Good Jobs Innovation Lab

Creating Good Jobs With Dignity

Before COVID hit, unemployment was at a record low and job growth had been steady for 10 years. But a decade of growth built on bad jobs and ignoring those who fall out of the job market entirely has had implications for our whole country. While the COVID crisis has created enormous challenges, it also represents a unique opportunity to change a system where working people deemed “essential” are earning poverty-level wages and live without paid leave or health benefits for themselves or their families. People are painfully aware of the importance of small businesses to the health and vibrancy of our communities, the vulnerability of so many workers, and the need to better prepare people for the future of work.

As an impact investor, we realized we had to ensure our capital was first and foremost creating good jobs with living wages and benefits – so in 2016 we made an organization-wide commitment to support the creation of quality jobs both in our own work with small businesses and with the broader social sector. Our vision is to create stronger communities from the bottom up through making quality job creation the new norm.

Good Jobs and Impact Investing Research

Our research helps foundations and philanthropists, policymakers, and impact investors big and small effectively deploy capital with the tools, tactics, and strategies to measure and communicate the social and financial outcomes of their investments and increase their impact. We believe we all have a role to play in creating equitable communities, where everyone has access to things like a good job, healthcare, education, affordable housing, and healthy food. We help people get a fair shake by working with investors to reshape markets and create supportive policies to better serve working people and their communities.