Action:
Support local incubators or makerspaces, which offer affordable rents, flexible terms, shared equipment and services, room-to-scale operations, networking events, and communities of peer entrepreneurs.
Why:
Such projects can be catalytic, helping entrepreneurs create businesses and existing businesses to grow, thereby building local wealth. By establishing and preserving affordable spaces for light manufacturing, business incubation, maker/artist studios, and cultural activities, cities can foster quality middle-skill job opportunities for LMI residents.
Case Study
East End Maker Hub – Houston, TX
Urban Partnerships CDC (UP CDC), a nonprofit real estate development company, partnered with TXRX labs, a nonprofit high tech maker space, to develop the East End Maker Hub in a historically marginalized part of Houston with a majority Latinx population.
It offers 300,000 square feet of multi-tenant, multiuse manufacturing and fabrication space, which supports makers, manufacturers, corporate tenants, and other small businesses. It features multiple spaces of varying sizes to target manufacturers and makers looking for affordable long-term rents, collaborative space, and access to equipment.
The hub was funded by HUD Section 108 and CDBG grants, which the project procured from the City. UP CDC also procured an EDA grant. The project received a New Markets Tax Credit allocation through the People Fund, Urban Research Park and McCormack Baron Salazar and also received support from LISC, a CDFI.
TXRX labs, Houston’s largest manufacturing business incubator and accelerator, is the anchor tenant of the East End Maker Hub. TXRX provides access to over $2 million worth of machinery and equipment, classes, and technical support, job training programs.
It focuses outreach on minority-owned manufacturers, makers, and other small businesses located within a three-mile radius of the building. It also sees its role as supporting wealth building in the local community.
As part of TXRX’s Youth Education program, its staff speak at local community events and give presentations at local churches and schools. They also build relationships with local teachers to help them understand the role of manufacturing as a pathway to middle-income jobs. Further, they encourage the students to visit the hub and participate in afterschool programs. Each year, the hub provides job training for 75 adults and hands-on learning for over 500 teenagers.
The hub is projected to have an annual economic impact of $153 million and create 400+ direct and 200+ indirect jobs.

How to Adapt This Approach:
- Identify and support local CDCs and CDFIs with a mission to support local manufacturing/ makers/entrepreneurship
- Engage local communities, entrepreneurs and neighborhood groups, to involve them in the project
- Help them to secure HUD Section 108 funding, New Markets Tax Credits, and other government funding to purchase/renovate a disused/underutilized building in a disinvested neighborhood
- Support land-use changes to facilitate the project
- In pre-development planning and space considerations, strike the right balance between creating a workplace and community asset that contributes to placemaking
- Plan to open doors to the public and forge ties with the local community, catalyzing public understanding of the importance of industrial spaces
- Support community-based organizations providing programs and services to local businesses
- Connect City/regional workforce training and placement programs and prioritize local hiring
Learn more about the Tactical Guide
COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery
Place-Based Strategies: Promote Neighborhoods and Increasing Access to Commercial Space
Background
Immigrants and refugees start an outsize share of “Main Street” businesses — grocery stores, restaurants, and other establishments that help drive neighborhood-level economic development. Cities can play a role in supporting immigrant commercial corridors — and immigrant-owned food businesses in particular — through the implementation of place-based strategies, including providing access to commercial kitchen space for early-stage food entrepreneurs.
Strategies:
A. Promote commercial corridors where immigrant businesses are located. Immigrant- and refugee-owned businesses are often concentrated in specific commercial corridors and neighborhoods (e.g., Koreatown, Mexicantown, Little Italy, etc.). Cities can encourage residents to frequent these areas through creative marketing and promotion efforts. For example, each summer, the City of Philadelphia issues “passports” to Philly residents through a program called Passport PHL that encourages people to explore the city’s minority- and immigrant-owned businesses.
B. Support neighborhood-based community development organizations that serve immigrant small business owners. Community Development Corporations (CDCs) and other community development organizations provide business development services and opportunities for businesses to come together to improve and co-market their business districts. Cities can partner with these organizations to help develop commercial corridors and business districts where immigrant and refugee-owned businesses are concentrated. For example, Philadelphia’s HACE, a community development organization that primarily serves Philadelphia’s Latino community, runs a Main Street Program that provides technical support to business owners and encourages collaboration and networking among business owners in the community.
