Credentials of Value

FutureRise operates with a simple discipline: every investment must deliver immediate value for learners while also advancing long-term systems change. We design our work so capital, evidence, and narrative reinforce one another, turning strong programs into scalable solutions.

Our Approach

  • Direct Impact for Learners

    We invest in education and workforce training programs that equip learners with in-demand credentials that lead to good jobs and living wages. Our funding supports high-quality implementation, learner success, and strong employer connections so participants can translate learning into real economic mobility.

  • Evidence for Change

    We partner with philanthropists, employers, practitioners, and public leaders to generate credible evidence about program quality, outcomes, and return on investment. These proof points inform key decisions about which models merit replication, public investment, and statewide adoption.

  • Narratives to Action

    Evidence alone does not change systems. We pair proof with storytelling to build understanding and momentum. Through The Rise Report, we elevate successful models, connect human impact to system outcomes, and help decision-makers see a clear path from promising practices to durable reform.

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Funding Criteria

  1. Deliver strong learner outcomes, with programs that consistently move participants through completion and into quality employment that supports long-term economic mobility.

  2. Advance innovation with system relevance, testing or scaling approaches that extend beyond a single site, such as employer-designed pathways, high-value short-term credentials, work-based learning, and meaningful credit for prior learning.

  3. Generate proof points for policy and scale, producing credible data and real-world implementation lessons that can inform public policy, funding models, and broader adoption.

  4. Demonstrate co-investment and sustainability, showing shared ownership of impact through philanthropic, public, and employer co-investment, diversified revenue, and a clear path to long-term scale.