Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative
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About Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative
To close the racial wealth gap using the collective power of philanthropy, financial institutions and local governments.
Focus Areas
Business ownership / entrepreneurshipHomeownership & city engagementVenture capital & private equityNarrative changeKnowledge & data / Center for Wealth EquityClosing the Gaps NetworkInclusive capital / impact investing
Who They Fund
BIPOC prospective and current homeownersBIPOC entrepreneurs and small business ownersMunicipal governments (e.g., City of Albuquerque) participating in racial equity cohortsNonprofit fiscal sponsors and racial equity networks/coalitions
About Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative
Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative centers its grantmaking on closing the racial wealth gap through the collective power of philanthropy, financial institutions, and local governments. Recent grants show that this work is organized around BIPOC homeownership, business starts and growth, and city-led racial equity initiatives. The largest recent awards each reached $550,201 and went to City of Saint Paul, Youthprise, City of Rochester, and City of Albuquerque for BIPOC homeownership and business starts and growth program support. The foundation also uses grants to support research and intermediary organizations that advance its broader wealth-equity agenda. Urban Institute received $265,865 for research and data collection to support strategies to close racial income and wealth gaps, while Activest received $1,733,750 in fiscal sponsorship pass-thru grants. Those awards suggest a mix of direct program support, research funding, and pass-through arrangements rather than a single grant format. Its work extends through initiatives tied to city participation, entrepreneurship, and capital access, including homeownership-focused cohort work and business-capital programs. The grant record points to a funder that works with public-sector partners, fiscal sponsors, and local nonprofit intermediaries to move capital and technical support into local racial wealth-building efforts.
What Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative Funds
In homeownership and city engagement, Living Cities Inc the National Community Development Initiative funded Red Salmon Arts with $75,101 for BIPOC homeownership program support. That grant fits alongside initiative-based work aimed at anti-racist solutions and wealth-building in participating cities. For inclusive capital and entrepreneurship, the foundation gave $550,201 each to City of Saint Paul, Youthprise, City of Rochester, and City of Albuquerque for BIPOC homeownership and business starts and growth program support. It also awarded Black Women in Venture Capital $60,527 for Builders and Benefactors event sponsorship, showing support for convening as part of its ecosystem-building approach. Research and network-building are another thread. Urban Institute received $265,865 for research and data collection to support strategies to close racial income and wealth gaps, and Center for Community Progress received $20,000 for a CEO Circle event. These grants align with the foundation’s emphasis on data, policy, and peer learning.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$10.5M
Total Assets
$21.4M
Total Revenue
$4.3M
Total Expenses
$22.6M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $27K and $550K, with a median of $170K.
25th Percentile
$27K
Median
$170K
75th Percentile
$550K
Geographic Reach
National8 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
JOSEPH SCANTLEBURY
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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