by almost a fourth.” 

Post-COVID, the problem has gotten even worse. “The data so far this year [on homelessness numbers] are up roughly 11% from 2022, a sharp jump that would represent by far the biggest recorded increase since the government started tracking comparable numbers in 2007,” The Wall Street Journal warned in a recent report.  

Why “Housing First” Has Failed 

Many researchers, nonprofit leaders and donors agree the “housing first” experiment has failed. It is not without good intentions, but suffers from some fundamental flaws.  

The first problem is that of perverse incentives.  

According to Glock, most of the country allocates scarce housing resources according to a point system. The idea is the neediest get the housing first, but in practice, it means there is incentive to abuse drugs, commit acts of violence and more just to reach a higher rung on the ladder.  

The Obama-era Department of Housing and Urban Development directed local groups to use this metric for providing housing, though states have some leeway on how far they go with it. In Massachusetts, for example, you get four points for being an active drug user, but only one point for being a recovering addict. But should you overdose, you can get two more points.  

Even critics of the policy agree that housing options are essential for people experiencing homelessness and some may even benefit from a simple gift of permanent housing. But for most, that can’t be the only solution.  

“The problem is that people become homeless for a variety of reasons, and putting them into an apartment just moves their homelessness inside,” says Mary Theroux, CEO of the Independent Institute. “They’re still culturally homeless, they still have the same issues they had when they were living on the street, except now they’re isolated inside, and they die at higher rates, actually, once they’re housed.”  

What people struggling with homelessness really need, she argues, is a holistic approach that combines housing with social support. Sometimes, people need a push in the right direction.  

Stephen Eide, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, says “housing first” relied on “false advertising” that presented it as an almost scientific solution.  

But it fails in theory — advocates hold up a “harm reduction” philosophy that says you cannot impose on people by directing them toward another lifestyle, you can only make resources available to them — and in practice. Not only are there perverse incentives, but “housing first” often ends up just looking like “housing only.” 

Yet homelessness is a problem of so much more than housing.  

“When we’re talking about that problem, we’re often actually talking about other problems — crime, untreated serious mental illness — and when we fail in those other areas, we do make our homelessness crisis worse,” Eide says.  

Multi-Pronged Approach Tackles Issue from All Fronts 

If housing first has failed, what should take its place? 

Isabel McDevitt, co-founder of Work Works America, is working to be part of the solution. The Doe Fund’s Work Works model, which inspired the Ready Willing and Able program that helped Rosado, helps people find housing, work and mental and emotional support through an employment-based holistic model to fight addiction, exit homelessness or just get back on their feet.  

Because McDevitt supports various interventions with the Work Works’ multi-pronged approach to homelessness, she finds it surprising so few organizations and government entities seem interested in expanding solutions to face this issue from all fronts.  

“What a lot of people don’t necessarily understand is the complexity of how people end up experiencing homelessness,” she says. “What I would hope is that we can have more of an open conversation about new, custom approaches to match the diversity of people in need. We haven’t yet solved homelessness, so let’s get creative. Policymakers should be looking at creative approaches that integrate people back into the community rather than keeping them separate in ‘homeless housing’ or doubling down on one-size-fits-all approaches.” 

While permanent, no-strings-attached housing has become the default solution to solving homelessness, Glock says more states should focus on recovery housing, such as the Oxford House model (temporary homes for those fighting addiction), and transitional housing. In Texas, the Health and Human Services Commission contracts with organizations providing recovery housing, with many positive results.  

Theroux has traveled the country looking for alternative programs. One such initiative is Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Texas, which says an astounding 91% of clients “are still in permanent housing after one year.” The organization describes its approach as “person-centered, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented.” 

Carrie Tynan of the Adolph Coors Foundation supported McDevitt in bringing the Work Works model to Boulder and Aurora, Colorado. McDevitt wanted to expand the model of the day shelter she was running to something with more long-term impact.  

This turned into the Ready to Work program at Bridge House, a “combination of employment, housing and support that breaks the expensive cycles of homelessness, incarceration and chronic unemployment,” per its website.  

Participants in the program are required to find work shortly after joining, and the program claims a success rate of 74%.  

“We believe in the value of work,” Tynan says. “We know that it can help people move out of a dependency mindset.” 

Tynan says she met one participant who said he liked his alone time and had a clean driving record. “So I decided I’m going to be a truck driver,” he concluded.  

How Philanthropists Can Make Lasting Changes 

For donors who want to get involved in solving the homeless crisis, supporting efforts that help people in a lasting way, what can they do?  

The fact that government programs seem generally disinterested in taking a holistic approach presents an opportunity for philanthropists to focus on mental health, foster care, substance abuse, public policy, direct service, preventive measures or all of the above. And they don’t have to do it alone.  

According to entrepreneur and philanthropist Joe Lonsdale, the key is to ask yourself, “Do you want to be subsidizing a broken system or do you want to be part of a solution?” Too many philanthropists dump their money on mediocre organizations with misaligned incentives and lack of accountability, he says. By pouring money into efforts that aren’t actually solving homelessness, he says, “You’re probably making the problem worse.” 

Tynan says policy change will do little if it doesn’t go hand-in-hand with the work of direct service nonprofits. For donors looking to scale a model, she suggests providing “multi-year gifts with benchmarks that need to be met in order to track the organization’s progress.” 

Theroux proposes a “Tocquevillian solution,” a “community-wide approach in which all sectors come together to advance solutions.” She applauds Haven, for example, for coordinating every other nonprofit in San Antonio working on homelessness, about 140 of them, to tackle the problem together. More than a decade later, “they’re all working in concert” rather than duplicating each other’s work, she says. “That’s where a funder can really help exert influence.” 

“The clearest lesson” from Haven for Hope, she says, “is that its success is a result of its being a product of the entire community’s coming together. It started with the partnership of an oil tycoon [Bill Greehey] and the Democratic mayor whose election he had opposed [Phil Hardberger], but then engaged and involved every sector: police, fire, EMS, hospitals, every nonprofit, the business community, philanthropic community, homeless advocates, the homeless themselves … And over the 12 years it has operated as an independent 501(c)(3), it has learned and adjusted its model based on learned information.” 

