American Cities Focus Area Grants

American Cities Focus Area Grants is a grant from The Kresge Foundation that supports effective and inclusive community development in U.S. cities. The program funds projects that expand socioeconomic opportunity and address systemic inequities in areas such as transit-oriented development, affordable housing, neighborhood revitalization, and economic mobility.

Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofits and government entities working in American cities. The foundation prioritizes work that centers diversity, equity, and inclusion and advances long-term change for residents with low incomes. Grant amounts vary and are awarded on a project-by-project basis following an invitation-based or inquiry process.

American Cities - Kresge Foundation Our Story at 100 Promoting human progress since 1924, expanding equity and opportunity today Our Staff Our work is made possible by a staff of mission-driven professionals Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Central to how we operate and fund, we center DEI in all we do Careers Check for new openings and learn about working at The Kresge Foundation Board of Trustees Leaders who provide governance, expertise and support to our work Press Room Resources and information for commnunications professional American Cities Effective, inclusive community development in U.S. cities Arts & Culture Positioning culture and creativity as drivers of more just communities Detroit Expanding long-term, equitable opportunity in our hometown Education Addressing postsecondary attainment and closing equity gaps Environment Helping cities with equitable climate resilience strategies Health Building equity-focused systems of health to achieve well-being Human Services Increasing social-economic mobility for people with low incomes Social Investment Practice Unlocking capital for community development Strategic Learning, Research & Evaluation Building a culture of learning across the organization and support community learning priorities Initiatives Our time-bound funding programs can bring multiple Kresge teams together to co-create strategies Grants & Social Investments Grants Awarded A database of grants dating back to 2009 Social Investments Made A database of PRIs, guarantees and other investments How to Apply Details on eligibility, FAQs, Fluxx guidance and more For Current Grantees FAQs for partners, communicating about your work and more We seek to expand opportunity by promoting effective and inclusive community development practices in American cities.

American Cities Program new grant dollars committed in 2023 America’s cities are linchpins of socioeconomic mobility and increased opportunity. In many cities, however, access to opportunity is not shared equitably among all people.

This makes our urban centers the frontlines of advancing opportunity including access to quality, affordable housing; vibrant, connected neighborhoods; meaningful workforce preparation and employment opportunities; and reliable public transit. Local leaders and organizations are working across sectors to define challenges, shape solutions and drive catalytic changes that expand opportunity for people with low incomes.

Kresge’s American Cities Program is committed to supporting this transformation. We leverage the breadth of the foundation’s national grantmaking programs and the depth of the foundation’s experience built from our work in Detroit. We emphasize on-the-ground community development practice.

Honoring the gifts of American cities: Emerging themes for equitable community development American Cities News & Views Reclaiming the moment: The imperative of climate & health justice Proximity, time and partnership: Q&A with Program Officer Katie Van Dusen on Fresno Fresno is building an economy that works for everyone as Fresno DRIVE celebrates five years Rapson: Community safety in Memphis requires community-based effort All American Cities News & Views American Cities Resources Kresge American Cities Program Brochure A Century of Impact: Lessons From The Kresge Foundation’s Transformative Urban Approach Rethinking assumptions and community resilience financing tools in the face of growing climate loss and risk American Cities, Environment All American Cities Resources We Invest in These Focus Areas We seek to expand equity and opportunity in American cities by promoting effective and inclusive community development practices in four focus areas.

Fresno, Memphis & New Orleans We steward the foundation’s city-focused grantmaking in Fresno, Memphis and New Orleans, including supporting collaborative strategies, comprehensive community development and the ecosystems that advance equitable, resident-informed change. ” We support research, thought leadership and convenings that seek to improve the efficacy and inclusiveness of community development practices.

We support multi-city initiatives aimed at piloting, testing and scaling new approaches to community development. We support community development organizations of national scale that work in cities. We Invest in These Initiatives These targeted initiatives help us advance equity in communities and expand opportunity for people living with low incomes.

Kresge Community Support: Fresno Supporting the community development infrastructure in Fresno, California to improve the quality of life for city residents. Kresge Innovative Projects: Memphis (KIP:M) KIP:M provides community-based organizations with support for projects that strengthen Memphis neighborhoods.

Webinar: Leveraging Health Institutions for Community Change Presented by: The Kresge Foundation’s Health Program & American Cities Program Our Urban Future: The Next Era of Making Change in America’s Cities A Kresge Centennial Year National Convening We seek efforts that will result in expanded opportunity for city residents, engage the community in a meaningful way, have potential for long-term sustainability or community impact, and have potential for scalability or translation to other communities.

We use an array of funding and investment tools to foster change, including project grants, operating support, planning grants and program-related investments. Program-related investments may take the form of direct loans, guarantees that provide borrowers with linked deposits or other credit support tools. Most of our grants span one to three years.

We also convene partners to learn and lead. And when project proposals offer opportunities to advance the goals of multiple Kresge programs, those teams will jointly fund the proposal.

American Cities Grants Made American Cities Social Investments Made American Cities Programs Team Senior Program Team Assistant American Cities, Human Services Grants Management Associate American Cities, Environment American Cities, Detroit, Social Investment Practice Associate Program Officer