C. Launch a business incubator with commercial kitchen space. Access to commercial kitchen space is often a hurdle for aspiring food entrepreneurs and can be a barrier to growth. Food business incubators that provide access to affordable commercial kitchen space, as well as business training, technical assistance, and other resources can help immigrants, refugees and other underserved entrepreneurs grow their businesses. See case study: SPICE Kitchen Incubator.
Case Study
S.P.I.C.E. (Supporting the Pursuit of Innovative Culinary Entrepreneurs) Kitchen Incubator, Salt Lake City, UT
Highlights:
- SPICE Kitchen Incubator is a project of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a refugee resettlement organization, in partnership with Salt Lake County. IRC has offices around the U.S.
- Salt Lake County promotes SPICE Kitchen as an economic development priority for the region, helping to attract private and public funding to start and grow the effort.
- The program, which has served more than 130 low- to moderate-income entrepreneurs since its founding and is currently serving 50 enrollees during COVID-19 (10 of which are new since April), as individuals seek to adapt to changing economic conditions through self-employment.
Overview:
Launched in 2013 — and modeled on the work of La Cocina in San Francisco, CA — SPICE Kitchen Incubator provides training, technical assistance, and affordable commercial kitchen space to refugees and other underserved residents who are interested in starting food businesses in Salt Lake County. SPICE Kitchen’s partnership with Salt Lake County dates back to its inception, when county officials helped attract seed funding from American Express to establish the project, and stems from a county-wide focus on integrating and supporting new Americans. Today, the incubator’s annual operating budget is $400,000, 15% of which comes from local public dollars. An additional 20% is funded by income generation, while the majority of funding comes from private foundations, corporations, and Community Reinvestment Act dollars from financial institutions.
Project Components:
SPICE Kitchen Incubator provides access to affordable commercial kitchen space; industry-specific technical assistance in areas like marketing, operations and access to capital; workshops from staff and partner organizations on key food business topics; and support with market access and positioning. The SPICE incubation model includes these four phases:
- Application and enrollment (<1 month): Participants who are recruited from the local community and via local refugee resettlement networks attend an orientation session and go through an intake assessment to determine product viability, entrepreneurial drive and other necessary characteristics.
- Pre-incubation (6-8 months): Participants receive training and technical assistance to develop their business plans, including product development, marketing, finances and operations. This can include financial coaching and credit repair, if necessary, in anticipation of the soft launch of the enterprise.
- Incubation (8 months-4 years): Those who succeed during pre-incubation are invited to set up shop in the commercial kitchen, where they continue to receive technical assistance, opportunities to access capital and resources to grow their business, and market access support.
- Graduation (ongoing): After meeting certain incubation benchmarks, participants graduate from the program and most move their business out of the commercial kitchen, though as alumni they can continue to rent space and access technical assistance and support.
During COVID-19, SPICE Kitchen has shifted entirely to digital training, building in remote digital skills training via phone first to ensure access to their training platform. The primary focus has been on guiding entrepreneurs through the types of relief support available, eligibility for different forms of relief, and one-on-one help completing the application process.
Since its founding, SPICE Kitchen has served over 130 low- to moderate-income participants, helped launch eight food trucks and three brick-and-mortar restaurants, and helped entrepreneurs collectively earn over $3,230,000.
Adapt this Approach:
- Partner with an organization that works to empower immigrants and refugees economically, such as through refugee resettlement.
- Fund the effort through a combination of public and private investment, tapping into resources from community foundations, private corporations, and Community Reinvestment Act funds that already prioritize low- and moderate-income residents.
- Position the project as a unique regional asset and identifiable brand, allowing program graduates to benefit from their association with the incubator.
Learn more about the Tactical Guide
COVID-19 Economic Response and Recovery
Reallocate municipal tax revenues to replace general fund cuts, such as tax increment financing, property tax, sales tax, and real estate transfer tax
A. Tax increment financing (TIF) revenues
Action:
Cities should review and develop plans to utilize TIF district revenues within their city. TIF revenues that have not yet been spent or accounted for should be used to augment, or even replace, general fund revenues for economic development programming.
Why:
Cities in every US state use TIF revenue. Cities allocate funds generated from TIF districts into specific budgets, which are not co-mingled with general fund revenue. This lack of co-mingling is usually a legislative requirement.