Theroux and her colleagues at the Independent Institute regularly partner to share ideas with peers at other organizations such as the Manhattan Institute, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, Discovery Institute and Cicero Institute.  

Theroux and other leaders focused on addiction recovery and homelessness alleviation joined together earlier this year, organized by Michael Shellenberger and We Heart Seattle. They created North America Recovers, a network of organizations that share insights with each other and push for policy change together.  

“We share studies, interviews, information, Twitter posts and more, at a rate of probably 20-plus messages each day,” Theroux says. “Members meet with one another and visit policymakers and others to advance recovery. We meet monthly by Zoom to collaborate on ideas for messaging, outreach to policymakers and the public, and are currently organizing several events to be held next year.” 

One issue that faces even successful programs that fall outside the norm is funding. McDevitt says many nonprofits that don’t fit the government’s narrow mold for homelessness policy need alternative funding, adding philanthropists should look for local organizations that are trying new things.  

“Don’t assume your city has it figured out or that it’s just a resource issue,” she says. “Try to understand and support what’s happening and having an impact on the ground but also push for innovation.” 

Ultimately, while government homelessness policy remains stuck in the past, donors have a unique opportunity to support nonprofits that are shaping the future.  

“Philanthropists need to step up and be the civic leaders they have traditionally been in the U.S.,” Theroux says, “coming together in community and working on our problems together.” 

Madeline Fry Schultz is the contributors editor at the Washington Examiner. She previously worked at Philanthropy Roundtable and as the culture commentary writer at the Washington Examiner.  

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Grantmakers and nonprofits are all too familiar with the challenges new regulations can pose. Regulations may directly impact programs or raise management and operational costs, increasing overhead. In addition, organizations incur increased compliance costs as they seek to follow new rules. Penalties for non-compliance can be costly. Every dollar spent on compliance with regulatory changes is one dollar less to advance an organization’s mission.  

As we have written, organizations are already squeezed by inflation and surges in demand for services. Budgetary pressure on organizations, especially direct service groups, will get worse with new labor regulations. 

The growth of the regulatory state and the hardships it imposes on organizations helping those most in need is precisely why public policy grantmaking is important.  

Here are three regulations that should be on the radars of charitable organizations: 

1. Overtime rules – Just before the long Labor Day weekend, the Biden Department of Labor (DOL) proposed regulations to expand the number of workers who qualify for overtime pay. It proposes an increase to the Fair Labor Standards Act’s (FLSA) annual salary-level threshold for overtime from $35,568 to $55,068 for white-collar salaried workers. The DOL also is proposing automatic increases every three years to the overtime threshold. If enacted, executive, administrative and professional workers who clock above 40 hours at this new salary threshold will qualify for time-and-a-half pay.  

The impact of this proposed rule is likely to be sweeping, affecting as many as 600,000 workers in the health care and social services sector and approximately 3.6 million workers overall. Nonprofit organizations face substantial labor cost increases if they have to pay larger salaries or reclassify employees as eligible for overtime.  

2. Independent contracting rules – The DOL is expected to finalize new regulations on whether a worker can be classified as an independent contractor or an employee. Independent contractors negotiate the terms of their pay and work but are not entitled to minimum wage, overtime pay and other benefits guaranteed by the FLSA. The proposed rule would implement a multiple-factor test where the weight of each factor depends on the facts of the case and where additional factors may be relevant. The likely outcome of such an unclear and subjective standard is that fewer independent contractors would be able to retain that status.  

Many organizations depend on independent workers to execute their missions: media and marketing professionals to design publications and donor solicitations, event planners to execute galas and fundraisers, delivery people to get food and supply donations into the hands that need them, human resources and accounting professionals to oversee staffing issues and financials, and many more. Often, independent contractors are needed for time-limited projects and events, not for year-round work. Under the proposed rules, many organizations would be forced to hire contractors as staff whether or not they can absorb the increased labor costs.  

Independent contractors, many of whom are women seeking flexibility to balance other priorities (such as raising children, caregiving for aging parents or managing their own health issues), desire the freedom to be their own boss and work on their own schedules.  

This proposal is expected to be finalized in 2023. 

3. Joint-employer rule – The National Labor Relations Board has proposed a rule to change the standard for when two employers that do business together are considered to be joint employers. As joint employers, they would have to recognize each other’s collective bargaining agreements and would be liable for labor practices deemed unfair. The new rule would make it easier for a nonprofit to be deemed a joint employer with, for example, a company it subcontracts with for services. As the law firm Venable explains, “Consider, for example, a nonprofit employer that contracts with a staffing agency to fill a temporary position. While the employee might have been hired and paid by the staffing agency, she might report to management at the nonprofit, have her schedule set by the nonprofit and wear the nonprofit’s insignia on her name badge and/or business card.” 

Nonprofit hospitals and hospital systems worry this would “adversely impact an already overburdened hospital field and create a collective bargaining quagmire that will harm hospitals, their patients, their employees and the communities they serve.” This proposed rule is expected to be finalized in 2023. 

Legal challenges are expected that could delay the implementation of these rules. Lawsuits against regulatory action are important but occur after the fact and are not guaranteed to stop ill-advised policies from being enacted. Regulators know that entities will begin to comply before rules go into place and they are unlikely to undo changes in their operations even if the regulations are never enacted. 

For this reason, donors should not shy away from supporting public policy efforts to reign in the ever-growing federal regulatory state. A critical facet of philanthropy is to fund organizations that are fighting back against new regulations, highlighting the negative impacts of proposed regulations on American households and communities and exposing the unconstitutional means by which unelected bureaucrats are advancing devastating policies.  

