Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund
New York, NY · EIN 46-3612187. Reported 347 grants totalling $23.2M to 160 organizations across tax years 2020-2023, on Form 990 Schedule I.
Does this grantmaker accept applications?
Its tax return does not say, and we will not guess. Private foundations file Form 990-PF, which asks outright whether they fund only organizations they select themselves -- 78% say yes, and that one answer is what lets the rest of this site tell you which foundations are worth approaching. Grantmaking charities like this one file a regular Form 990 instead, and the IRS never puts the question to them. Anyone claiming to know the answer from the filing is inventing it.
Three things in the filing do bear on it:
- What kind of organization it is. For Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, the IRS classifies it under community improvement rather than as a grantmaker (NTEE S99) -- it is an operating charity that also makes grants.
- How spread out its giving is. 160 distinct organizations, with 5% of the dollars going to the largest single recipient. That is genuinely spread out -- the mark of a funder making many independent decisions rather than underwriting one institution.
- How much its list changes. 48% of one year's grantees are funded again the next, across 3 year-to-year transitions. That is below the 57% median for grantmaking charities, and well below the 67% private foundations manage. A list that turns over this much is one a newcomer can realistically join.
How big are its grants?
The median reported grant is $44,000. Half of what it reported fell between $25,000 and $90,000; the smallest was $7,500 and the largest $600,000. If you are asking for materially more than the top of that range, you are asking the wrong organization.
Every organization it funded
This is the complete list from its filings, largest first. Recipients are grouped by the EIN the filer reported, not by name, so an organization that was typed differently in two years appears once rather than twice.
| Organization | Location | Total received | Grants | Years funded | Last |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mayors Fund to Advance New York City | New York, NY | $1,200,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Chicago | Chicago, IL | $996,284 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The City of Rochester | Rochester, NY | $715,000 | 9 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Dallas | Dallas, TX | $610,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Tulsa | Tulsa, OK | $540,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Jackson Tn | Jackson, TN | $495,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Mayors Fund for Los Angeles | Los Angeles, CA | $495,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of San Francisco Dept of Children Youth & Their Families | San Francisco, CA | $490,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| The City of Sacramento | Sacramento, CA | $445,000 | 5 | 3 | 2022 |
| Louisville Metro Government | Louisville, KY | $400,000 | 6 | 3 | 2022 |
| City of Miami | Miami, FL | $395,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| Community Foundation of New Jersey | Morristown, NJ | $375,000 | 4 | 3 | 2022 |
| City of Gaithersburg | Gaithersburg, MD | $370,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Paterson | Paterson, NJ | $350,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| Economic Awareness Council | Chicago, IL | $346,640 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| Wayne County Treasurer's Office | Detroit, MI | $337,275 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Shreveport | Shreveport, LA | $325,000 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Saint Paul - Department of Parks and Recreation | Saint Paul, MN | $323,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Columbus | Columbus, OH | $314,000 | 4 | 3 | 2023 |
| Boston Local Development Corp | Boston, MA | $310,000 | 6 | 3 | 2023 |
| Neighboorhood Allies Inc | Pittsburgh, PA | $310,000 | 6 | 3 | 2022 |
| Orange County Government Fl | Orlando, FL | $300,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Stl Youth Jobs | St Louis, MO | $300,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Pueblo Co | Pueblo, CO | $275,000 | 4 | 2 | 2022 |
| Greater Houston Community Foundation | Houston, TX | $275,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Detroit | Detroit, MI | $272,000 | 7 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Lansing | Lansing, MI | $270,000 | 5 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Racine | Racine, WI | $270,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Polk County | Des Monies, IA | $270,000 | 3 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Milwaukee Wi | Milwaukee, WI | $260,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| DC Public Education Fund | Washington, DC | $255,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| The City of Akron | Akron, OH | $250,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA | $240,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| City of Cleveland | Cleveland, OH | $235,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Greenville County | Greenville, SC | $235,000 | 6 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Albuquerque | Albuquerque, NM | $220,000 | 4 | 3 | 2022 |
| City of Little Rock Ar | Littlerock, AR | $215,000 | 3 | 2 | 2023 |
| Detroit Employment Solutions Corporation | Detroit, MI | $211,500 | 5 | 4 | 2023 |
| City of Roanoke | Roanoke, VA | $210,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| United Way of Middle Tennessee Inc | Nashville, TN | $205,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Cash Campaign of Maryland Inc | Baltimore, MD | $197,000 | 5 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Denver Office of Financial Empowerment and Protection | Denver, CO | $195,000 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Aurora | Aurora, IL | $190,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| United Way of Central New York Inc | Syracuse, NY | $189,302 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Goodwill Industries of North Florida Inc | Jacksonville, FL | $185,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Mount Vernon Ny | Mount Vernon, NY | $180,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Baltimore Civic Fund Inc | Baltimore, MD | $175,000 | 2 | 1 | 2022 |
| Connect Detroit | Detroit, MI | $173,500 | 4 | 4 | 2023 |
