Citi Foundation Announces $20 Million Community Progress Makers Fund to Accelerate Impact through Core Operating Support Grants

 

The Citi Foundation announced today the launch of the Community Progress Makers Fund, a $20 million grant initiative to support nonprofit organizations in the U.S. The Fund will provide unrestricted grant funding to help community organizations lead urban transformation efforts that catalyze economic opportunities for low-income households and communities. Core operating support commitments of up to $500,000 each will be available to organizations working in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C.

 

The Community Progress Makers Fund builds upon the Citi Foundation’s commitment to identify and support innovative solutions and organizations that are helping build stronger, more resilient cities that are engines of economic opportunity. Along with core operating support, grantees will have access to technical assistance and support from Citi volunteers through skills-based engagements and leading national researchers and experts. Grantees will receive support in the areas of data-driven decision making, project financing, movement building, and communications. Additionally, Fund recipients will participate in convening opportunities with other grantees to share and learn best practices.

 

“At the Citi Foundation, we believe community-based change agents are critical to creating on-ramps to economic opportunity,” said Brandee McHale, President of the Citi Foundation. “Our goal is to identify the most visionary organizations and invest in their ability to deliver new approaches to long-standing challenges and drive greater progress for all.”

 

“Our nation’s cities are at the forefront of some of the toughest challenges, which translate into some of the greatest opportunities to create real change,” says Sarah Rosen Wartell, President of the Urban Institute. “The Citi Foundation’s Community Progress Makers Fund will strengthen local nonprofits in cities across the country with the funding to effectively implement practices and programs that improve communities in need.”

 

“Our research shows that multi-year, large scale, unrestricted support is crucial to strengthening nonprofit organizations,” says Phil Buchanan, President of the Center for Effective Philanthropy. “It’s great to see the Citi Foundation move, through the establishment of the Community Progress Makers Fund, to provide more of the kind of support that will help their grantees be as effective as possible.”

 

In addition to Community Progress Makers, the Citi Foundation also supports economic progress in cities with programs such as Pathways to Progress, which connects low-income youth to economic opportunity, and the City Accelerator, which promotes local government innovations that make a positive difference in the lives of city residents.

 

The deadline to submit proposals is January 8, 2016. Informational webinars will be held on November 17 and December 1. Grant recipients will be in announced in mid-2016. For more information on the Community Progress Makers Fund and to apply, please visit: citifoundation.com.