In our Opportunity Playbook, we highlighted the Institute for the American Worker as an organization fighting for pro-labor policies that respect individual workers’ choices and freedom in the workforce. They join many others who are educating policymakers and regulators on how to ensure policies do not limit charitable organizations from serving communities.  

The post Three New Regulations That Will Make It Harder to Serve the Needy appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

America’s young people are under attack from all cultural fronts. In a recent New York Times op-ed, David Brooks says Gen Z is growing up in a “culture of distrust” that discourages risk taking, encourages self-protection and tends to delay significant life milestones like getting a driver’s license, pursuing post-secondary education, getting married and having children. It is apparent that our way of life today is heavily influenced by the media, motivated by materialism and often skeptical of families and faith institutions alike. Regrettably, it is against this backdrop that the student debt crisis, the skilled labor shortage and persistent concerns over the value of a college degree continue to brew.  

In her recent congressional testimony for the Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Workforce Development, Patrice Onwuka, director of the Center for Economic Opportunity at Independent Women’s Forum, argued, “For generations, a high school diploma was a sufficient level of education to obtain gainful employment that could be augmented with skills training for a specific occupation. Increasingly, a high school diploma and years of experience or skills are not enough to obtain employment that can provide a middle-class life or a path to upward mobility.” 

Is it any wonder why our youth are seemingly paralyzed by fear and struggling to forge their own paths? 

The antidote to the toxicity of a “culture of distrust” has been and always will be individual agency and personal purpose grounded in a strong sense of belonging to one’s family and community. Yet, no amount of personal will, prayer or fellowship can fix a broken higher education system and soul crushing debt. Enter the helpers, the gatherers and the philanthropists who have been working hard for decades to ensure the American virtues of agency and purpose are passed down. The rationale driving their charitable giving is as diverse as their donor intent, mission statements and grantmaking strategies.  

Many philanthropists have focused their charitable dollars on job training programs, apprenticeships and mentorship programs. Some take a regional or city-based approach, while others are looking to apply pressure to the post-secondary system, as a whole. Thankfully, there are many exceptional organizations providing career education to young people. Several family foundations support HopeWorks, a nonprofit that helps individuals ages 17-26 learn to code, design and develop websites as they advance in their education and career. With a focus on skill development and real-world experience, the program propels young adults into long-term careers that set them up for personal wholeness and financial stability. Another philanthropy backed organization, Per Scholas, provides skills training and access to employer networks for individuals often excluded from tech careers. It has equipped over 20,000 graduates to launch successful careers in tech.

Philanthropies like Adolph Coors Foundation in Colorado and Bader Philanthropies in Wisconsin focus some of their giving on job placement and vocational training, including programs for individuals with distinct barriers, such as returning citizens. Grantees like FreeWorld are helping troubled young people reclaim their futures by delivering job training and placement for returning citizens within 45 days. Program officer Brandon Wigley explains, “We are concerned about the rising cost of college, but we believe it will take a significant culture shift to see college as ‘just another option.’ So, we are actively exploring education – workforce pipeline approaches.” Both its employment and youth development programs focus heavily on removing barriers and engaging in character building and professional development.  

The late Art Ciocca invested heavily in the dignity of work by launching the Art and Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at Catholic University. The Catholic Entrepreneurship and Design Education (CEDE) program works with high school students across the country to instill the values that undergird business and entrepreneurship. Program founder Luke Burgis explains, “We realized that by the time they got to the higher education system, these young people had already formed their beliefs about business, entrepreneurship and work. We needed something that would engage them earlier and help form their understanding of business and work as a force for good.” 

There are countless other philanthropies investing in the success of future generations – indeed too many to list here. Philanthropy may just be one of the few places in our society that is not guided by distrust and fear but rather promotes individual agency and personal purpose and trust.  

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On this Giving Tuesday, Philanthropy Roundtable is adding over a dozen nonprofits to our Opportunity Playbook, a digital resource for donors looking to invest in high-impact organizations that promote economic opportunity for individuals and families and fulfill the promise of the American Dream. These 14 new organizations, as well as those already featured in the playbook, exemplify the Roundtable’s core values — liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility — and are devoted to empowering individuals, strengthening communities and improving lives.

In partnership with the Smith Richardson Foundation, Philanthropy Roundtable is seeking to address national concerns about issues like economic mobility and education from a philanthropic perspective. Through the Opportunity Playbook, we are committed to equipping philanthropists with the tools they need to be effective in these arenas and support excellent nonprofit programs and those who rely on their work.

This batch of exceptional organizations, which is working across education, workforce development and poverty alleviation, includes:

• ExcelinEd – A national nonprofit working tirelessly to advance student-centered policy solutions that “unlock opportunity and lifelong success” for children and prepare graduates for college and career.
• Fugees Family – A multi-state nonprofit working hard to support refugee and immigrant students through partnerships with local school districts in Ohio and Georgia that ensure students receive an excellent education. They are seeing 100% graduation rates among their program participants.
• Institute for the American Worker – A research and advocacy organization that educates policymakers and key stakeholders in Washington, D.C. about developments in labor policy that threaten to stifle entrepreneurship.
• Safe Families – A national family preservation organization motivated by radical hospitality, disruptive generosity and intentional compassion to keep children safe and families together.
• MentorKids USA – A K-12 mentorship program that makes long-term investments in children, families and neighborhoods. Its focus on academic excellence, spiritual growth and leadership development aims to create a world where all youth reach their full God-given potential.

Philanthropy Roundtable selected these organizations through a close examination of mission alignment, outcomes, fiscal health and potential for replicability. While some of the groups profiled are established nonprofits with a national presence, others are focused more locally or are still in start-up mode. Nevertheless, they all share a common commitment to helping people improve their lives.

The organizations featured in the Opportunity Playbook and our larger Values-Based Giving campaign, “Our Values Improve Lives,” support a growing movement of philanthropists who place our shared values at the heart of their giving by providing resources, strategic advising, connections and community. Through this campaign, we are sharing stories of impact to show how these values improve lives and encourage more philanthropists to adopt this approach. By growing our movement, together we can tackle society’s challenges and advance America’s founding principles, provide more pathways to opportunity and strengthen communities.

