Funding Guidelines

Youth, Workforce, and Justice

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The Youth, Workforce, and Justice (YWJ) portfolio seeks to increase the availability of, and access to, economic growth and personal development opportunities for individuals in a broad spectrum of life circumstances, including young adults who are not in school or not working; youth who have been impacted by the foster care system; adults who are seeking training and employment to better support their families; and individuals who have been involved with the criminal legal system or are at risk of system involvement. This portfolio supports a wide range of programs that provide counseling, training, and other services to individuals at various stages in their journeys.

Portfolio Goals

Within our YWJ portfolio, Tiger Foundation prioritizes funding for:

1. Program models that engage out-of-school, out-of-work youth and/or young adults who are in and/or aging out of foster care through a range of supports that prepare them for successful, fulfilling, independent adulthood, including education and employment services that connect to career pathways.
2. Structured workforce development programs that focus on building job-readiness and hard skills through sector-specific trainings for growth industries; placing individuals into jobs where there are career and wage progression opportunities.
3. A range of services for individuals who are involved with the criminal legal system or are at risk of criminal legal system involvement, with priority on programs that are preventive and engaging for clients. In addition, we support services that can help individuals fulfill their obligation to the courts and rejoin communities with strong connections to services, employment, and education.

Measurable Outcomes

For all programs:

• Attention to program components such as stability of staff and leadership, on-going performance improvement, attention to cost per client served, and frequent reassessment of services offered to ensure (for example) that clients are being trained for pathways that will provide strong opportunities for advancement and family-sustaining wages over time.

For youth-focused programs:

• Successful recruitment, engagement, and retention of clients; strong program graduation rates
• A focus on the principles of youth development and providing opportunities for young people to engage and set goals in ways that are meaningful to them
• Achievement of education-related milestones including high school equivalency and enrollment in postsecondary education
• Identification and utilization of housing, childcare, health, and mental health services, as well as other goals related to independent living, when appropriate.

For workforce programs:

• Successful recruitment, engagement, and retention of clients; strong program graduation rates
• Strong job placement and 1-year (or more, if available) retention rates and high job quality (starting wage, benefits, hours worked, opportunities for wage growth/advancement)
• Addressing challenges in maintaining employment (e.g., housing, childcare, other needs)

For justice-focused programs:

• Decreased recidivism (from re-arrest, re-conviction, and re-incarceration); limiting the use of confinement; successful diversion from incarceration
• Attainment of educational and training goals; job acquisition, retention, and career advancement
• Attention to mental health and/or substance use needs; access to housing and other support services that allow individuals to reunite with their families and achieve personal goals

View Our Youth, Workforce, and Justice Grantees