Powering Economic Opportunity Fund
Concept notes open through July 13, 2026.
$16 million
2 year partnership
$4 million
Round 2 funding
$500,000
Maximum grant
How it works
Good jobs should empower workers with access to greater opportunities, higher wages, lifelong learning and the ability to build a more secure life for their families.
As part of our multiyear partnership, GitLab Foundation is pleased to announce a $4M open call for the Powering Economic Opportunity Fund — flexible grants of up to $500,000 for organizations connecting workers to durable, living-wage jobs in renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, and related skilled trades.
Energy, infrastructure and advanced manufacturing investments are creating new demand for skilled workers across the country. As industries grow and experienced workers retire, employers are facing significant workforce shortages in many skilled trades and technical roles. For workers currently earning below a living wage, this moment creates an opportunity to access higher-paying, more durable careers, but only if strong workforce pathways exist to connect them to those jobs.
1 to 2 years
Flexible grant terms
Funding and support
Final review runs through October 30.
Award announcements are made in early November.
Selected organizations can receive flexible grants of up to $500,000 over one or two years. Award is not to exceed 20% of total annual operating expenses.
What we fund
Eligibility
U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits and fiscally sponsored entities.
Non-501(c)(3) organizations applying with a 501(c)(3) partner or fiscal sponsor.
Partnerships between two or more organizations are strongly encouraged.
Application
Organizations submit a short concept note describing how their initiative will connect workers to high-quality jobs in growing sectors. Concept notes will be accepted through July 13, 2026.
We will review concept notes through August 10. Selected applicants are invited to submit a full application on August 11, due September 8.
The fund invests in initiatives that convert today’s economic transformation into lasting income gains for workers who lack access to high-quality employment. We prioritize investments that increase lifetime earnings, with the goal of at least $100 of increased earnings for every $1 the Foundation spends.
Strong applications will demonstrate:
Market alignment and regional demand
Strong proposals are grounded in local labor market conditions and explain why a specific region or state is positioned for the work. We look for awareness of policy, regulation and investment trends shaping opportunity on the ground.
Ecosystem partnerships
Active engagement with employers, unions, or industry, hiring commitments, paid work-based learning, employer-recognized credentials or curriculum co-design. Capital should unlock, de-risk or complement employer and public investment.
Worker-focused outcomes
Initiatives centered on workers earning below a living wage, with clear pathways to better wages, benefits, stability and advancement. Wraparound supports including childcare, transportation, stipends and emergency funds are treated as core program components.
FAQs
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We seek concepts that expand access to careers in modern energy infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and related industries.
Successful projects should:
Capitalize on changing economic and community development dynamics to improve job outcomes.
Demonstrate potential to increase lifetime earnings for participants through access to high-quality, durable employment (e.g., living wages, benefits, retention).
Prioritize individuals earning below a living wage or facing barriers to high-quality employment.
Demonstrate strong employer and ecosystem partnerships (e.g., employers, unions, workforce organizations, public agencies), with clear roles in hiring, training, or advancement pathways.
Connect workers to credentials with demonstrated labor market value or employer demand.
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We are focused on elevating people into living-wage jobs in their local context.
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Yes. Projects must serve communities within the United States. We encourage submissions from across the country, especially from regions most impacted by relevant economic transitions (e.g., energy transition, industry investments, regional development, etc.).
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We welcome proposals from across the United States. Round 2 does not pre-select specific states or regions. Rather than prioritizing geography, we prioritize market alignment. Strong proposals will demonstrate clear evidence of regional or state-level labor demand in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and related industries.
Competitive applications will:
Ground their approach in local labor market data
Identify specific employers, unions, or industry partners driving demand
Reference public or private investment trends shaping opportunity in their region
Show how their strategy responds to the unique conditions of that place
In short, success in this round depends less on where you are located and more on how well your initiative is connected to real and sustained labor market opportunities.
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Yes. In addition to direct workforce programs, we are particularly interested in initiatives that strengthen or enable pathways to high-quality jobs.
This includes interventions that:
Remove barriers to participation or completion (e.g., childcare, transportation, financial supports)
Improve retention and advancement within existing pathways
Strengthen systems, infrastructure, or financing mechanisms that expand access to opportunity
Strong proposals clearly demonstrate how these approaches lead to improved employment outcomes and increased earnings, even if impacts are indirect. For example, interventions that increase completion rates, stabilize participation, or unlock access to existing job opportunities can be highly competitive when they show a clear connection to income gains at scale.
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Yes. Proposals can include new components within established programs. Applicants should demonstrate how the funding supports participants' income growth.
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We are looking for high-ROI initiatives that align with the Fund’s objectives and improve beneficiaries’ outcomes.
We encourage projects to include:
Macro Considerations:
Demonstrated alignment with local industry demand (e.g., utilities, clean energy employers, infrastructure projects, advanced manufacturing investments, etc.).
Clear identification of specific employers, unions, or industry partners driving demand and hiring.
Consideration of worker mobility and proximity to economic transition communities.
Leveraging public and/or private funding streams (e.g., major private employer investments, utility infrastructure investments, or federal or state/local investments)
Organizational Considerations:
Developing infrastructure to scale the initiative (e.g., technology platforms, training systems, partnerships).
Establishing or refining technological or program design advancements for sector-specific project delivery (i.e., learning management systems, employer-recognized credentials, work-based learning or apprenticeships, etc.)
Collaboration with employers, unions, utilities, or public sector entities, ideally with commitments to hire, co-invest, or otherwise engage.
Collaboration and Network:
Creation of public goods (e.g., open-source curricula, shared tools) that enable replication.
Partnerships with employers, workforce development organizations, or other sector leaders to advance initiatives that directly improve job quality and placement outcomes.
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Employer and industry engagement is a critical component of competitive applications.
Strong proposals go beyond general partnerships and demonstrate active employer involvement, such as:
Hiring commitments or placement pipelines
Work-based learning opportunities (e.g., apprenticeships, internships)
Employer-recognized credentials
Curriculum co-design or co-investment
Applications that clearly connect training or services to real job opportunities and employer demand will be significantly more competitive.
Our partner
The Families and Workers Fund is a platform for collective action and a pooled $130 million collaborative fund supported by 40 diverse funders working together to build a more equitable economy that uplifts all. The Families and Workers Fund is housed at the Amalgamated Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) charity.