| Goodwill Industries of Tulsa Inc | Tulsa, OK | $165,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| City of Charlotte Nc | Charlotte, NC | $160,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| City of Gainesville | Gainesville, FL | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of St Louis | St Louis, MO | $150,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Tempe Az | Tempe, AZ | $145,000 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| Mypath | San Francisco, CA | $142,500 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Madison | Madison, WI | $125,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Enrichmond Foundation | Richmond, VA | $120,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services Inc | Rch Cucamonga, CA | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| United Way of Henry County & Martinsville Inc | Martinsville, VA | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| United Way of Pueblo County Colorado Inc | Pueblo, CO | $115,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Womens Foundation for a Greater Memphis | Memphis, TN | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of San Antonio | Tulsa, OK | $105,000 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD | $102,000 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| County of Hawaii | Hilo, HI | $102,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Allegheny County | Pittsburgh, PA | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Aspen Community Foundation | Basalt, CO | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Jacksonville Fl | Jacksonville, FL | $100,000 | 2 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of New Haven | New Haven, CT | $100,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $95,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Dress for Success Phoenix | Phoenix, AZ | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Florida Prosperity Partnership | Sanford, FL | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Kentucky Financial Empowerment Foundation Incorporated | Frankfort, KY | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Philadelphia Youth Network Inc | Philadelphia, PA | $90,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Prosperity Works | Albuquerque, NM | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| South Sound Outreach Services | Tacoma, WA | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United Way of Greater Rochester | Rochester, NY | $90,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA | $83,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| The United Way of Northeast Louisiana Inc | Monroe, LA | $82,526 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cny Works Inc | Syracuse, NY | $82,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Anchorage | Anchorage, AK | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Brunswick Ga | Brunswick, GA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Hartford Ct | Hartford, CT | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Topeka Ks | Topeka, KS | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Fremont Family Resource Center Corporation | Fremont, CA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Heartland Human Care Services Inc | Chicago, IL | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs | Los Angeles, CA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Riverside County Ca | Riverside, CA | $80,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Buffalo | Buffalo, NY | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Indianapolis | Indianapolis, IN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Mobile | Mobile, AL | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Monroe La | Monroe, LA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Norfolk Va | Norfolk, VA | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of Rocky Mount Nc | Rocky Mount, NC | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| City of South Bend | South Bend, IN | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Leon County Government Fl | Tallahassee, FL | $75,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| New Workforce Directions Inc | Tulsa, OK | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Quad County Urban League Inc | Aurora, IL | $75,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| United Way Suncoast Inc | Tampa, FL | $75,000 | 3 | 2 | 2022 |
| Covenant Community Capital Corporation | Houston, TX | $70,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| WORK2FUTURE Foundation | Pasadena, CA | $65,000 | 3 | 3 | 2022 |
| City of Oakland | Oakland, CA | $62,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| International Rescue Committee Inc | New York, NY | $60,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County | Nashville, TN | $60,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Washtenaw County | Ann Arbor, MI | $60,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| City of Baltimore | Baltimore, MD | $56,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Community Development Corporation of Brownsville Inc | Brownsville, TX | $53,675 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Alabama Asset Building Coalition | Montgomery, AL | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| City of Virginia Beach Youth Opportunities Office | Virginia Beach, VA | $50,000 | 3 | 3 | 2023 |
| Connecticut Association for Human Services Inc | Hartford, CT | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| Credit & Homeownership Empowerment Services | Kansas City, MO | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| Enterprise Community Partners Inc | Columbia, MD | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Ida and Asset Building Collaborative of North Carolina | Raleigh, NC | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Philanthropy New York Inc | New York, NY | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Rochesterworks Inc | Rochester, NY | $50,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Urban Economic Development | Milwaukee, WI | $50,000 | 2 | 2 | 2022 |
| City of Charleston Sc | Charleston, SC | $45,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Lad Lake Inc | Dousman, WI | $45,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Upstate Workforce Board | Spartanburg, SC | $37,500 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| City of Montgomery Al | Montgomery, AL | $35,000 | 2 | 2 | 2021 |
| City of Syracuse | Syracuse, NY | $32,500 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| City of Brownsville Tx | Brownsville, TX | $26,325 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Aaa Fair Credit Foundation | Salt Lake City, UT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Advancing Connecticut Together Inc | Hartford, CT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Branches Inc | Miami, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Capital City Chamber of Commerce Inc | Tallahassee, FL | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Allentown | Allentown, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Colorado Nonprofit Development Center | Denver, CO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Hennepin County Mn | Minneapolis, MN | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| Louisville Asset Building Coalition Inc | Louisville, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| Parachute Credit Counseling Inc | West Seneca, NY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Salt Lake Neighborhood Housing Services Inc | Slc, UT | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| United Way of Greater St Louis Inc | Saint Louis, MO | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Way of San Diego County | San Diego, CA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| United Way of the Bluegrass Inc | Lexington, KY | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Way of the Capital Area Inc | Jackson, MS | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