However, this should not stop cities from creatively analyzing the activities which are able to be funded under TIF to see if there are opportunities to substitute general fund programs with complimentary TIF-funded programming
Background:
TIF revenues are often used to finance infrastructure, as well as development/ redevelopment projects, that would not be feasible “but for” the TIF financing.
The program works as follows:
- The city borrows money through a bond issuance, or another debt instrument, to improve a distressed property.
- As the property improvements are completed and the property’s assessed value increases, incremental tax revenue is generated.
- The city repays the bonds from the incremental revenue.
TIF legislation is constantly changing and can sometimes be politically charged. Understanding your local rules and “philosophies” regarding TIF is a critically important first step
At the same time, cities should think about ways to broaden the use of TIF. For example:
- Marketing efforts, which are specific to a TIF district, can be leveraged to promote the wider community. At the very least, continued marketing efforts of TIF districts may provide some relief to general fund marketing allocations.
- Community improvement projects (CIPs) and district maintenance.
- Cities typically “charge” these expenditures to the general fund or other funding streams, but reallocating TIF revenues to these purposes may help offset other departmental expenditures. This, in turn, could free up general fund revenues for economic development programming.
- Paying for staff/personnel costs.
- Fund property acquisitions.
- Creating immediate economic development opportunities (such as ad hoc events).
- Enhancing security/district services.
The Council of Community Development Finance Authorities (CDFA) has produced a comprehensive Tax Increment Finance Center. For more information on the CDFA Tax Increment Finance Center, click here.
Case Study #1
Chicago, IL – The Hatchery
The city of Chicago built a 67,000 ft2 food and beverage business incubator in an economically depressed west side neighborhood with very high unemployment. The incubator includes 56 commercial-grade kitchens, co-working and shared space, meeting space, and a community center.
Neighborhood residents are offered priority access to all of the spaces, discounted and hourly rates (which do not require a lease agreement), and free classes for both job seekers and entrepreneurs.
The project cost $32.4m and the city contributed a 2.6 acre parcel of land (which it sold for $1) and $7m of TIF funds. It was a creative approach to allocating TIF funds and not the “typical” deal which focuses on “gap and but for” financing for a predominantly private project.
The facility is co-owned by two long-standing Chicago nonprofits – microlender Accion Chicago and business incubator Industrial Council of Northwest Chicago.
IFF, a CDFI, served as the lead developer and was charged with pulling together financing and land parcels.
The financing breakdown was as follows:
- Debt financing from Chicago Community Loan Fund, IFF, MB Financial, and PNC Bank;
- $10.25 million of NMTCs from PNC Bank, Community Reinvestment Fund, and the City of Chicago;
- Grants from Kellogg Co., ConAgra Foods, Walton Family Foundation, and others;
- $7 million in TIF from the city of Chicago; and
- The $1 sale of 12 vacant city-owned lots (which were combined with 9 other parcels of developer-owned land).
Impact:
The Hatchery is projected to create 900 jobs and $25 million in pre-tax wages in five years.
B. Real estate property taxes
Action:
Cities should explore allocating a specific percentage (or millage) of real estate property taxes for economic development programming. Any allocations should be targeted for specific, quantifiable, and impactful projects and programs.

Why:
Real estate property taxes are one of the most stable and significant sources of revenue for many cities, and so can support expanded economic development programming.
Background:
Many city and state governments are heavily reliant on property taxes. While many cities offer property tax abatements and rebates for specific projects, few allocate or reallocate a percentage of the tax revenue for economic development projects and operations.
Such allocations can be used to:
- Acquire property, including raw land and rights-of-way, for high-priority economic development projects. These could be industrial parks and mixed-use developments that will generate a return on investment.
- Fund commercial rehabilitation, expropriation of private property (eminent domain), redevelopment, or storefront improvement programs. Such investments, which physically improve underperforming real estate, will typically help seed additional capital investment.
- Fund local incentives, contributions to economic or workforce development partners, or outsourced programming.
Case Study #2
Gwinnett County, GA
In 2020, the Gwinnett County Board of County Commissioners led a campaign to increase property taxes by 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The new tax will “provide funds for financial assistance to the Development Authority of Gwinnett County for economic development purposes.”
It is expected to generate $1m funding for additional programming, which will increase the economic development department’s budget from $5.2m to $6.2m.
