United States Conference of Mayors

What United States Conference of Mayors does

The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is a non-partisan, private non-profit organization founded in 1932 in Detroit during the Great Depression and formally chartered in Washington, D.C. in February 1933. It represents more than 1,500 mayors of U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more, serving as the recognized forum through which American mayors engage directly with the President, Congress, and federal agencies on urban policy. Headquartered at 1620 I St. NW in Washington, D.C., with a staff of 11-50, USCM is governed by annually elected officers from among its member mayors (President Todd Gloria, Mayor of San Diego, as of June 2026) and led day-to-day by CEO and Executive Director Tom Cochran. The Conference sits at the center of U.S. urban policy advocacy, with a documented track record including John F. Kennedy introducing pillars of the Civil Rights Act at an Annual Meeting, organizing mayoral action on climate after the U.S. withdrawal from Kyoto, and securing $65.1 billion for all cities through the American Rescue Plan in 2021.

USCM operates a portfolio of member services, grant programs, advocacy initiatives, and data resources rather than a unified software platform. Member-facing technology includes the USCM Community portal (contact management, committee and task-force assignments, resolution submission), a mobile app, and virtual meeting and webinar infrastructure. Programmatic sub-brands include DollarWise: Mayors for Economic Mobility (Bank of America-funded innovation grants, now in year 22), the Healthy and Sustainable Communities Grant Awards (American Beverage partnership, $1M annual, $8M+ cumulative across 93 cities since 2012), the Local Infrastructure Hub (federal BIL funding routing), the Mayors Business Council (corporate partner engagement), and the Council on Metro Economies and the New American City (producing the annual Metro Economies Report). Issue-area working bodies include the Women Mayors Leadership Alliance, Municipal Waste Management Association, Workforce Development Council, Mayors Water Council, Disability Employment Working Group, and Mayors Climate Protection Center.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: population-tiered annual city membership dues ranging from $2,483 (cities under 30,000) to $86,989 (cities of 3 million or more), recurring corporate membership fees through the Mayors Business Council, and pass-through grant administration funded by partners (Bank of America Charitable Foundation, American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America). A growing Mayoral Data product line (one-time download and annual subscription) extends the commercial surface beyond traditional dues. Cities account for 90.8% of national GDP and 88.2% of U.S. employment according to the 2025 Metro Economies Report, anchoring USCM's policy and economic relevance. The organization is not venture-backed or publicly traded and operates as a member-governed association.

Name

United States Conference of Mayors

Legal name

United States Conference of Mayors

Website

https://usmayors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The United States Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan membership organization founded in 1932 representing 1,500+ U.S. mayors of cities with 30,000+ population. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., it advocates for urban priorities federally and administers grant programs, member services, and the Mayors Business Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Membership Organization

NAICS

Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Business Associations (81391), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAGAH

Government & Public Sector Conferences

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

Keywords

• Municipal advocacy services
• City government membership
• Federal policy advocacy
• Mayoral association services
• Urban policy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Conference generates revenue through annual membership dues billed to cities based on population tiers. Dues range from $2,483 for cities under 30,000 population to $86,989 for cities with 3,000,000 or greater population.
2. Mayors Business Council: Corporate membership fees from businesses that join the Mayors Business Council to connect with and share expertise with America's cities. The Business Council generates revenue through membership dues from corporate partners including American Beverage Association, Globetrotter Travel Services, Major League Baseball, Partner America, and Walmart.
3. Grant Programs: The Conference administers grant programs funded by partners such as the Bank of America Charitable Foundation (DollarWise grants) and American Beverage Foundation for a Healthy America (Healthy and Sustainable Communities grants). These programs allocate over $1 million in grants annually to member cities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The United States Conference of Mayors (USCM) is the official non-partisan membership organization of U.S. cities with populations of 30,000 or more, representing over 1,500 mayors. It delivers federal advocacy, peer networking, grant programs (DollarWise, Healthy and Sustainable Communities), policy research, and member resources such as the USCM Community portal and mobile app. The organization is funded through population-tiered membership dues and corporate partnerships via the Mayors Business Council.

Product overview

The United States Conference of Mayors is a non-partisan membership organization representing cities with populations of 30,000 or more. Rather than a unified technology platform, it offers a portfolio of member services, grant programs, advocacy initiatives, and resources including USCM Community (member portal), grant programs (DollarWise, Healthy and Sustainable Communities), the Local Infrastructure Hub, mobile app, and mayorship data products. The organization does not offer a traditional software product or SaaS platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DollarWise: Mayors for Economic Mobility: A program providing innovation grants to cities for economic mobility initiatives, now in its 22nd year, having awarded grants to over 100 cities nationwide.
• Healthy and Sustainable Communities Grant Program
• Mayors Business Council
• Award for Distinguished Public Service