| United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley | Allentown, PA | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2022 |
| United Way of the Plains | Wichita, KS | $25,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Rise Memphis Inc | Memphis, TN | $23,000 | 2 | 2 | 2023 |
| Alliance of Community Assistance Ministries Inc | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bridgeyear | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Bronxworks Inc | Bronx, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Atlanta | Atlanta, GA | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Evanston Il | Evanston, IL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Nashua | Nashua, NH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Raleigh | Raleigh, NC | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Stamford | Stamford, CT | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| City of Tucson | Tucson, AZ | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Cuyahoga County | Cleveland, OH | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| East River Development Alliance Inc | Long Is City, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Fund for Public Schools Inc | New York, NY | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Howard County MD | Ellicott City, MD | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Jefferson County Wi | Jefferson, WI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Miami-Dade County | Miami, FL | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Project for Pride in Living Inc | Minneapolis, MN | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Racine County | Racine, WI | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ser-Jobs for Progress of the Texas Gulf Coast Inc | Houston, TX | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| United Way of Greenville County Incorporated | Greenville, SC | $20,000 | 1 | 1 | 2023 |
| Ladder Up | Chicago, IL | $17,500 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| United Way of Greater Atlanta Inc | Atlanta, GA | $15,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| National Collaborative for Digital Equity | Williston, VT | $10,000 | 1 | 1 | 2021 |
| City of Chattanooga | Chattanooga, TN | $8,000 | 1 | 1 | 2020 |
75 of 160 (47%) received money in more than one year over the 4 years we hold. Remember the $5,000 floor: an organization funded every year at $3,000 shows up here as never funded at all.
What the money was for
Taken verbatim from the purpose column of its filings, largest first. This is the closest thing to a statement of what it funds, in its own words.
- Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City
INTEGRATING BANKING ACCESS AND FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT INTO YOUTH EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMS - Wayne County Treasurer's Office
OPERATING A LOCAL FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER INITIATIVE - Orange County Government Fl
LAUNCHING A LOCAL FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT CENTER INITIATIVE - Greater Houston Community Foundation
ASSISTING RESIDENTS WITH CRITICAL FINANCIAL ISSUES RESULTING FROM COVID-19 ECONOMIC DISRUPTION - City of Dallas
INTEGRATE FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT INTO EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS. - City of Gainesville
INCORPORATING FINANCIAL EMPOWERMENT RESOURCES INTO MUNICIPAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES
What kind of organizations it funds
By each recipient's own IRS classification, for the 65 of 160 recipients we could match to a registered organization. These are assigned categories, not our guesses -- Schedule I reports the recipient's EIN, so this is a lookup rather than a name match.
Giving by year
| Tax year | Grants reported | Total | Median grant |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 113 | $9,699,201 | $80,000 |
| 2021 | 85 | $6,122,800 | $43,000 |
| 2022 | 50 | $2,800,000 | $50,000 |
| 2023 | 99 | $4,545,026 | $25,000 |
Tax years, not calendar years, and the most recent year is usually incomplete -- Form 990 arrives about a year after the year it covers, so a low final year means late paperwork rather than a grantmaker winding down.
Where its money goes
12% of its giving went to organizations in New York. Community foundations and federated funds are usually the most geographically bounded funders there are -- being outside the footprint is normally disqualifying in a way that a weak programme fit is not.
Down to the city
Find more funders like Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund
We read newly filed IRS returns and email you the grantmakers whose giving matches your state and cause, as they are published. Free.
No spam, unsubscribe in one click. We never sell or share your address.
Funders that support the same organizations
These grantmakers and private foundations gave to organizations this one also funded. Shared grantees are the strongest signal available that two funders have overlapping priorities -- and a funder already backing your peers is a far warmer prospect than one that merely lists your cause.
How to approach this grantmaker
- Look for a published programme first. Unlike most private foundations, organizations of this kind often do run open, deadlined grant cycles with written guidelines. Its own website is the authority on that; this page is the authority on who it has actually paid.
- Check you are its size. The median reported grant is $44,000 -- and because grants under $5,000 need not be reported, it very likely writes smaller cheques than this page can see.
- Check you are in its geography. Its giving concentrates in New York.
- Read the recipient list for organizations like yours. If nothing on it resembles your work, that is a real answer and a cheap one to get.
Related guides
Where these numbers come from
Everything above is taken from Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund's own Form 990 Schedule I filings, which the IRS publishes in bulk. We used 4 returns (tax years 2020-2023). Nothing here is scraped, inferred or estimated.
On its most recent return it told the IRS it made grants to 49 section 501(c)(3) organizations and 50 other organizations. That is the filer's own count for one year; the totals above cover every year we hold.
Address of record on the latest return: 44 Wall Street - Suite 1050, New York, NY, 10005.
EIN 46-3612187 · See the original filings on ProPublica · How we build this
Is something here wrong about your organization? Email [email protected] and we will correct it.