Dollars Without Data Don’t Deliver

Every year, funders invest millions into workforce and economic mobility programs—initiatives that promise to connect people to stable jobs and careers.

Yet too often, these dollars get lost in the noise.

Nonprofits use different systems, track outcomes differently, and can’t easily collaborate on shared participants. As a result, data lives in silos, referrals get lost, and funders struggle to understand which investments are truly moving the needle.

In short: without shared data tools, dollars don’t translate into mobility.

Why Funders Struggle to Measure Workforce Impact

Workforce development is complex. It involves dozens of nonprofits, employers, and training programs—all trying to support individuals on their journey to stable employment.

But here’s the challenge:

• Each organization tracks data differently. What counts as a “placement” or “completion” varies by funder, program, or software.
• Program-level data doesn’t show ecosystem outcomes. You can see how one grantee performs, but not how the whole system moves people into sustainable jobs.
• Barriers like transportation and childcare are invisible. They aren’t tracked consistently, yet they’re often the reason participants drop out.
• Disconnected reporting limits ROI visibility. Funders can’t easily tell which investments reduce barriers, duplicate efforts, or actually increase throughput into the workforce.

The result? Funders lack the clarity to direct dollars toward the interventions that most effectively promote economic mobility.

The Case for Shared Data Tools

Funders have a unique opportunity to create alignment by investing in shared tools that unify grantees under a common data framework.

Platforms like RiseKit make it possible to see workforce pipelines in real time—across programs, providers, and barriers—so funders can understand where people succeed, where they drop off, and why.

With RiseKit, funders gain:

1. Cross-Program Visibility
   View outcomes across multiple grantees and see how participants move through the workforce system—from enrollment to job placement.
2. Barrier & Equity Insights
   Identify the most common barriers (transportation, housing, childcare) affecting upward mobility, so dollars can fund wraparound supports where they’re needed most.
3. ROI Metrics That Matter
   A 1% increase in participants who get connected, stay connected, and end up in a sustainable job can generate $37 million in annual economic impact for a region.
4. Coordinated Referrals & Shared Dashboards
   Instead of manual reporting, grantees collaborate within one system—reducing duplication and increasing the accuracy of shared data.

Proof in Action: Where It’s Working

Grand Rapids, MI
A RiseKit-led community assessment helped funders uncover inefficiencies in their workforce ecosystem. The results led to shared infrastructure investments that improved coordination between training providers, nonprofits, and employers—reducing duplication and aligning efforts toward job placement.

Chicago, IL
In Chicago, the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) used RiseKit to better understand where participants were dropping out of workforce programs and why. By uncovering key barriers like housing, transportation, and childcare, DFSS and its partners were able to align funding, reduce duplication, and help more residents access stable employment.

GitLab Foundation Partnership
In collaboration with RiseKit, the GitLab Foundation saw that every $1 invested generated $519 in lifetime earnings for job seekers. The partnership demonstrated how shared data tools not only improve workforce outcomes but deliver measurable economic returns.

Why This Matters for Workforce Equity

Workforce systems are only as strong as their ability to serve those most often left behind. When data is fragmented, equity suffers because the people with the biggest barriers remain invisible.

Shared tools like RiseKit ensure that:

• Funders can track mobility, not just participation.
• Nonprofits spend less time reporting and more time serving.
• Participants experience coordinated, equitable access to opportunity.

By investing in shared data infrastructure, funders move from funding isolated programs to funding ecosystems that drive economic mobility at scale.

Ready to make your workforce investments go further?