HomeFree-USA Selected by the Citi Foundation’s Community Progress Makers Initiative to Advance Social and Economic Opportunity in Prince George’s County Maryland
Unrestricted grant of $500,000 will enable HomeFree-USA to further its work to close the wealth gap
December 13, 2021
Landover, MD – HomeFree-USA was selected by Citi Foundation as a recipient of the Community Progress Makers initiative, which supports visionary organizations across the U.S. that are working to connect low-income communities and communities of color to greater social and economic opportunity. As a Community Progress Maker, HomeFree-USA will receive a multi-year, unrestricted grant of $500,000 and access to technical assistance and a supportive learning community from 2022 – 2023.
Through Citi Foundation’s support, HomeFree-USA will further its work to close the wealth gap by significantly increasing the number of African American homebuyers it prepares for successful homeownership in Prince George’s County.
“Homeownership is a primary means for building wealth in America,” said HomeFree-USA President and CEO. “With the support of the Progress Makers Initiative, we will be able to hire and train the homeownership advisors we need to reach and guide Black and Brown homebuyers to mortgage-readiness and the opportunity to build generational wealth.”
The newest cohort of Community Progress Makers includes 50 leading nonprofit organizations selected through a competitive Request for Proposals process, with a strong track record of supporting underserved communities across six U.S. cities: Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and Washington, D.C. The Citi Foundation will provide a supportive learning community through which grantees can connect to share best practices and strengthen their work as social change agents. Technical assistance will also be provided by the Urban Institute to help measure the cohort’s impact and progress.
“Six years ago, the Citi Foundation launched Community Progress Makers with a vision of empowering community leaders to grow their transformative impact through unrestricted, trust-based funding,” said Brandee McHale, Head of Community Investing and Development and President of the Citi Foundation. “This kind of approach and support is more important than ever as the U.S. continues to address the root causes and impacts of income and wealth inequality. Through the Community Progress Makers initiative, these social innovators and advocates can continue to look for new ways of addressing long-standing societal challenges at scale.”
From 2015 to 2019, the Citi Foundation has provided $40 million in multi-year, unrestricted funding to 72 Community Progress Makers, helping to place over 45,000 people in affordable housing, train over 33,000 people for employment, save over $10 million in energy costs, and expand over 12,000 small businesses.
For more information about Community Progress Makers, please visit: www.citifoundation.com/cpm
About HomeFree-USA
HomeFree-USA is a nonprofit started by Marcia and Jim Griffin in 1994 with a vision to close the homeownership gap. The organization gives African Americans the guidance they need to achieve and sustain homeownership, and bridges the gap between financial strength and homeownership for people of color across America.
As a HUD-intermediary, HomeFree-USA serves the diverse interests of 6.3 million consumers through its nationwide network of over 50 affiliated community-based nonprofits that specialize in guiding people to first-time homeownership, sustainability and increased financial capacity.
For more information visit: https://homefreeusa.org/.
About the Citi Foundation
The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world. We invest in efforts that increase financial inclusion, catalyze job opportunities for youth, and reimagine approaches to building economically vibrant communities. The Citi Foundation’s “More than Philanthropy” approach leverages the enormous expertise of Citi and its people to fulfill our mission and drive thought leadership and innovation.
For more information, visit: www.citifoundation.com.
Contact
Christine Gould, Chief Development Officer
christineg@homefreeusa.org | (301) 891-8403
