At a time when communities wrestle with workforce inequities and employers search for hidden talent, nonprofits play a vital role in reshaping the path forward.
In 2023, the Assisi Foundation, a place-based, private foundation that prioritizes effective philanthropy in the greater Memphis region, partnered with RiseKit to better assess (and take action on) the chronic fragmentation observed in Memphis’ local workforce development ecosystem. Often closest to Memphis’ most vulnerable populations, community-based nonprofits proved to be ideal participants in this landscape assessment.
Together, we crafted a survey instrument designed to learn more about opportunities for stronger collaboration between service providers and employers along career pathways for vulnerable Memphians. As we now are in the midst of expanding our nonprofit partnerships across the greater Memphis region, we felt it important and timely to revisit three key findings from our original assessment, which have altogether helped inform our local workforce (eco)systems change efforts.
Key Finding #1: Community-based organizations are investing significant time, staffing, and resources in growing their employer partnerships.
Together with our partners, we surveyed 20 nonprofit leaders in the workforce development space, representing organizations providing social services, job readiness training, re-entry coordination, and more.
Of those that participated, 63% reported having at least one dedicated staff member to recruit and retain employer partnerships. Another 31% indicated that their frontline program team is responsible for building such partnerships.
Though this represents an important investment of staff capacity in employer engagement, it also represents an opportunity to build better connectivity between Memphis employers and community organizations in an effort to mitigate an overcommitment of limited staff time. This is especially underscored in our second key finding.
Key Finding #2: New employer partnerships sit atop the priority list for community-based organizations.
Across all participating organizations, the vast majority of organizations listed new employer partnerships as their core pursuit, prioritized over all other categories of partnership.
Indeed, 80% of leaders indicated that new employer partnerships are a top priority and growth opportunity for their organization, outpacing other partnerships such as those with providers of housing services, skilled trade programs, job readiness programs, and more.
Despite a clear investment of time and staff capacity, employer engagement remains a central challenge for Memphis-based workforce development organizations. In order to build the capacity to secure, sustain, and cultivate lasting partnerships between employers and nonprofits, it became clear that an investment in capacity and infrastructure would be necessary.
Key Finding #3: Nonprofits lack the technical infrastructure necessary to navigate alongside their job-seeking program participants in concert with employer partners.
Investments in capacity and technical assistance represent a significant opportunity for organizations aiming to grow their employer partnerships, and help their participants secure family-sustaining wages, while saving valuable staff time.
Of organizations that participated in the assessment, less than half (45%) report using some sort of software solution to manage their partnerships. Inefficient spreadsheets remain the bedrock of employer partner outreach, tracking, and management, for the majority of participating organizations.
Spreadsheets also factor in as the primary collaboration tool between organizations and employers - workforce development nonprofits will often use them, in addition to phone calls and emails, to socialize their job-ready candidates with current (or prospective) employer partners.
Such a volume of disparate communications can be overwhelming for employer talent acquisition teams, creating barriers to collaboration with their local workforce development ecosystem.
In response to these findings, and with support from our partners at the Assisi Foundation and Code for America, RiseKit launched an initial cohort of ten Memphis-based organizations in January, 2025.
RiseKit’s platform connects Memphis’ job seekers, the community organizations that serve them, and employers, in one centralized platform. By building connective tissue within the workforce development ecosystem, the platform is designed to enable service coordination, data analysis to inform broader (eco)systems change efforts, and stronger, more efficient collaboration between employers and nonprofits.
For both nonprofits and employers, RiseKit is designed to save staff time and enhance partnerships, while increasing the viability and velocity of community hiring efforts. We are walking this path of building collaborative capacity in Memphis, informed by data and community needs, to ensure vulnerable Memphians can navigate a truly connected workforce development ecosystem.
“I am thrilled to be part of the emerging RiseKit community and its innovative approach to leveraging systems and collaboration through their AI-driven platform. The intentional focus on uniting communities and resources has the potential to create transformative opportunities, especially here in Memphis. I am inspired by Risekit's vision and platform and excited about the ways it can empower individuals, break barriers, and connect people to the tools and support they need to thrive."
Roshunda Buchanan
Founder & CEO, 2Unique Community Salvation Foundation
Interested in co-creating and launching a similar assessment of your local workforce development ecosystem?
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