Capacity Building for Community Development Corporations

The City provides capacity-building activities for our partner neighborhood-based organizations. Currently, these activities include a partnership with the Police Department to train CDC Corridor Managers and facilitate increased cooperation for safer commercial corridors, design assistance for storefront and other commercial projects through the Community Design Collaborative, and language translation services through a volunteer pool at Project Shine.

CDCs interested in participating in one of these programs or have a need for another type of capacity building, should contact the Office of Neighborhood Economic Development at 215-683-2025 for more information.

Predevelopment & Development Grants

Through the Neighborhood Economic Development Grant Program, Commerce solicits proposals from Philadelphia neighborhood-based organizations to fund development costs related to the construction of commercial developments and the commercial portions of mixed-use development.

Recipients are organizations that can demonstrate their capacity and can support the additional costs necessary to complete the project. Neighborhood Economic Development awards range from $100,000 to $300,000. Funding of Predevelopment and Development Grants is awarded through a competitive Request for Proposals process.

Sign up for email alerts to find out about Dept of Commerce Request for Proposals. For more information about our NED Grants Program, contact Dr. Ahada Stanford at 215-683-2171 or Karen Fegely at 215-683-2026.

Community Development Corporation Tax Credit

The City of Philadelphia uses the Community Development Corporation (CDC) Tax Credit Program to encourage and reward local businesses making a contribution and commitment to Philadelphia CDCs and their economic development efforts in distressed parts of the City. The program is simple: in return for contributing $85,000 per year to a CDC for ten years (with yearly renewals) a business, or two businesses partnering for the total grant amount of $85,000, receive a credit of $85,000 per year against their Philadelphia Income and Receipts Tax obligation.

Applications are accepted by the Revenue Department on an annual basis when there are partnership slots available. For more information about eligible CDC or other nonprofit organizations and eligible economic development activities, contact Jim Flaherty, 215-683-2126, jim.flaherty@phila.gov.