Click here to view the Opportunity Playbook. Learn more about Values-Based Giving here and get connected with our team of in-house program officers and strategic advisors.

The post Philanthropy Roundtable Adds High-Impact Organizations to Opportunity Playbook on Giving Tuesday appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

As part of Philanthropy Roundtable’s new campaign “Our Values Improve Lives,” we released a new video today highlighting the Georgia-based nonprofit Construction Ready, which trains people for “great-paying, entry-level construction jobs.”

A part of Construction Ready’s success hinges on its partnership with generous philanthropists who share its values and a desire to help the nonprofit provide rewarding career pathways to individuals, helping them unlock their full and unique potential. These types of partnerships improve lives around the country and are shining examples of the Roundtable’s approach to Values-Based Giving, when philanthropists and charitable organizations work together to advance liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility.

“We help people of all ages and backgrounds find a great career in the construction industry,” said Scott Shelar, Construction Ready’s president and CEO. “We help get them excited about the industry. We help them learn about all of the opportunities in the industry. We help them get the training and credentials that they need to pursue a career in the industry. And then we take that final step. We connect them with an employer.”

One of the organization’s success stories is Kaiveon Jones, a former student at Cross Keys High School in Atlanta. Jones was on the verge of dropping out of school when Construction Ready introduced him to a representative from Anning-Johnson, a drywall construction company based in the city and operating in eight markets nationally.

Jones was inspired by the conversation to pursue a career in the industry. Today, at just 21 years old, he earns $50,000 per year and is on track to become a foreman with one of the largest specialty construction contractors in the country.

“This program really opens up another opportunity not just for young people … but for other people who want a second chance or for people who want to do something new with their life,” said Jones.

In addition to its training and employment services, Construction Ready also offers a K-12 program to provide schools “with everything they need to bring construction back into the classroom.”

“The Construction Ready Team [has] come up with a vertical pipeline from A to Z, from elementary to high school that gives every kid the opportunity to be successful,” said Elisa Levy, program director for The Marcus Foundation, a supporter of Construction Ready.

The partnership between Construction Ready and The Marcus Foundation is one example of a productive and collaborative approach to Values-Based Giving, when donors invest in high-impact organizations that share their values and goals.

“Construction Ready is the perfect example of emulating [founder] Bernie [Marcus’s] values,” said Levy. “They’ve got the right leadership. They’ve got the right entrepreneurial spirit. They’re changing lives. They’re providing opportunities. And they’re making a difference.”

In the weeks and months ahead, the Roundtable will continue to shine a light on organizations and philanthropists who are partnering to make a difference through the “Our Values Improve Lives” campaign.

Are you a Roundtable donor and interested in learning more about Values-Based Giving? Click here to learn more about the services our team provides. For more information on Construction Ready, read our article published earlier this year.

Support Nonprofits That Reflect Your Values

Interested in connecting with Construction Ready or learning more about Values-Based Giving? Our Programs team is here to help.

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The post Construction Ready Provides Opportunity Through High-Paying Construction Jobs appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

Q: Can you quickly introduce us to LEO’s mission, history and focus?

Sullivan: LEO is a research center here at Notre Dame that partners with local social service providers and government agencies nationwide to build evidence to understand what works in terms of lifting individuals and families out of poverty.

The idea is that this evidence can be used to inform policymakers about how to allocate scarce resources, improve outcomes for the disadvantaged and inform social service providers about how to implement more effective programs. Policymakers and philanthropists can then allocate their resources toward programs that will improve outcomes.

We’re celebrating our tenth anniversary this year. Bill Evans is the co-founder along with me. We’re both economists here at Notre Dame. About 11 years ago, Bill and I got connected with the leadership at Catholic Charities USA, who were providing feedback from their member agencies about frustrations regarding how they articulate the impact of their work. How do they demonstrate to funders the effectiveness of their programs? That started a conversation where we talked about the researchers who are interested in addressing these same questions.

I think the realization we had from those conversations was that there was a market failure, and there are providers across the country who want to understand the impact of their work. Researchers at universities are really interested in these questions, but these two groups aren’t coming together to address them. That was the original impetus for LEO: to address that market failure and bring these two groups together.

Q: Why is the evaluation of outcomes so important in looking at these different nonprofits? Why is it important to know what works and what doesn’t?

Reynolds: My part of the story is that I started on the provider side. I’m a social worker by training, and I spent 17 years at Catholic Charities Fort Worth — the last 13 leading the organization.

I think I should just give you an example of why this sort of evaluation is so important, which is really causal evidence building. Many nonprofits, such as Catholic Charities Fort Worth, run a financial literacy program where local thinkers and investment experts come in and teach clients about financial literacy. We also had programs to get people jobs, and similar support. We tracked impact as a measurement of output.

How many people attended our financial literacy classes? How many people came through our job training programs? That is very common in the nonprofit space. Taking it a step further, a lot of organizations will then say things like, “Okay, our goal was to teach people to be more financially literate. Our goal was to help get people jobs. Well, what happened?”

We might say, “Oh, we got all these people jobs,” which is another measure of an outcome of impact. We might look at how many of them still have their job six months later, and then other pointed measurements.

The difference between that and what LEO does is that LEO offers an opportunity for us to capitalize on the sad fact that most nonprofits have more people to help than there are resources to help them. LEO can help that nonprofit fairly allocate resources where some people get the service, and some people don’t because of limited capabilities slots. Then, we study what happens to both groups. Instead of just saying, “Oh, we got this many people jobs, and they kept their jobs for this number of months,” we’re able to have two groups of people who look the same, but some got the help of the nonprofit and some did not.

What that allows us to do is know precisely whether that service is what was effective. Because oftentimes, going back to my Catholic Charities example, we might show great employment outcomes, but that’s because the Omni Hotel just opened up in Fort Worth, Texas, and hired 50 of our clients, something both the groups of those we helped and those we did not help would benefit from. Being able to do causal evidence building instead allows us a more precise way of identifying whether an intervention has the outcome we intended for it to have.

