About
Jobs for the Future (JFF) is a national nonprofit headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Working with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers, JFF designs solutions, scales best practices, influences policy and action, and invests in innovation toward its stated mission of building a future that works — for everyone.
Mission
JFF describes its mission as building a future that works — for everyone. Its "North Star" goal is that by 2033, 75 million Americans facing barriers to economic advancement will have quality jobs — nearly double the number in 2023. A quality job, in JFF's definition, provides not just a living wage and benefits but also stability, flexibility, autonomy, and economic advancement.
What they do
JFF's focus areas include:
- Apprenticeship and work-based learning
- Artificial intelligence and the future of work
- Education
- Employer mobilization
- Justice and economic advancement
- Policy and advocacy
- Population strategies, including the Center for Racial Economic Equity
- Research, evaluation, and analytics
- Workforce and regional economies
- Britebound Center for Career Navigation
- JFFVentures, the organization's investment arm
JFF's work centers on populations facing systemic barriers to advancement, including people without four-year degrees, people of color, women, and individuals with criminal records. Partners have included Google, Bank of America, Ascendium, Walmart, PwC Foundation, Workday, and the Walton Family Foundation.
Scale and impact
Statistics JFF publishes to frame the problem it addresses: over 90 million people lack quality jobs and cannot climb the economic ladder; 37% of U.S. adults have difficulty paying for usual household expenses; 71% of U.S. employers struggle to find the skilled talent they need; and 70% of U.S. workers lack support for career development at work. JFF has offices in Boston, MA; Washington, DC; and Oakland, CA.
Financials
Per JFF's Form 990 for the fiscal year ending September 2025 (via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer): total revenue of $96,750,408 (76.2% from contributions and grants, 22.3% from program services), total expenses of $97,550,978, and net assets of $51,138,898. JFF is a 501(c)(3) organization (EIN 06-1164568) whose IRS tax exemption was issued in June 1986; donations are tax deductible.