Today is a day I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

After years of conversation, reflection, collaboration, and dreaming with our team and partners across the country, we’re proud to share an important evolution in how we show up in the world:

The National Fund is now Shift Work Forward.

Seeing this new name officially out in the world fills me with excitement and a renewed sense of purpose. Shift Work Forward doesn’t signal a change in who we are or what we stand for. We’re the same organization, grounded in our mission to advance racial equity through creating better systems of work and opportunity for everyone. What has changed is our clarity on the role we play, the momentum we’re building, and the future we’re working toward together.

Why This Moment Matters

When I became the CEO in 2020, I never could have predicted the roller coaster we were all about to ride. The world kept shifting around us — sometimes dramatically, sometimes subtly — and so did the needs of workers and communities. Through it all, we stayed focused on making workforce equity real, navigating challenges with resilience and creativity.

Our new brand reflects momentum that has been building within our organization and across our network for years. Every day, our Network Partners lead change through local action that drives real progress, test practices that improve job quality, and share learning that spreads what works across regions and sectors.

Shift Work Forward captures the movement we’re part of, and the one we’re still building.

A Name Built for What Comes Next

This evolution gives us a clearer way to talk about what we’ve always known: workforce transformation is both practical and possible. Our work is business‑relevant, locally proven, and nationally scalable. With Shift Work Forward, we can more powerfully show that systems change is happening on the ground, in real time — positioning us as a trusted partner, a connector across sectors, and a platform for amplifying what works. At its core, the name signifies exactly what we’re here to do:

Shift how workforce systems operate.
Shift how employers value and invest in workers.
Shift narratives about who deserves opportunity.

And ultimately, shift work forward for everyone.

Where We’re Headed Together

As Shift Work Forward, our commitment remains the same:

• to center the people who power our economy.
• to elevate community‑driven solutions.
• to create workforce systems that work better for everyone.

Celebrate With Us

Later this year, we’ll gather in Albuquerque, NM at the SHIFT Conference—where our theme will be Shift Work Forward. The conference is where practitioners, advocates, employers, and funding partners come together to learn from one another and help those ideas travel farther. This year we will reflect on how far we’ve come as a network, while also spotlighting workforce innovation and powerful ideas from people across the wider field.

This evolution belongs to all of us who believe that shifting work forward is not only necessary, but achievable. It’s a gathering you won’t want to miss.

Registration opens soon. We’ll be sharing details and updates on our website in the coming days, I hope you’ll join us.

In the meantime, I invite you to check out our beautiful new website, catch up on the latest conversations from our State of Our Workforce podcast, and share this post to help spread the word!