Specifically, the revenue will fund the creation of the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center which provides physical space, education, and networking connections for startups, the expansion of the Infinite Energy Center, and the development of the Water Tower @Gwinnett for water-related research and training.
C. Sales tax
Action:
Cities should consider whether to introduce a local sales tax or to allocate existing sales tax revenue for economic development. If sales tax is prohibited by state law, cities should identify like-minded communities to lobby for change

Why:
Although sales taxes may not be stable during challenging economic times, they can still relieve some of the pressure on the general fund to pay for economic development programming.
Moreover, many sales taxes are paid in part by people residing outside the city.
States such as Wyoming, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri allow cities to levy local sales taxes for economic development purposes. Go here to learn more about Texas’ experience.
Background:
While it may be challenging to introduce a new tax at this time, many cities and states allocate a proportion of local sales tax revenue for community economic development efforts. The funds are used to fund:
- Specific economic development programs
- Local buy campaigns
- Incentives for reinvestment,
- Enhanced services and staffing,
- Capital investments Sales tax may also be rebated to support new or expanded entertainment, hospitality, recreation, retail, etc. offerings.
Case Study #3
MAPS – Oklahoma City
The residents of Oklahoma City approved a new, time-limited tax to fund capital investment programs, which were known as Metropolitan Area Programs (MAPS).
The first MAPs was an additional one-cent sales tax, which raised $350 million, and was used to revitalize downtown, improve Oklahoma City’s image, and create new and upgraded cultural, sports, recreation, entertainment, and convention facilities.
The city subsequently proposed a second MAPS program, MAPS for Kids, which was again funded by an additional penny of sales tax. The new tax raised $514m which was combined with a $180m Oklahoma City Public Schools’ bond issue to renovate 70 school buildings and fund classroom technology and transportation projects. 70% of the funds were disbursed to the Oklahoma City Public School District, and 30% to the surrounding suburban school districts.
In 2008, the city’s residents approved a third MAPS program to fund improvements in the downtown arena and build a practice facility for a new NBA franchise.
They approved another MAPS programs to fund a Better Streets, Safer City program, and, in December 2019, a new “MAPS4” program. Since its creation, MAPS have provided $1.81b of funding, and the current programs are expected to provide $978m between 2020 and 2028.
D. Real estate transfer taxes
Action:
Cities that levy real estate transfer taxes should consider allocating a portion to specific economic development programming.

Why:
While real estate transfer taxes can be somewhat volatile, they also offer a sustainable source of funding. They are also specific in nature, so the impact on the general public is limited. As such, they tend to be expended for very specific purposes for the communities which paid them. To reduce volatility, cities can transfer some of the revenue from these taxes to a revolving economic development fund which continues beyond a single fiscal year.
Background:
Real estate transfer taxes are imposed on the transfer of title of real property. In most cases, they are based on the value of the property transferred.
Legislation in 37 US states permits such taxes and cities often have the ability to levy the tax and use it for purposes, such as:
- Allocate money to an economic development incentive fund for targeted businesses and industries.
- Provide funding for neighborhood commercial enhancement programs which help stem blight, and leverage private sector investments through a match program, or tax credits.
- Fund travel, contracts for services, continuing education and training, trade show promotion and events, marketing, special events, and opportunistic one-time activities.
Learn more about the Toolkit
Action:
Launch, or shine a spotlight on, programs that promote and connect MWBEs to new business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) opportunities, including national supply chains.
Why:
In this way, you will showcase local talent, raise awareness and local pride, and support local small business growth and jobs.
Case Study
ORIGINS – Pittsburgh, PA
In 2016, a CDFI, Bridgeway Capital, launched the Creative Business Accelerator to help regional creatives — craftspeople, makers, designers, and artists — participate in equitable economic development.
It connects emerging and established creative businesses to affordable and flexible spaces at 7800 Susquehanna, Bridgeway’s 150,000 square foot multi-tenant maker/manufacturing hub, as well as other locations across the region.
In 2019, the Creative Business Accelerator launched a business support program called ORIGINS, which celebrates and elevates local Black creatives. Further, it provides additional layers of flexible capital and technical assistance.