Q: Based on your experience and research, what are some of the top attributes of nonprofits that operate well in this space? What have you found?

Reynolds: There are a couple of things we’ve observed that have been key. One is that leadership really matters. We have found that a lot of the leaders we work with are concerned with understanding their impact. The pain of doing research is worse than the pain of not knowing why they got into this work in the first place, which is to make a difference and to really understand that level of impact.

We spend a lot of time working with organizations that have a level of innovative services they have developed. That can be anything from a small entrepreneur in Nashville, Tennessee, to a large multi-service organization in Chicago. The size of an organization is not as important as its leadership, the innovation of programming, and the desire to find real solutions that will drive forward change in the social service sector.

If we have the right partner, then we need to find the right project with that partner. That involves looking for organizations that have a very well-defined program or service to be studied, and clear outcomes of what they want to see happen. Then the organization will have an excess demand for services and a willingness to conduct this level of a randomized control trial.

Those are the typical things we look for in a partner and a project. We continue to be wowed, again and again, by our partners who are uber committed to understanding and unlocking the potential of what they do by building evidence alongside it.

Q: Can you think of one or two compelling stories of what nonprofits are doing with that sort of research?

Sullivan: One of the strongest predictors of spending a majority of your life in poverty is not to graduate high school. A startling realization we had here when we talked with some nonprofits is that after you reach a certain age, you can no longer get a high school degree.

There are state laws which prevent accreditation for high school degrees after you age out. You can get a GED, but there’s a lot of research that shows pretty convincingly that a GED is not the same. It doesn’t lead to more stable employment or higher earnings in the way a high school diploma does.

We have been working with a partner at the Excel Centers that is basically running a high school program and accreditation for older adults in states where this is possible. We partnered with them to measure the impact of the program, since these tend to be vulnerable individuals who have unstable employment or a criminal justice record. Excel Centers provide childcare and other case management support alongside the high school program.

We measured the program’s impact over the long term on factors, like the earnings and employment of graduates, and showed that it increased earnings by nearly 40%. Excel Centers then used this data to convince other states to invest in the program and allow for changes in the laws that will allow accreditation of high school degrees for adults.

Q: For both of you personally, what motivates you in the work you’re doing?

Sullivan: I’m an economist, and I got into this business because I thought the tools that economists use, particularly the data that they use and the models, provide the best hope for improving the way policymakers and leaders make decisions. In particular, I thought that with an understanding of economics, we could help policymakers and providers have a bigger impact on improving the lives of the disadvantaged.

I feel like we’re just getting started and the potential is much greater than I had ever imagined.

Reynolds: I’m committed to this work because when you start your social work career, you’re really excited about the industry. Then you work to change lives, and then even the industry itself, and it’s really rough.

You’re hamstrung a lot because so many of your dollars are expected to go to service, which in theory, is a great idea. But that really doesn’t leave a lot of room for what is typical in every other industry: research and development dollars, and dollars put toward innovation and trying new things.

Shortly after I became CEO of Catholic Charities, I read an article in our local newspaper about a homeless services CEO who was retiring. He had served in that role for over two decades, but he was quoted in the newspaper as saying he believed that the homeless in Fort Worth were no better off on the day he retired than on the day he began.

I remember thinking that was the saddest thing I could ever hear: that you dedicate your whole career to making things better, and you don’t really feel like they are. That became a rallying cry, both when I was at Catholic Charities, but personally through my career. We’re called to make the world better. I began to know what made a difference based on our partnership with LEO.

Q: If money were no object for your organization, what would you envision for that future?

Reynolds: We would double the number of projects we’re running. Second, we would be taking findings from one place and replicate that in five other communities across the country. We’d be testing whether it just worked in that one site, or whether it scales at several other places.

Sullivan: Ultimately, we want to have a broad impact. Evidence presents an opportunity to do that, but not if the results get buried. You really need to have a mechanism to take this evidence and inform providers and funders all across the country.

Reynolds: One beautiful example is the Dave Thomas Foundation. It focuses on foster care and adoption. They were giving out resources to help organizations place hard-to-place children for adoption, older children in particular. But then what they ended up doing is starting a program.

They ran a randomized control trial with the program and they found that it worked. Then, because of that, instead of just giving money to a variety of organizations across the nation, they gave money to say, “Who wants to do this program? Because this is what the evidence says works.”

Now, the Dave Thomas Foundation is making a huge difference in finding adoptive homes for hard-to-place kids.

The post How the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities is “Working Smarter” to Take on Poverty appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

In today’s world, Labor Day weekend is often a time for beach getaways, barbecues and end of summer sales. But this federal holiday, which was established in 1894 to celebrate the achievements of American workers, holds deeper meaning in this country. In America, work is an opportunity to create something, to better one’s self, family and community. The idea that work leads to economic mobility and a sense of personal fulfillment is at the core of the American Dream and the shared American identity.

Nevertheless, workforce participation rates are dwindling and research shows that, after adjusting for inflation, Americans today are earning less money than their parents did at a similar age. It may be easy to lose sight of the American Dream today but the nonprofit sector — undergirded by private philanthropy — is hard at work developing new ideas to bolster economic opportunities, replicate and scale successful programs and support research to inform thoughtful policymaking. Charitable organizations assist marginalized and disadvantaged individuals with finding work – and they help address nuanced and complex issues that prevent people from reaching their full, unique potential.  

