Jobs for the Future Secures $19.5 Million Grant to Enhance Opportunities for Individuals with Criminal Records

Jobs for the Future Receives $19.5 Million Grant

Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit focused on transforming education and workforce systems across the United States, is set to significantly enhance its initiatives after being awarded a substantial grant of $19.5 million from Ascendium Education Group. This funding aims to support JFF's Fair Chance to Advance initiative, which is designed to create pathways for individuals with criminal records to access quality jobs and educational opportunities.

Addressing Key Barriers

Launched in 2024, the Fair Chance to Advance initiative targets persistent barriers that have historically limited economic opportunities for over 70 million Americans with records of arrest, conviction, or incarceration. These barriers often include discriminatory hiring practices and legal impediments that can be exacerbated by misaligned educational and workforce systems. The initiative's goal is to dismantle these obstacles through better alignment of education, workforce training, and employment resources.

Supporting High-Quality Programs

The initiative will facilitate the development and expansion of high-quality postsecondary education and training programs within correctional facilities. By ensuring that individuals leaving prisons are equipped with credentials, skills, and the support necessary to succeed in today’s labor market, JFF seeks to create a more equitable workforce landscape. Additionally, it will aid states in developing comprehensive data systems to monitor the educational and employment outcomes of those who have been incarcerated, fostering transparency and accountability and ultimately leading to sustained change.

Maria Flynn, President and CEO of JFF, remarked, "Fair Chance to Advance is a transformative effort to forge connections across states' education, workforce, and employment systems to provide expanded opportunities for individuals with records. We're thankful for Ascendium's backing of an initiative built on the belief that all individuals deserve a fair shot at education and quality employment, no matter their past."

Funding and Resources for States

With Ascendium’s support, JFF plans to initiate the inaugural cohort of the Fair Chance to Advance State Action Networks. Over the next four years, selected states will receive up to $2.1 million in funding each, alongside more than $1.8 million in technical assistance from JFF and the nonprofit Coleridge Initiative. States will also gain access to a national peer learning network focused on accelerating systemic change.

Cross-sector coalitions comprising representatives from corrections, workforce development, education, and business sectors will collaborate to remove policy barriers and enhance career training opportunities in prisons. This endeavor also aims to strengthen ties to fair chance employers for individuals post-release, paving the way for successful reintegration into society.

Lucretia Murphy, Vice President of JFF’s Center for Justice Economic Advancement, highlighted the need for collaboration: "The systems that should support individuals returning to their communities often lack communication and cooperation. Fair Chance to Advance provides states with the essential tools, resources, and partnerships to align these frameworks and foster economic mobility for people with records."

Commitment to Meaningful Change

Molly Lasagna, Senior Strategy Officer at Ascendium Education Group, noted, "Ascendium is dedicated to assisting learners with histories of incarceration in achieving meaningful credentials that lead to sustainable career pathways and economic advancement. The Fair Chance to Advance initiative will create vital alignments among corrections, postsecondary education, workforce development, and reentry systems, benefitting tens of thousands of individuals."

Opportunities for States

JFF is currently inviting states to submit proposals to join the first cohort of the Fair Chance to Advance State Action Networks, with applications due by October 14, 2025. Interested states are encouraged to submit a nonbinding letter of intent by August 26, 2025. For further details, aspiring applicants can visit the FC2A webpage and access the complete Request for Proposals (RFP), or attend informational sessions hosted by JFF.

About Jobs for the Future

Jobs for the Future works to reform U.S. education and workforce systems to foster economic success for individuals and communities. The organization aims to design effective solutions, scale best practices, influence policy, and invest in innovation to create better opportunities for all.

Collaborators in the Initiative

The Coleridge Initiative is another key ally of JFF. This nonprofit focuses on improving the effective use of data for public decision-making by linking confidential data for educational and workforce outcomes related to incarcerated individuals.

Meanwhile, Ascendium Education Group champions the idea that post-high school education is essential for building better futures, and they collaborate with organizations to enhance opportunities for low-income learners across the United States.

Overall, the Fair Chance to Advance initiative stands as a critical step towards increasing opportunities for individuals with criminal records, reflecting a commitment to equity and social justice in the workforce.