The ORIGINS program offers peer-to-peer learning cohorts, yearlong residencies, specialized coaching, opportunities to connect to new customers, and annual exhibitions. The ORIGINS website showcases Black entrepreneurs starting and expanding creative businesses. In March 2020, the program hosted an inaugural exhibition at Concept Art Gallery, a prominent local venue. Many of the highlighted products were then sold at the PG&H store, a downtown retail space cosponsored by the Creative Business Accelerator and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
The ORIGINS program offers an annual residency for three local Black creative entrepreneurs. One of the residency spaces is a 750 square foot unit at Case Study: ORIGINS – Pittsburgh, PA Bridgeway’s 7800 Susquehanna Street building. It serves emerging Black makers and manufacturers looking for their first business space.
Additional Example:
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, THEA network

How to Adapt This Approach:
- Consider opportunities to shine a spotlight on local minority, immigrant, or other LMI small business groups
- Identify and reach out to local and national organizations that have aligned missions (such as the Urban Manufacturing Alliance or an ethnic chamber)
- While it might not be possible to replicate all the building blocks of the ORIGINS program, consider what is possible
- Use existing tactical guides, such as UMA’s Toolkit: How to Develop a Locally-Made Brand Platform.
- Provide access to dynamic City venues for exhibitions and popups, as well as City social media accounts
- Reach out to, and partner with, e-commerce platforms (such as Etsy and Amazon), and regional and national buyers that are courting makers and supporting the Black Lives Matter movement (such as Walmart and Levis)
- Also, reach out to potential sponsors and ambassadors/local celebrities
Learn more about the Tactical Guide
Action:
Work with nonprofit, academic, philanthropic and business partners to create and grow an entrepreneurial ecosystem tailored for underserved small businesses.
Why:
The success of entrepreneurs depends on having a strong community that they can draw on to help them start and grow their business. By creating inclusive ecosystems cities can accelerate the startup and growth of MWBEs.
Case Study
Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE) – Atlanta, GA
In Atlanta, Black entrepreneurs and small business owners are often cut off from the resources they need to succeed. This challenge has been exacerbated by COVID-19 which has disproportionately impacted the Black community and made the growth of black businesses more important than ever.
Founded in 2019, RCIE was created through a donation from the Russell Family Foundation to grow access to entrepreneurship throughout the Black community and empower Black entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into enterprises, in a place made just for them.
Housed in a 50,000+ square foot building that offers access to affordable coworking, convening, and meeting innovation space. The center is located in the heart of an Opportunity Zone in Atlanta’s Castleberry Hill neighborhood, close to the Atlanta University Center and historic HBCU communities.
Prior to its launch, RCIE engaged 1,500 Black entrepreneurs in Atlanta to better understand their needs. Overwhelmingly, the number one answer was “community.”
To address this, RCIE developed a theory of change and a program model to help Black entrepreneurs traverse the special barriers they face to build thriving businesses. RCIE provides community, resources, mentors, technical assistance, enriched learning, and access to deep networks that extend beyond the center.
Services Include:
- Community: Affordable hot desks, dedicated desks, and office space. The community also allows members to have peer accountability teams and conference/meeting space. Members also have access to high-speed internet, copy/ print shop, and a company mailbox
- Technical Assistance: Access to a state-of-the-art A/V technology and podcast studio, a pipeline to diverse tech talent through local universities and partnerships, and technical assistance provided by the GSU/UGA Small Business Development Center.
- Access to Capital: Help accessing capital, one of the biggest barriers to Black entrepreneurship. The building has created a “Capital Corridor” space that is dedicated specifically for access to capital, and investment readiness programming.
- Accountability & Mentorship: One-to-one coaching, individualized support and guidance, peer-to-peer learning, and a business mentor network. Members are connected with Black teachers and mentors who have experienced the entrepreneur journey firsthand.