Products and services

• USCM Community
• DollarWise: Mayors for Economic Mobility
• Healthy and Sustainable Communities Grant Awards
• Talent for Tomorrow: Digital Equity Challenge
• Local Infrastructure Hub
• USCM Mobile App
• Mayoral Data Products

Quantifiable outcome

• Cities account for 90.8% of national GDP and 88.2% of employment in the U.S.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JPMorgan Chase InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025Partnership with JPMorgan Chase Institute to publish research on downtown revitalization in San Francisco. The report documenting a 6.5% decline in retail establishments, 28% drop in sales tax revenue, and 4.6% decline in commercial transfer tax revenue since the pandemic was published in partnership with Axios and USCM as a model for other American cities facing similar post-pandemic challenges.
• Pets & Families Housing CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Coalition founded by HABRI, APPA, Independence Pet Holdings, Mars, and MCPP that convened U.S. mayors at the USCM Annual Meeting on June 5th in Long Beach, California to discuss barriers facing pet-owning families in accessing pet-inclusive housing. The roundtable brought together representatives from Atlanta, Long Beach, and Tucson to explore solutions around housing policy, rental practices, and community planning.
• Big Seven CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of nonpartisan state and local government associations including the National League of Cities, National Governors Association, and others. The meeting in Oklahoma City brought together governors, mayors, state legislators, and local government leaders to examine how federal, state, and local governments can exercise shared power in partnership. All seven associations affirmed commitment to improving information-sharing, coordinating engagement on federal over-reach, and advancing shared priorities on Capitol Hill.
• Mayors Business Council Corporate MemberscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate members including American Beverage Association, Globetrotter Travel Services, Major League Baseball, Partner America, and Walmart engage with mayors through the Business Council to create opportunities for member cities. The Council is the premier way for organizations to connect with and share know-how with America's cities.
• Local Infrastructure HubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational program designed to connect cities and towns with resources and expert advice to access federal infrastructure funding. The LIH hosts regular webinars featuring mayors, federal officials, and policy experts to highlight key BIL grant funding opportunities and shares best practices on project implementation. Also hosts regular application bootcamp sessions to help cities develop federal grant applications.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National League of Cities: The closest direct peer to USCM: a national membership association advocating on behalf of U.S. municipalities in federal policy. Unlike USCM's 30,000-population threshold, NLC serves cities of all sizes, making it both a substitute and a broader alternative for mayors and city officials.
• National Governors Association: The governors' counterpart to USCM, operating from Washington with a bipartisan forum structure, annual meeting, standing committees, and federal advocacy mission. It is one of the seven members of the Big Seven Coalition alongside USCM and serves as a structural analog for state-level executive officials.
• National Association of Counties: Represents U.S. county governments through federal advocacy, annual conferences, and member programs. Like USCM, it convenes local elected officials, drives policy engagement on Capitol Hill, and runs educational and grant-related programming for its members.
• National Conference of State Legislatures: The bipartisan organization serving state legislators across all 50 states. It is a structural peer of USCM in operating as a nonpartisan national forum, hosting major conferences, and conducting federal advocacy on behalf of elected subnational officials.
• Council of State Governments: A nonpartisan, interstate forum serving all three branches of state government. Comparable to USCM in its multi-state convening role, federalism policy focus, and standing-committee model, and is a fellow member of the Big Seven Coalition of nonpartisan state and local government associations.
• International City/County Management Association: The professional association for city and county managers, serving the appointed executives who run municipal governments day-to-day. Comparable to USCM in serving the U.S. local-government ecosystem, hosting national conferences, and providing training, research, and member resources.

Emerging players

• National Association of Towns and Townships: Represents small towns and townships — a constituency USCM's 30,000-population threshold excludes. It provides a complementary (rather than directly competitive) voice for smaller municipalities in federal advocacy, parallel to USCM's role for larger cities.
• International Municipal Lawyers Association: A nonpartisan organization of municipal legal professionals that engages with U.S. mayors and city attorneys on federal litigation, regulatory comment, and legal policy. It overlaps with USCM on local-government federalism issues and complements USCM's policy work for the legal side of city government.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce: The largest U.S. business federation, representing companies across sectors in federal advocacy. Comparable to USCM as a Washington-based institutional convener that aggregates member voices for federal policy influence, though its constituency is corporate rather than municipal.

Others

• Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program: A major think tank producing influential research on U.S. cities and metro economies (including data USCM references, such as the 90.8% GDP / 88.2% employment metric). It is not a membership association but functions as a thought-leadership peer whose research agenda shapes the same urban policy space USCM advocates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/usmayors
• YouTubeyoutube.com/usmayors
• Facebookfacebook.com/usmayors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/u.s.-conference-of-mayors
• Instagraminstagram.com/usmayors
• TikToktiktok.com/@usmayors

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United States Conference of Mayors