There are many impressive organizations working to remove unnecessary barriers to work, cultivate entrepreneurship and create prospects for gainful employment. Below is a small sample of some notable examples worth exploring:

• Pacific Legal Foundation – This organization promotes the right to earn an honest living free from unreasonable government interference. Founded in 1973, PLF has an unmatched record of success at the U.S. Supreme Court working to ensure the administrative state does not hamper the economy and cause an unnecessary burden to Americans. Under the leadership of its president and CEO, Steve Anderson, PLF has grown in size, significance and as a steward of donors’ investments. Its Fund has litigated 14 cases before the Supreme Court and won 12, with more than half of its victories occurring since 2012.
• Institute for the American Worker – This nonprofit specializes in informing policymakers on how best to protect workers’ rights by combining expert analysis with customized research on labor legislation. According to the organization, a “handful of special interests have dominated labor policy in Washington, D.C. for generations … [and] many of them work harder to preserve and expand their own power than they do fighting for the people they’re meant to serve.”
• Construction Ready – This Georgia-based nonprofit focuses on cultivating a skilled construction workforce. Through training programs and job placement services, it offers a four-week training course that screens and trains entry-level workers, leading to job placement by partnering employers. The organization also works to build vital talent pipelines in the skilled trades by cultivating long-term workforce preparation with K-12 students, and by addressing immediate labor shortages with adult participants who are screened, trained, drug-free and ready to work.
• Grameen America – Founded in Queens, New York in 2008, Grameen America builds on the legacy and proven model of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus. His revolutionary but simple idea that all people can lift themselves out of poverty through their own entrepreneurial spirit has dramatically altered how people view the relationship between poverty and work. In a recent interview with the Philanthropy Roundtable on its “Doers to Donors” interview series, philanthropist Ray Dalio highlights the organization and its ability to make entrepreneurship a possibility for individuals existing at the margins of the economy. 
• Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities – This research institute based out of the University of Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters matches passionate social service leaders with top researchers to identify the effective, innovative, scalable policies and programs that assist people in permanently moving out of poverty and into meaningful employment opportunities. By studying various interventions to disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and communities, LEO is building a body of data-based evidence to support programs that actually work.

These nonprofits work tirelessly to connect people with job opportunities – and help advance policies that will lead to a flourishing economy. Nevertheless, they are confronting some economic conditions that are largely outside of their control. 

Despite these challenging times, philanthropic efforts to advance the dignity of work are alive and well and remain a highly rewarding area of giving. The impact of the organizations listed above is tangible, often dramatically changing the course of people’s lives, as well as improving local workforces and economies. As we enjoy our Labor Day weekend, may we reflect with gratitude on all that hard work has brought to our lives, families, communities and the American experience.     

To learn more about the organizations featured in this blog or to recommend a high-quality organization promoting economic opportunity, please reach out to Program Director Erica Haines.

The post Labor Day Reflections: How Philanthropists Can Advance the Dignity of Work appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

It is no secret the United States is facing a labor shortage. The latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which measured employment in July, shows that the U.S. added 548,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5%. Nevertheless, the hiring side of the labor market continues to have unmet needs. Over the past year, many employers have complained of labor shortages, particularly those who work in the skilled trades. 

In fact, more than 82% of manufacturers report a moderate or serious shortage in skilled production workers, according to the National Association of Manufacturers, and employers in the industry struggle to hire and retain both entry level and skilled workers.  

To address this growing demand for labor, organizations like Be Pro Be Proud are making it their mission to connect people to jobs as quickly as possible. The Arkansas-based nonprofit is “leading the movement to bring a new generation of pride, progress and professionals to America’s skilled workforce.” 

The Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Arkansas launched the organization in 2016 to attract students and young adults to technical careers through simulation experiences, and then connect them to post-secondary training opportunities that prepare them for high-demand, high-wage technical careers. Over time, the approach started to gain traction. Using a state and regional partnership model, Be Pro Be Proud has since expanded its presence to Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Other states across the nation are lining up to learn more. Since their founding and subsequent expansion, they have reached over 175,000 individuals with their education and employment services.

Executive Director Andrew Parker says part of the organization’s success has been bringing more awareness to technical career opportunities in four industry sectors: construction, manufacturing, transportation and utilities.

“Because the problem is multi-faceted, so must be the solution. Students know nearly nothing about technical careers in these sectors. Parents perceive them as low-wage, less-than, back-breaking dirty jobs only pursued by those who ‘aren’t college material.’ We must present the facts about these careers and eliminate the stigmas about them all. While a significant task, it is an achievable one because technical careers are not low-wage, middle-skilled jobs. They are precision-based, professional jobs,” he said. “The demands, the responsibilities, the technology and the skills needed are on par with traditional professional occupations. And in many cases, the income and advancement potential meet or exceed their bachelor’s degree-based counterparts. These careers should be viewed by everyone as those of first choice, not last resort.”  

Over 25 companies invested in and partnered with Be Pro Be Proud at the onset of the initiative, giving Parker the ability to launch a website and design a “mobile workshop” in a 44-foot trailer pulled by a Freightliner truck donated by Truck Centers of Arkansas. Today, the Be Pro Mobile Workshop 2.0 is triple the size of its predecessor and serves as the hub for the organization’s programming, touring middle schools, high schools, two-year colleges, community events, job fairs and businesses, and allowing interactive exposure to these careers. Due to overwhelming demand, Parker and team are working with their fabricator to bring a second 2.0 version to Arkansas. Each Mobile Workshop can be customized to teach audiences about as many as 16 professions, including:

• Carpentry
• Computer Numerical Control Operator (CNC)
• Diesel Tech
• Electrician
• Heavy Equipment Operator
• HVACR Tech
• Locomotive Engineer
• Overhead Lineman
• Plumbing
• Robotics
• Truck Driver
• Welder

“What you end up seeing is each state customizing the mobile workshop(s) to reflect the industries and companies that are most relevant to their states and constituents,” said Parker.  

Once participants engage with the mobile workshop, they can sign up to learn more and opt into social media, text and email campaigns that serve as part of Be Pro Be Proud’s recruitment processes.  Association, corporate and education partners are also provided exclusive access to the recruitment database to use as part of their own recruitment activities.

Tim Minton, executive vice president of the North Carolina Home Builders Association, credits Be Pro Be Proud with helping to spur interest in the skilled trades sector. 

