Funding Sources

Key to the success of partnerships are sources of stable, long-term funding. The high road partnerships studied for this report drew on collectively bargained funds as well as public and foundation contributions. To survive and to thrive, partnerships, with the help of unions, foundations and academic institutions, should:

• Carefully identify all potential funding sources cited in the matrix 2, and work to develop the skills needed to apply for and continue receiving support from the appropriate sources.
• Look beyond traditional funding sources and use the leverage of their partnerships to seek innovative support. The Graphic Arts Institute and the Garment Industry Development Corp., for example, obtained costly state-of-the-art equipment for training use at no cost from industry manufacturers.
• Call on universities and research institutes for expertise that can support programs, as have partnerships in Michigan, Wisconsin and California. Such arrangements are beneficial to the universities as well as the partnerships because they enable graduate students to fulfill academic requirements.

Working for America Action Steps: The Working for America Institute has experience with and has access to a broad base of knowledge of public funding sources, and also has institutional ties to labor organizations. The Institute will encourage partnerships by providing:

• Public funding information on a timely basis.
• Information and training on fund-raising and grant writing.
• A library of successful grant proposals and a network of writers.
• A database of contact language for collectively bargained resources in support of training and education.