Working Places Learning Network Working Places Learning Network

The Working Places Learning Network (WPLN) supports local leaders working to build more inclusive economies by connecting them to their peers, new ideas, and resources. Learning Network offerings will provide space to explore both what do and how to do it, recognizing that local economies only become more inclusive when leaders and systems work in new and different ways to engage and support people and groups that have historically been excluded from opportunities to prosper.

The Learning Network is open to leaders across New England and includes opportunities to participate for people from a range of backgrounds and experience levels. Offerings will be in-person and virtual, including activities like webinars, workshops, convenings, and site visits. To connect to WPLN opportunities, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.

WPLN mini-grants

Starting in Summer 2024, WPLN participants are invited to apply for mini-grants to put their learning into practice as you work collaboratively to build more inclusive local economies. These grants of up to $5,000 are intended to help local leaders get organized and get inspired as you develop and strengthen projects and strategies. Mini-grants are intended to help local teams position their efforts for larger, sustained investments and impact.

Getting organized might look like: mapping your local ecosystem to identify existing efforts and organizations working on a particular issue area to understand gaps or opportunities; engaging a facilitator to convene leaders or engage in critical conversations about your local work; gathering data on baseline conditions in your community; seeking input from diverse perspectives on the issue you’re working on; or develop a shared action plan to undertake a local project or strategy.

Getting inspired could include: attending a conference as a team of local leaders to access new ideas and build collective energy; visiting a peer community to learn from their promising practices; engaging a technical assistance provider or expert to advise your local approach; or engaging in a shared learning process to help your team generate deeper knowledge or new approaches. These activities are expected to shift practices as a result.

Who’s eligible?

Applicants must be working in collaborative teams in smaller cities or rural regions in New England, where community members have been historically excluded from the local economy. The Boston Fed can confirm your community’s eligibility. In addition, applicant teams must:

  • Demonstrate engagement in the Working Places Learning Network, whether as a participant in other Working Places initiatives or by attending WPLN sessions or gatherings
  • Focus their efforts on building a more inclusive local economy
  • Include a partner that is a 501(c)3 and can administer grant funds. This could be an active team member or an organization willing to serve as a fiscal agent.

How do teams apply, and what does the process look like?

During summer 2024, the Boston Fed and its partners are piloting this mini-grants strategy with the following process that reflects lessons learned from our other initiatives and is intended to minimize the administrative burden on applicant teams. Accordingly, we ask interested teams to:

  1. Schedule brief (30-min) call with Boston Fed’s Working Places staff by emailing Colleen (colleen.dawicki@bos.frb.org) with three key pieces of information: 1) your community of focus, 2) the amount requested, and 3) a sentence on what your team would use the funds for. We’ll share a scheduling link in response. This helps us support your application process to ensure it’s a light lift.
  2. If your idea is aligned with the mini-grants approach, we’ll ask you to complete a brief (2-page) written application that addresses:
    1. What you’ll use a mini-grant for and what it will make possible for your community
    2. Who will be engaged in this work, including the local collaborative team as well as any consultants or facilitators that will support your process
    3. What success will look like, and what you hope will come next when this work is complete
  3. Select members of our Inclusive Economies Steering Committee (which represents leaders from across New England) will review and approve mini-grant requests (note: the Boston Fed does not make grant decisions)
  4. Grant funds will be administered on a timeline developed by your team
  5. When your mini-grant project is completed, your team will provide a budget report and participate in a close-out conversation with the Boston Fed’s Working Places team to share what you did, how it went, what you learned, and what next steps are in process.

The pilot phase of mini-grants will take place from June-August 2024. We expect to award up to $25,000 in grants during that time. Based on what we learn and the level of demand, we expect another mini-grant cycle will open by the fall.