Living Cities: National Community Development Initiative

Founded in 1991, Living Cities is a national urban development intermediary and philanthropic collaborative of 19 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in American cities. Living Cities raises and invests blended capital – including grants and program related investments—in multi-city projects and leadership networks that aim to create an America in which all people are economically secure and able to build wealth. This award provides renewed general operating support for Living Cities.

Founded in 1991, Living Cities is a national urban development intermediary and philanthropic collaborative of 19 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions working to close racial income and wealth gaps in American cities. Living Cities raises and invests blended capital – including grants and program related investments—in multi-city projects and leadership networks that aim to create an America in which all people are economically secure and able to build wealth. This renewal award provides general operating support for Living Cities.

Founded in 1991, Living Cities is a collaborative of 17 foundations and financial institutions that works to improve conditions in urban areas and increase opportunities for low-income individuals. Living Cities is committed to harnessing the collective power of philanthropy and financial institutions to accelerate the pace of social change. It addresses the complex and urgent systems-level challenges that bar people in U.S. cities from experiencing economic security and well-being. This renewal award provides two years of general operating support for Living Cities.

Living Cities is a national urban development intermediary, a philanthropic collaborative of 22 of the world’s largest foundations and financial institutions working to improve the economic well-being of low-income people in cities. It raises and invests blended capital–grants and program related investments—in multi-city projects, leadership networks, and knowledge platforms that aim to demonstrate, explain, and disseminate elements of what Living Cities calls “the New Urban Practice.” Over the next three years, Living Cities expects to support programs that will improve measurably the lives of people in the cities where it works directly, and to expand the networks of policymakers, funders, and practitioners that are working collaboratively to improve the urban condition.

Living Cities, a collaboration of 22 foundations and financial institutions, works to improve conditions for low-income people in cities and to demonstrate, scale, and spread promising urban policies and practices. With this grant, it will lead a joint demonstration initiative with Code for America and the Urban Institute’s National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership that seeks to strengthen the local and national infrastructure that enables data and information technologies to address critical urban issues, in particular those affecting low-income people. The demonstration sites will be selected from among cities that have a committed public sector; active Code for America Brigades; and expert local data intermediaries.