Expanding Capacity, Building Resilience
Every day, southern municipal leaders grapple with various deeply entrenched challenges. Extreme poverty, sluggish job growth and widespread economic inequities hinder small business development, restrict access to quality employment and limit affordable housing options. These long-standing issues connected to inequitable policies can exacerbate disadvantages that are difficult for local leaders to change. Recent natural disasters have compounded these struggles, further challenging already vulnerable communities and making recovery and progress even more formidable.
“Thanks to Southern Cities for Economic Inclusion, we were able to create the Builder’s Blueprint Program. This program expands opportunities for minority contractors and is directly supportive of our mission to increase the diversity of our contractors and vendors. We are strengthening Chattanooga’s supplier diversity while creating critically needed economic opportunities for our minority community.”
Mayor Tim Kelly, City of Chattanooga, TN
Despite these challenges, the South holds tremendous potential for growth and equity. According to Fed Communities, closing racial and gender gaps in the South Region’s GDP could unlock an economic boost of more than $357 billion (about $1,100 per person in the US), driving significant growth for all and fostering greater equity across the region. As southern cities look to the future, integrating economic inclusion strategies into frameworks of well-being and resilience is crucial for fostering the success and health of families, businesses, and communities.
SCEI is a collaboration between National League of Cities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, with financial and strategic support from philanthropic partners, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta does not provide funding, nor does it participate in participant selection or decisions of grant funding of SCEI participants.
Between 2021 and 2024, NLC supported 15 cities to implement successful economic inclusion strategies, including:
- New legislation to expand services to disadvantaged business enterprises
- Programs to enable small local minority food businesses to obtain city contracts
- New city department was established to support small business growth
- Millions in federal grants leveraged to support economic inclusion
- Launched a youth employment project, in partnership with the public school system.
This year, the Request for Proposal (RFP) for SCEI opens Monday, January 13, 2025. If your municipality is ready to lead on economic inclusion, apply now to ensure you don’t miss this opportunity. The RFP closes on Monday, February 24, 2025.
Municipalities from the following 10 states are eligible for SCEI: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
NLC will host two informational webinars, offering an in-depth overview of SCEI and addressing questions about the application process. We will also host dedicated office hours to provide personalized guidance and answer any remaining questions.
Do not miss this opportunity to learn more about joining the next round of SCEI and positioning your municipality for success in economic inclusion. Review frequently asked questions for more information and for additional assistance, email eofe@nlc.org.
More About SCEI
Want to learn more? NLC highlights successes and experiences from past participating cities in the Progress, Successes, and Lessons from the Southern Cities Economic Inclusion Initiative brief.
5 Ways Local Officials Can Support the Early Childhood Workforce
- Annika List
Catalyzing Change: Building a Sustainable Economic Ecosystem
- Tomeka Lee
Designing Great Flags for Great Cites
How Mobile Classrooms Help Cities Reach Children & Families Experiencing Homelessness
- Lara Burt
Housing Supply Accelerator Field Guide
4 Tax Time Opportunities for All Municipal Leaders
- Patrick Hain