Instructions

The Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program (EOP) seeks partners to implement Workforce Leadership Academies in three new cities or regions. Academies bring together leaders from across local workforce ecosystems into a 10-month Fellowship to deepen networks; strengthen systems leadership skills; apply a race, equity, and systems change framework to leaders’ work; and deepen understanding of effective strategies and programs. Partners and their cohorts of Fellows will explore and apply skills-based talent development practices to their own organizations and across their workforce ecosystems. Selected partners will receive a challenge grant of $50,000 toward local academy costs (typically averaging $160,000 in total financial and in-kind resources) and access to curriculum and administrative resources developed through prior academies. Partners will receive biweekly coaching, meet in monthly virtual facilitator forums, and attend an in-person, intensive three-day retreat before their local academy launch.

You can see all of the questions in this survey in this Intent to Apply Questions preview, and you can learn more about the requirements and application process in the full Request for Applications here. The application process consists of two steps: the Intent to Apply survey, followed by (if invited) a full proposal. Please complete this Intent to Apply survey by 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. All questions are required except the final optional "other" comments. You will be notified of your status regarding an invitation to submit a full proposal by August 9, 2024.

Key Dates:
  • July 30: Intent to apply form due.
  • August 9: Invitations for full proposals issued.
  • August 26: Full proposals due.
  • September 13: Selected partners notified, with first facilitator forum soon after for immediate launch of Academy planning and activities through early 2026.
  • March 2025: Partner facilitation teams’ three-day train-the-trainer retreat.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Eligibility: What kinds of organizations are eligible to apply?
Organizations eligible to apply include nonprofits, city, county, or state entities, community colleges, and intermediaries or associations in the United States. Independent consultants and for-profits are not eligible. Applicants can be a collaboration with one organization designated for challenge grant receipt.

Matching funds: Do matching funds need to be in hand in order to apply? What sources have other partners used for matching funds?
No, you are not required to have matching funds already in hand to submit an Intent to Apply form, but the form asks you to describe your potential matching funding sources. If invited to submit a full proposal, you will need to indicate more details about your plans to secure the remainder of your budget and the status of your additional fundraising or in-kind contributions. The first installment of the WLA challenge grant will be disbursed soon after partner selection and may be used for any part of your projected budget. Previous partners have raised matching funds from sources such as local and national foundations, local and state government agencies, workforce boards, local business contributions, and existing internal budget allocations for staff assignments.

If you have any questions as you complete this survey, please contact Dee Wallace at dee.wallace@aspeninstitute.org.
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