“Labor is the number one issue for our industry right now, and Be Pro Be Proud is one meaningful way for us to move the needle in the right direction,” he said.

With this type of creative solutioning, it is no surprise the organization has seen some significant successes. Roughly 84% of educators who have interacted with Be Pro Be Proud say it has helped their students understand training and career opportunities and is now part of the daily conversation in their classrooms and school hallways. Over 70% of students have considered one of the promoted professions as a potential training or career pathway and post-secondary schools are reporting increased enrollments in relevant programs. Also, according to the teachers, a growing number of their at-risk students have found purpose that has positively impacted their school performance.   

Be Pro Be Proud is building tomorrow’s workforce and with it, the next generation of fortune creators.  

For more information, visit BeProBeProud.org. or reach out to Erica Haines. 

The post Nonprofit Addresses Labor Shortage with an Innovative, Mobile Solution appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

As we approach Memorial Day and honor our nation’s active-duty service members and veterans during Military Appreciation Month, Philanthropy Roundtable is recognizing Call of Duty Endowment, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping veterans find employment. Its mission is to identify and fund “the most efficient and effective organizations that get unemployed veterans back to work.”

The backdrop to Call of Duty Endowment’s work is a changing landscape in the field of American philanthropy. While charitable donations and programs for veterans and military families have been one of the fastest growing areas of philanthropy over the last 15 years, the government remains the largest provider of veterans support services – and has done so for decades. The current system is expensive and has not produced intended outcomes – namely employment and economic opportunity post-service. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the cost per job placement has risen significantly over the last few years while the number of veterans hired has decreased. In contrast, there has been a much slower increase in cost per placement in the nonprofit sphere … and the philanthropic sector is pioneering new ways to approach challenges related to veterans’ employment.

That’s where Call of Duty Endowment enters the picture. Named after the famous video game inspired by those who served in uniform, Call of Duty Endowment has become one of the most impressive charitable actors in the veterans service space.

In fact, Call of Duty Endowment has helped place over 100,000 veterans in jobs, spending under $547 per veteran placement in 2021. This is in sharp contrast to the average $5,901 spent by the Department of Labor for similar services. Moreover, the organization boasts an average starting salary of $64,000 for veterans.

It all started with a chance encounter in 2007, when Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, a video game holding company, met former Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson at Walter Reed Hospital. The men discussed a philanthropic foundation that was planning to build a performing arts center on the grounds of a VA facility in West Los Angeles, and Nicholson expressed frustration that more attention wasn’t being paid to finding jobs for veterans

Following that conversation, Kotick felt compelled to research employment statistics for veterans, and found that 50,000 out of 150,000 veterans returning to the workforce at the time were unable to find jobs. These troubling statistics moved Kotick to action, and he founded the Call of Duty Endowment in 2009. In 2013, Kotick hired Dan Goldenberg, a former Navy officer with strong business consulting experience, to lead an effort reimagining veteran employment support.

Goldenberg chose to partner with organizations that provided direct services to veterans like resume creation, interview preparation and job placement assistance, rather than what he saw as more indirect services like mentoring or coaching. Then, applying some of the same “narrow and deep” business principles that made parent company Activision Blizzard a success, he developed the Seal of Distinction, a prize awarded to nonprofits that “demonstrate the highest level of effectiveness, efficiency and integrity in placing veterans in quality jobs.”

To vet organizations for the prize, Call of Duty Endowment, in concert with professional services company Deloitte, examines a nonprofit’s impact, financial health and scale potential. Call of Duty Endowment pays particular attention to the organization’s cost per placement, average starting salary and retention rates. The Seal of Distinction award, which is intended to nationally recognize outstanding organizations and incentivize them to continue good work, includes a $30,000 prize. Notable grantees include Hire Heroes USA, which was awarded the Seal of Distinction in 2013.

As Goldenberg looks ahead, he says his organization remains focused on finding and helping to scale the highest-performing nonprofits that place veterans in high quality jobs.

“Given our grantees place veterans into good jobs at one-tenth the cost of U.S. government efforts, it’s clear that the nonprofit sector has pioneered an approach far superior to that of the government,” he said. “We’d love to see federal veteran employment funding reprogrammed to support what works in the nonprofit sector. If this happened, we could effectively solve the veteran employment problem in the United States.” 

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Scott Shelar found his calling in 1996 when his unique skills and background collided with a need in his community. He had held many different jobs up until that point, but that year, he became the director of education and safety for the Associated General Contractors of Georgia – and he learned then about the construction industry’s demand for quality talent.

“Construction is in my bones,” said Shelar. “My family ties to the field are strong. My grandfather, H.P. Neal, developed our community and built the home I grew up in Florida!”  

Two years later, Shelar joined Construction Ready, a Georgia-based nonprofit focused on cultivating a skilled construction workforce. 

As president and CEO of the organization, Shelar helps people of all ages and backgrounds take advantage of the myriad opportunities in the skilled trades. Since its founding in 1993, Construction Ready has nurtured partnerships with 18 construction trade organizations and 3,000 employers, and trained more than 200,000 skilled trade workers. Its flagship pre-apprenticeship program is a four-week training course that screens and trains entry-level workers interested in the skilled trades and places them in a job with a partnering employer. 

Darius, a graduate from the Westside Works location, said the program changed his life. “Construction Ready gave me focus in my life,” he said. “The program puts you in a position to connect with companies and then it’s up to you to stay with the company.”

Both program participants and employers say a major part of the organization’s effectiveness comes from Shelar’s ability to “connect the dots” between employers and the community. The success of the pre-apprenticeship program is evident: roughly 97% of participants are successfully placed in jobs, and 70% remain employed 12 months post-program. The outcomes are creating both financial and non-financial value – a steady paycheck as well as a sense of purpose and self-reliance.

Anning Johnson Company, an employer partner of Construction Ready, has hired roughly 50 program graduates who have grown into various roles throughout the company. 

