About Neighborhood Progress
Every neighborhood in Cleveland deserves to thrive. We strengthen the community development ecosystem that makes it happen.
Focus Areas
Community developmentAffordable and market-rate housingReal estate developmentCDFI lending and financingSmall business support and economic developmentNeighborhood marketingAdvocacy and policyWorkforce developmentLead-safe remediation
Who They Fund
residents of Cleveland middle neighborhoodslocal small business owners / microentrepreneursformerly incarcerated individuals / people returning from incarceration
About Neighborhood Progress
Neighborhood Progress Inc’s grantmaking is anchored in Cleveland community development corporations, with a flagship Advancement & Resilience Initiative that provides unrestricted grants and additional support to CDCs in good standing. The foundation pairs that operating support with place-based investments that help neighborhood organizations stabilize housing, strengthen local commercial districts, and deepen community engagement. In the recent grants list, Burten Bell Carr Development received $776,475 for Neighborhood Revitalization and the Strategic Investment Initiative, while Famicos Foundation received $315,000 for Strategic Investment Initiative Operating Support and Neighbor to Neighbor Community Engagement. Those awards show how the funder uses large, targeted grants to reinforce the neighborhood-based infrastructure that drives local development. The foundation also supports broader ecosystem work around real estate financing, neighborhood marketing, small business support, workforce development, and lead-safe remediation. Its lending subsidiary, Village Capital Corporation, provides mission-aligned financing for catalytic community projects and local developers and businesses, complementing the grantmaking side. Across the portfolio, the emphasis stays on Cleveland neighborhoods and the organizations that serve them, especially CDCs and related local partners working on long-term neighborhood stabilization.
What Neighborhood Progress Funds
A major theme is neighborhood revitalization through CDC support. Enterprise Community Partners received $180,000 for EITC Program and CDC Program Support, showing an interest in community development infrastructure beyond direct neighborhood projects. The foundation also backs neighborhood marketing and commercial district activity. New Village Corporation received $327,000 for Shaker Square Marketing, Research & Development, and Old Brooklyn Community received $102,250 for Eat & Explore Cleveland Event Funding. Those grants point to efforts that draw attention, traffic, and identity to specific places. Small business support appears in several awards as well. Metro West Community received $132,000 for Strategic Investment Initiative Operating Support and Small Business Microgrant, while Union-Miles Development received $103,938 for Strategic Investment Initiative Operating Support and Small Business Microgrant. In another line of work, the City of Cleveland received $121,167 for Middle Neighborhood Grant and Market Pilot Composting Grant, linking neighborhood stabilization with local reuse and waste reduction.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$6.7M
Total Assets
$13.7M
Total Revenue
$10.8M
Total Expenses
$11.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $18K and $123K, with a median of $51K.
25th Percentile
$18K
Median
$51K
75th Percentile
$123K
Geographic Reach
Local2 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
MELODIE SANDERS
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