Urban League of Greater Cleveland

What Urban League of Greater Cleveland does

The Urban League of Greater Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community-based organization founded in 1917, operating as one of 92 affiliates of the National Urban League. It is headquartered at 2930 Prospect Ave E in Cleveland, Ohio, and serves Black Americans and other underrepresented communities of color in the Greater Cleveland region. Its mission is to eliminate racial, economic, and societal barriers by ensuring equitable access to civil rights, education, workforce development, and economic empowerment.

The organization's service portfolio is organized around nine program lines: the Financial Opportunity Center (financial coaching, job training, and economic support), Education & Youth Development (college and career readiness), the Entrepreneurship Center and UBIZ Venture Capital (coaching, mentoring, pitch competitions, the Business Growth Institute, and the Black Restaurant Accelerator and Black Women in Retail Accelerator Programs), Small Business Development Centers, Minority Business Assistance Centers, Workforce Development, Family School Engagement, and the Reclaim Your Vote civic engagement initiative. Programs are delivered through the Cleveland headquarters and through community partners, with named collaborators including JPMorgan Chase, LISC Cleveland, OhioMeansJobs|Cleveland-Cuyahoga County, the Huntington Convention Center, and Charter Communications.

The revenue model is a nonprofit mix: individual donations and tax-deductible membership contributions, foundation and corporate grants supporting specific programs (e.g., $500,000 from JPMorgan Chase for the Business Growth Institute; $1.2 million from LISC Cleveland for the Financial Opportunity Centers network; recurring Charter Communications sponsorship in 2023 and 2024), and United Way support. There is no commercial pricing model; services are provided to the community, and beneficiaries include individuals, families, minority-owned small businesses, and job seekers. The organization is led by President & CEO Marsha A. Mockabee, with Kevin Clayton (Rock Entertainment Group) serving as Board Chair following the May 2023 passing of former CEO Myron F. Robinson. The Urban League of Greater Cleveland does not produce proprietary technology products and has no disclosed revenue figure.

Name

Urban League of Greater Cleveland

Legal name

Urban League of Greater Cleveland

Website

https://www.ulcleveland.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Urban League of Greater Cleveland is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1917 and affiliated with the National Urban League that delivers programs in workforce development, education, entrepreneurship, financial opportunity, and civic engagement to Black Americans and underserved communities across Greater Cleveland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Development & Neighborhood Revitalization (CDBG, Place-Based Initiatives) (BPAIANAE), Community & Adult Education (Municipal/Community Schools) (EDAAAEAB), Civic Education & Community Engagement (Voting, Local Government) (EDAAAFAC)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Workforce development programs
• Small business assistance
• Financial opportunity services
• Youth education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Contributions: Individual and organizational donations and membership fees support the organization's programs and services. All membership contributions are tax-deductible.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Grant funding from foundations and corporations to support specific programs such as the Financial Opportunity Centers, Black Restaurant Accelerator, and Business Growth Institute.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Urban League of Greater Cleveland delivers community-based programs that eliminate racial, economic, and societal barriers for Black Americans and other underserved communities in Greater Cleveland. Its core offerings include financial coaching and job training (Financial Opportunity Center), youth and college-readiness education (Education & Youth Development), entrepreneurship and small business support (Entrepreneurship Center, SBDC, MBAC, UBIZ Venture Capital), workforce development, family-school engagement, and civic engagement through the Reclaim Your Vote initiative.

Product overview

The Urban League of Greater Cleveland offers a portfolio of community programs focused on economic empowerment, education, and civil rights. The core offerings include the Financial Opportunity Center for financial stability services, Education & Youth Development for college and career readiness, the Entrepreneurship Center and UBIZ Venture Capital for business development and funding, Small Business Development Centers and Minority Business Assistance Centers for business support, Workforce Development for employment services, Family School Engagement for educational support, and the Reclaim Your Vote civic engagement initiative. These interconnected programs work together to address barriers faced by Black Americans and underserved communities through education, economic empowerment, and civil rights advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Financial Opportunity Center

Quantifiable outcome

• 14 Black women-owned businesses received coaching, mentoring, and training through Black Women in Retail Accelerator Program
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UBIZ Venture CapitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to support minority entrepreneurs through UBIZ programs including Black Restaurant Accelerator and Business Growth Institute.
• National Urban LeaguecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliation with National Urban League network of 92 affiliates, providing shared resources, best practices, and national conference opportunities.
• 100 Black Men of Greater ClevelandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarding organization recognizing Urban League leadership for economic empowerment contributions.
• Huntington Convention CenterminorOthersVenue partner for NUL Conference 2025 events including Career Fair, Community Family Day Expo, and State of the Urban League Address.
• OhioMeansJobs|Cleveland-Cuyahoga CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for career fair and job expo events supporting workforce development initiatives.
• Black Women in Retail Accelerator ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partnership to provide coaching, mentoring, and training to 14 Black women-owned businesses.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Urban League: Parent/umbrella network of the 92 Urban League affiliates nationwide. Operates the same civil-rights, workforce, and economic-empowerment mission at a national scale, sets shared policy agenda, and convenes the annual conference that the Cleveland affiliate hosts in 2025.
• NAACP: National civil-rights organization with overlapping mission on racial equity, civic engagement, and economic justice. Compares to Urban League's civil-rights advocacy and Reclaim Your Vote voter-registration work, though NAACP focuses more on legal/litigation.

Regional players

• Cleveland Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the U.S. and a major Cleveland-area funder. Shares the Greater Cleveland geography and mission of supporting community development, education, and economic opportunity, and is a likely co-funder with Urban League on aligned initiatives.
• JumpStart Inc. Cleveland-based economic development organization supporting entrepreneurs and small businesses. Closely comparable on the Entrepreneurship Center and UBIZ Venture Capital programming serving minority-owned businesses in the same geography.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Cleveland's leading chamber of commerce and economic-development convener. Comparable as a regional partner on workforce development and minority business inclusion, though operating primarily as a business-membership organization rather than a direct service provider.

Direct peers

• United Way of Greater Cleveland: Cleveland-area nonprofit focused on poverty reduction, education, and financial stability through a network of partner agencies. Directly comparable as a community-led funder/service coordinator with overlapping program domains in workforce and financial empowerment.
• Chicago Urban League: One of the largest affiliates within the same National Urban League network, operating in Chicago with analogous workforce, entrepreneurship, and education programs. Most direct functional peer along program portfolio, target population, and operating model.
• YWCA of Greater Cleveland: Cleveland-based nonprofit providing workforce development, education, and family support services to underserved populations. Directly comparable regional peer with overlapping programs in workforce training and community empowerment.

Emerging players

• Hispanic Chamber of Columbus / Ohio Hispanic Chamber: Minority-business focused chamber serving Hispanic entrepreneurs in Ohio. Comparable mission in supporting minority-owned business growth, though narrower geographic and demographic focus than Urban League of Greater Cleveland.
• PolicyBridge: Cleveland-area public-policy and advocacy organization focused on the Black community and racial equity. Directly comparable as a local peer on civic engagement and civil-rights advocacy content (referenced as partner content on the Urban League site).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ulcleveland
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcleveland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-league-of-greater-cleveland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Urban League of Greater Cleveland