 “They’ve done something really incredible,” said Edwin Parra, an operations administrator at Anning Johnson.  “Scott didn’t try to re-invent the wheel. He listened to the industry’s needs and then he applied a holistic approach to training and developing the talent coming through the door.”

The organization estimates its graduates have earned more than $60 million in wages since its launch in 2014.

Shelar is understandably proud of the program’s impressive performance. But he lights up when he starts talking about the organization’s latest project: the K-12 pipeline.  

“We are working to bring back shop class,” he said. “We recognize that people learn and thrive in different ways. Tactile or kinesthetic learners should have the opportunity to explore by holding something in their hands. It could be an elementary student driving their first nail with a hammer or a high schooler earning an industry credential. As a kinesthetic learner myself, I know the value of that experience and exposure.”

This initiative is part of a partnership with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE), philanthropic foundations and employers to provide support and services to skilled trade construction programs statewide, with 17,000-plus student participants. Teachers, counselors, work-based learning coordinators, as well as career, technical and agriculture education administrators and industry partners are involved supporting construction, metals and drafting programs in elementary, middle and high schools across the state – and working to bring unprecedented resources to local communities. 

Since the program’s launch in 2019, state legislation called the CONNECT Act has helped deliver more than $1 million in equipment funding to K-12 pipeline participants. The idea behind the CONNECT Act is simple: students should never have to stop building and creating throughout their educational experience.

In addition to the state of Georgia’s investment, three foundations including The Marcus Foundation, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation and The Home Depot Foundation have granted more than $6 million toward developing Construction Ready’s K-12 Pipeline.

“It’s really about having options and being able to practically apply what you are learning in school,” says Shelar. “We are bridging the gap between schools that want a program for their students and employers that are eager to hire young people.”

The post Leader of Trades-Based Nonprofit Shares Vision for More Inclusive Education appeared first on Philanthropy Roundtable.

This week, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced her latest round of giving: $3.9 billion to 465 nonprofits, including those working in education, housing, criminal justice and veterans affairs. Hire Heroes USA, an organization dedicated to helping veterans find meaningful and lasting careers, received a record-breaking $11 million – the largest gift in its history. While Scott’s gift is the most recent public sign of recognition for the organization, Hire Heroes USA has built a national reputation for assisting veterans and military spouses in the transition from the military to civilian life. 

According to Hire Heroes USA, “Each year the military discharges 270,000 services members. Eighty percent of them won’t have a job lined up.” The organization also notes the unemployment rate of military spouses is four times higher than the national average. That’s why the services Hire Heroes USA offers are integral in connecting veterans and military spouses with resources to help them find meaningful and stable employment. Through highly personalized sessions with an assigned transition specialist, the organization provides career mentorship, professional resume writing assistance, mock interviews and salary negotiation strategies, among other services – all at no cost. Hires Heroes USA also maintains a job board with thousands of postings, hosts quarterly virtual career fairs and partners with a network of employers dedicated to hiring veterans and military spouses.

Much of the organization’s success is rooted in its high-touch, individualized approach to serving the military community, which is grounded in firsthand knowledge of the specific needs of the people they serve. 

It all started when U.S. Army Sgt. Justin Callahan was severely injured in a landmine explosion on duty in Afghanistan. While recovering from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, he had a chance encounter with John Bardis, the founder of MedAssets and former assistant secretary for administration at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bardis was moved by his conversation with Callahan and his concerns over being able to find work, and offered him a job on the spot. This partnership would later lead to the creation of Hire Heroes USA. 

Since then, the organization has helped more than 65,000 veterans and military spouses secure meaningful careers. 

Retired U.S. Air Force Capt. Erin Pineda is one of the veterans who found success in his civilian job search with the assistance of Hire Heroes USA. He credits the organization with providing hands-on support to help his transition.  “Hire Heroes USA will help usher you through this challenging time with personalized support. They have tons of resources, connections and the know-how to help you translate your unique background,” he said. “And it’s all free for veterans and military spouses thanks to their nonprofit model.”

The organization runs several programs including:

• Partnered Career Transition is the nonprofit’s hallmark program. Through the process of assessment, training and mentorship, clients are paired with transition specialists to create professional resumes and learn effective job search techniques.
• Career Transition Workshops teach veterans how to develop a strategic plan, create a resume and conduct a job search.
• The Hire Heroes USA Volunteer Mentor Network connects veterans with volunteers for industry-specific coaching, networking and interview practice to move them forward in their job search.

A focus on helping female veterans

As they continue to grow their offerings, a significant strategic priority for Hire Heroes USA is the expansion of its services to targeted populations, including female veterans who face unique employment barriers.

Women represent the fastest-growing population in both military service and the veteran community. In greater numbers than ever, women have stepped up to serve in new, critical and formidable roles defending American principles and contributing to the nation’s national security.  Nevertheless, women routinely face challenges that put them at an increased risk of victimization and isolation while deployed – and higher rates of homelessness than their male counterparts when they return to civilian life.

The Hire Heroes USA team recently spoke with the Roundtable about why they believe this is a particularly important time to help female veterans. One staffer said, “While our support of female clients is not driven by the current pandemic, COVID-19 has deeply impacted female workers. Given that women veterans already face greater hurdles than their male counterparts, the impact of the pandemic on these clients is an issue of significant concern to our organization and our clients.” 

The expansion of program offerings to a new population is no easy task.  In an effort to ensure they understand the unique needs of female veterans, Hire Heroes USA spends time conducting focus group discussions and listening tours to hear directly from the people they are trying to support.

As a U.S. Army reserve soldier and director of corporate partnerships at Hire Heroes USA, Elizabeth Reyes is familiar with the myriad challenges women experience when transitioning out of the military.

“Women are an indispensable part of the armed services, but they face challenges that male veterans don’t. Female veterans are more likely to experience financial hardships after transitioning to civilian life,” Reyes said. “On average, their job searches take longer than their male counterparts. It’s unacceptable and it’s why we’re working to better understand and ease the barriers to employment that women veterans face when they return to civilian life.”

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