- BIG I.D.E.A.S Platform: Is a co-design model called BIG I.D.E.A.S. that equips entrepreneurs to move along path that includes the following stages — from curiosity to concept (Inspire); from concept to company (Develop); from company to business (Execution), from business to ownership & growth (Accelerate); and from ownership & growth to wealth (Scale)

How to Adapt This Approach:
- Identify a lead for the initiative
- In most cases, a non-City organization (nonprofit, chamber, philanthropy, academic, etc.) is best positioned to house initiative
- The individual leading the initiative should have extensive private sector experience, have credibility within the community of entrepreneurs where the initiative is focused, and preferably be an entrepreneur as well
- Cities should leverage their convening power to galvanize partners, support fundraising, and focus on City controlled areas where it can accelerate or remove barriers to entrepreneurship
- The lead organization should engage and assess the current ecosystem
- Reach out to local business leaders and entrepreneurs to identify gaps in existing programming and opportunities
- Outreach to communities of color and low-income individuals to understand the needs of all communities
- Connect with startup and small business groups, local nonprofits, educational institutions, philanthropic partners, and business leaders to ensure participation. Part of the program’s benefit should be to offer networking and mentoring opportunities with established leaders
- Use data (e.g., from Kauffman foundation’s My Sidewalk) to demonstrate where potential gaps and opportunities for entrepreneurship exist in the community
- The lead organization should build a coalition of partners to support the initiative, which could include education institutions, VCs, successful founders, corporate partners, and service providers (e.g., lawyers, bankers, accountants, real estate technical assistance providers). Ensure partners are representative of the community the initiative intends to focus on
- Work with the coalition of partners to develop a proposed initiative to build out the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the city. The initiative could include:
- A physical center like RCIE, which focuses on providing all the support needed for a specific community of entrepreneurs
- An initiative to join up a network of existing coworking spaces, accelerators, entrepreneurship programs, events, etc. and connect it to MWBE or LMI entrepreneurs
- The designation of an entrepreneurial ambassador who serves as a single point of contact to navigate and connect entrepreneurs to the ecosystemThe proposal will vary depending on the project but should include: the goal, the need/ opportunity, the coalition of partners, the program design, location, staffing, budget, metrics, and timeline/next steps
- Use the proposal to raise funds for the initiative. Pitch foundations, banks, and corporations on contributing financially, providing in-kind support, or advising the program. Start with the coalition partners who have helped develop the initiative
- Launch and implement initiative
- Track and publish KPIs on a regular basis. Include aggregated demographic and neighborhood data on entrepreneurs being served, services provided, outcomes, etc. (See KPIs section)
Learn more about the Tactical Guide
Action:
Use land powers and incentives to support inclusive development projects, which convert abandoned or vacant buildings in disinvested neighborhoods. Promote the projects to philanthropic, corporate, or other government funders.
Why:
In this way, you will support local businesses and create short-term construction jobs as well as good, neighborhood jobs, and fill a long-time vacant building.
Case Study
7800 Susquehanna – Pittsburgh, PA
7800 Susquehanna is a 150,000 square foot hub for manufacturing, makers, small businesses, nonprofits, and job training in a historically Black neighborhood of Pittsburgh.
Bridgeway Capital, a local CDFI, purchased the former manufacturing facility to ensure that the building’s reactivation and future use would align with the community’s plans for economic revitalization benefiting local residents.
To purchase and renovate the property, Bridgeway has invested $13 million to date. It is financing the project through a mixture of philanthropic funding, government grants, and New Markets Tax Credits equity investments.
Bridgeway prioritizes maker/manufacturer and workforce development tenants, which create good-paying jobs and training benefits for the surrounding community. The building is fully leased to 22 tenants, who collectively employ 90 individuals. Also, the workforce development nonprofits annually graduate 75 individuals into living-wage jobs. Many of the building’s employees and workforce are residents from the immediate and surrounding communities.
Bridgeway also created ORIGINS, a business support program, which promotes Black makers and manufacturers. ORIGINS has a dedicated 750-square-foot space in the building for Black makers and manufacturers looking for their first business space.
How to Adapt This Approach:
- Identify former industrial buildings in disinvested neighborhoods, which are ripe for redevelopment
- Deploy public capital funds to support the acquisition and development of industrial properties
- Develop relationships with local or national CDFIs and other community development entities to advocate for redevelopment uses that retain the area’s manufacturing legacy and provide local jobs
- Ensure a diversity of spaces and rents in these districts by supporting mission-driven nonprofit ownership
- Identify and facilitate local, state, and federal sources of funding for the project including tax increment, New Markets Tax Credits, Opportunity Zones, and other federal sources
- Cities can support the project by facilitating land use changes to accommodate the project, investing in infrastructure, and providing grants for pre-development costs/environmental clearance
- Build local coalitions to advocate for philanthropic investments
- Connect small business support programs and workforce development services and provide tailored support to meet the local community’s needs