Workforce Innovations
Workforce Innovations, Inc. is a Dyersburg, Tennessee-based public charity that supports Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) activities in Northwest and Southwest Tennessee. It assists the local workforce boards with administering and overseeing workforce programs, including services that connect job seekers and employers through American Job Centers.
Workforce Innovations at a glance
In short: Workforce Innovations gave $3.4M across 14 grants in 2025 (avg $246K), mostly in Tennessee. 14% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,446,674
- -27.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 14
- +16.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $246,191
- -37.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $100,103
- Total assets
- $2,416,948
- -9.9% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 14% first-time grantees (2 of 14, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Tennessee (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Workforce Innovations
- Contact
Mailing address: 208 N Mill Ave B, Dyersburg, TN 38024-4829
Phone: (731) 286-3585
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Workforce Innovations
Who Workforce Innovations funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Dyer County Tennessee ($787K). Together the top 10 received $3.4M.
Grant Size Distribution
56 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $250–500K range: 17 grants of 56 (30%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization serves Northwest and Southwest Tennessee. Its website lists Northwest counties as Benton, Carroll, Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Henry, Lake, Obion, and Weakley, and Southwest counties as Chester, Decatur, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, and McNairy. Its 2025 grant dollars went entirely to recipients in Tennessee.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 14 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Workforce Innovations open to new grantees?
14%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 14 grantees (14%) were first-time recipients. With only 14 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 7 points. First grants averaged $30K; repeat grants $282K. How we count
Medians: $30K first-time, $217K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $2.5M (2020) to $4.7M (2024). In 2025 it made 14 grants totaling $3.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dyer County Tennessee Henderson, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $786,960 |
| Haywood County Tennessee Jackson, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $546,544 |
| Carroll County Tennessee Huntingdon, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $534,185 |
| Growwth Program Savannah, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $419,818 |
| Weakley County Tennessee Decaturville, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $405,097 |
| Madison County Tennessee Dresden, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $332,392 |
| Henderson County Tennessee Selmer, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $101,465 |
| McNairy County Tennessee Selmer, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $98,741 |
| Hardeman County Tennessee Brownsville, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $94,954 |
| Decatur County Tennessee Bolivar, TN | To support 'workforce innovation and opportunity act of 2014' activities | $33,055 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Filing type: Form 990 (a public charity).
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,416,948 | $6,533,377 | $6,554,419 | $3,446,674 | 14 | $2,663 |
| 2024 | $2,681,893 | $7,407,213 | $7,277,333 | $4,727,087 | 12 | $1,457 |
| 2023 | $1,927,939 | $6,035,254 | $6,059,886 | $4,238,643 | 12 | $325 |
| 2022 | $948,022 | $3,796,104 | $3,844,246 | $2,805,242 | 9 | $319 |
| 2021 | $844,118 | $3,686,711 | $3,736,686 | $2,729,021 | 9 | $430 |
| 2020 | $930,507 | $3,608,632 | $3,660,515 | $2,541,539 | 9 | $567 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s stated mission is to develop a quality workforce system that meets the needs of area employers and job seekers. Its stated vision is a region where businesses and industry thrive through a skilled workforce and talent pipeline, contributing to prosperous communities and a high quality of life.
The organization’s filing describes career advising, job-search support, labor market information, workshops, and arrangements for education, training, and support services through American Job Center partners. It also says the organization may award grants to private businesses and industry for on-the-job training of new hires and for incumbent-worker process improvements or skills upgrades.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Workforce Innovations reported 14 grants totaling $3,446,674. Grant amounts ranged from $14,310 to $786,960, with a median of $100,103. The largest reported grants included $786,960 to Dyer County Tennessee, $546,544 to Haywood County Tennessee, $534,185 to Carroll County Tennessee, $419,818 to GROWWTH Program, and $405,097 to Weakley County Tennessee. The stated purpose for these grants was to support WIOA activities.
The organization’s WIOA Scholarships program is described as offering up to $4,000 per year for up to two years of training. Training must prepare participants for an occupation on the Tennessee Targeted Occupations List and take place at an approved institution. Awards are based on applicant suitability, eligibility, and available training funds, and are provided after other state and federal financial aid.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Jennifer Bane as executive director. It also lists Jimmy Williamson as president and chair for Dyer; Ben Ferguson as vice-president and chair for Madison; Chuck Marquis as secretary; Mark Ward as chair for Benton; Steve Carr as vice-chair for Obion; Ted Piazza as vice-chair for Gibson; Mike Creasy as chair for Decatur; AJ Massey as vice-chair for Madison; and Gem Bell as vice-chair for Haywood.
Workforce Innovations is led by Jennifer Bane, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 2 of 11 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Jennifer Bane
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
37.5 hrs/week
$94K (2020) → $121K (2025)
Jimmy Williamson
President & Chair - Dyer
Chair - Dyer → President & Chair - Dyer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben P. Ferguson
Vice President & Chair - Madison
Chair - Madison → Vice President & Chair - Madison, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Ward
Chair - Benton
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Creasy
Chair - Decatur
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gina Johnson
Director of Finance
On filings since 2020
37.5 hrs/week
$52K (2020) → $73K (2025)
Ted Piazza
Vice Chair - Gibson
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aj Massey
Vice Chair Madison
Vice Chair - Madison → Vice Chair Madison, 2025
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chuck Marquis
Secretary
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steve Carr
Vice Chair - Obion
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gem Bell
Vice Chair - Haywood
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (8)
- Former: Gemtraius Bell (2023–2024) — Vice Chair - Haywood
- Former: Mike Creasy Chair (2023–2024) — Chair - Decatur
- Former: Jake Bynum (2023) — Vice Chair - Weakley
- Former: John Penn Ridgeway (2023) — Chair - Henry
- Former: Chris Young (2020–2022) — Vice Chair - Dyer
- Former: Gary Reasons (2020–2022) — Chair - Crockett
- Former: Randy Shannon (2021–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Jennifer Starks (2020) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $121K, to Jennifer Bane (Executive Director). 2 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Workforce Innovations
How much does Workforce Innovations give each year?
Workforce Innovations gave $3.4M across 14 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $4.7M across 12 grants.
What is Workforce Innovations's typical grant size?
Workforce Innovations's median grant in 2025 was $100,103, and its average grant was $246,191, across 14 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Workforce Innovations that year got $30K on average.
Where does Workforce Innovations give grants?
Workforce Innovations gives mostly in Tennessee: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Selmer, TN (3 grants) and Dresden, TN (2 grants).
Does Workforce Innovations give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 14 grants with a stated purpose on Workforce Innovations's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support.
Who are Workforce Innovations's largest grantees?
Workforce Innovations's largest 2025 grantees include Dyer County Tennessee ($786,960), Haywood County Tennessee ($546,544) and Carroll County Tennessee ($534,185), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 54% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Workforce Innovations?
Workforce Innovations reported $2.4M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.5M.
What does Workforce Innovations fund?
The organization’s stated mission is to develop a quality workforce system that meets the needs of area employers and job seekers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Workforce Innovations?
Workforce Innovations has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Workforce Innovations's EIN?
Workforce Innovations's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 45-3853000. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
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The filing figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0. About GrantGraph Open
Figures come from Workforce Innovations's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Workforce Innovations down — hundreds of funders to go?