Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative Grants

Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Funders' Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities
Amount: US $45,000 - US $120,000
Last Updated: August 06, 2025

Summary

The Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative Grants aim to support communities by leveraging infrastructure funds to create equitable projects that benefit underserved areas. This pilot program will provide funding for local workers through career training and inclusive economic practices. With grants ranging from $45,000 to $120,000, the initiative focuses on enhancing human infrastructure, fostering collaboration among key partners, and ensuring that frontline communities directly benefit from project implementations.

Overview

The Funders' Network TFN believes that collaboration and connections are where real change takes root. When funders decide to act, lead and advance an agenda together, entire regions and policies can be transformed. For the past two decades, The Funders Network — formerly known as the Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities — has helped our members advance shared learning, develop best practices, create policy agendas, support policy reforms and improve outcomes in communities across the U.S. and Canada — addressing issues of deep relevance to people and place. TFN’s mission is to leverage philanthropy’s unique potential to help create communities and regions that are sustainable, prosperous, healthy and just for all people. TFN is committed to helping funders understand and address racism, economic inequality, and the imbalance of power — while engendering community-driven solutions and amplifying the expertise and experiences of those communities who are least heard. Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative The Funders Network is launching a new pilot funding opportunity that will leverage infrastructure funds to ensure projects benefit underserved areas, including training and expanding career pathways for local workers in critical industries. The Partners for Places Jobs and Inclusive Infrastructure Initiative is aimed at supporting communities with investments and technical expertise to effectively implement equitable infrastructure projects. This new pilot will be launched through the Partners for Places community-centered grantmaking program. With this initiative, Partners for Places will award place-based grants to community partnerships advancing inclusive infrastructure projects, support cohort learning, and provide access to regional and national expertise to help communities achieve their goals. This funding is not for the physical infrastructure itself, but for the human infrastructure needed to create meaningful collaborations and center community engagement. This value is at the heart of Partners for Places: bringing together the key partners who can make tangible progress on shared goals while keeping the voices of communities front and center. The focus of this new initiative is to enable communities to ensure that project implementation directly benefits frontline and low-wealth communities through job creation, workforce development and training, equitable contracting, and other inclusive economic modalities. The grant is intended for projects that are already supported by public funds. These include water infrastructure funds, as well as Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funds that have already been allocated. The first round of investments will have a strong emphasis on place-based water-related projects. TFN anticipates at least half of the projects will focus on water project implementation. Those working in other infrastructure areas may apply. Funding Description: Partners may apply for one-year or two-year grants ranging from $45,000-$120,000.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To be eligible, all applications must:Include partners relevant to the proposed scope of work.Identify a source for at least 50% cash match of the requested amount. A funding match of at least 50% of the Partners for Places request is required from at least one place-based or regional funder. Place-based or regional funders must provide evidence of this match, by including either: (1) a signed grant letter or grant agreement; or (2) a signed letter showing a strong intention to approve the matching grant within two months, should Partners for Places approve the application for funding.It is acceptable to use a foundation that is already funding general operations as a match. The foundation providing the match will need to provide a letter stating that they are comfortable with part of their funds going towards this match.In-kind support may be counted toward the cash match in unique instances. The initiative recognizes that smaller or rural communities may lack local philanthropic partners. In some cases, dedication of significant staff time can represent a robust match. The review committee will consider in-kind support on an individual basis. Submit application by one of the partners, with a grant recipient identified. A 501(c)3 non-profit must be identified as the grant recipient, willing to accept and manage grant funds on behalf of the partners. Grant funding can be used to cover the costs of administering and managing the grant.