Neighborhood Leadership Institute

What Neighborhood Leadership Institute does

Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) is a Cleveland, Ohio-based nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by Don Slocum that develops grassroots community leaders and strengthens neighborhoods across Greater Cleveland. Its programs are organized under four portfolio areas: Grassroots Leadership Development, Youth Development and Mentoring, Community Health Initiatives, and Recreation and Neighborhood Programming. Flagship offerings include Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland (NLC), a 16-week leadership training program delivered jointly with Cleveland State University's Levin College of Urban Affairs, and the True2U Mentoring Program, which pairs adult volunteers with 8th graders from all 66 Cleveland Metropolitan School District schools using the PACE curriculum. Additional programs include Youth Leadership Cleveland, Neighborhood Navigation for expecting and new mothers, the One Community initiative, Summer Tennis, and Schools as Neighborhood Resources, the longest-running school-community initiative in Cuyahoga County.

Name

Neighborhood Leadership Institute

Legal name

Neighborhood Leadership Institute

Website

https://neighborhoodleadership.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Neighborhood Leadership Institute is a Cleveland-based nonprofit founded in 1994 that develops grassroots community leaders through youth mentoring, leadership training, community health, and recreation programs across Greater Cleveland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Leadership Development

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGADAI

Youth Leadership, Civic Education & Service-Learning Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAB

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAJ

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGAEAL

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Community leadership development
• Youth mentoring programs
• Grassroots civic engagement
• Community health initiatives
• Recreation neighborhood 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 Contributions: Individual donations through PayPal and other channels support program operations.
2. Foundation and Funder Grants: Funding from foundations including The Nord Family Foundation, Cleveland Foundation, Saint Luke's Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation, and others.
3. Government Funding: Support from City of Cleveland Division of Recreation and Community Development Department.
4. Corporate Partnerships: Support from corporate funders including Parker Hannifin and United Way of Greater Cleveland.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Neighborhood Leadership Institute delivers a portfolio of free community programs across Greater Cleveland, organized around four pillars: Grassroots Leadership Development (notably the 16-week Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland course co-delivered with Cleveland State University), Youth Development & Mentoring (including the True2U Mentoring Program serving CMSD 8th graders), Community Health Initiatives (Neighborhood Navigation, One Community, infant mortality reduction), and Recreation & Neighborhood Programs (Summer Tennis, Schools as Neighborhood Resources).

Product overview

Neighborhood Leadership Institute offers a comprehensive suite of community-focused programs organized under four portfolio areas: Grassroots Leadership Development, Youth Development & Mentoring, Community Health Initiatives, and Recreation & Neighborhood Programming. The flagship offering is the Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland (NLC), a 16-week training program conducted in partnership with Cleveland State University. The organization operates multiple interconnected programs including True2U Mentoring for CMSD 8th graders, Youth Leadership Cleveland for high school students, and various health initiatives like Neighborhood Navigation and One Community. Additional offerings include the Community Book Club, NLI Live forums, Summer Tennis Program, and Schools as Neighborhood Resources (SNR). These programs work together to develop grassroots leaders, support youth development, promote community health, and strengthen neighborhoods across Greater Cleveland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland (NLC)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,500 alumni leaders developed since 1994
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supporting.

• Cleveland State University Levin College of Urban AffairscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Neighborhood Leadership Cleveland program. Provides curriculum support, faculty engagement, and institutional credibility. Jointly delivers the 16-week leadership training program.
• Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary education partner for True2U Mentoring (serving all 66 CMSD schools) and Youth Leadership Cleveland programs. Provides school access, student participation, and administrative support.
• City of Cleveland - Division of RecreationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partner providing funding, facilities at 21 recreation centers, and support for Youth Leadership Cleveland (selecting 5 students from each center annually) and Summer Tennis programs.
• Cuyahoga County Board of HealthimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic health partner supporting community health initiatives including infant mortality reduction programs.
• Central Promise NeighborhoodimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective impact initiative coordinating neighborhood revitalization efforts.
• Neighborhood ConnectionsimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleveland Foundation initiative supporting grassroots neighborhood development.
• Greater Cleveland PartnershipimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development organization supporting business and community partnerships.
• Cuyahoga Community CollegeimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting workforce development and community education programs.
• Youth Opportunities UnlimitedimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth development organization supporting employment and opportunity programs.
• Environmental Health WatchsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental health organization supporting community health initiatives.
• Rid-All Green PartnershipsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban agriculture and green initiative partner supporting community development.
• Starting PointsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly childhood and family services organization.
• Voices for Ohio's ChildrensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChild advocacy organization supporting youth programs.
• Greater Cleveland Career Consortium (GCCC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer development organization supporting workforce programs.
• The Shanahan Law FirmsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm providing pro bono or supported services for community programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Saint Luke's Foundation: Cleveland-based health-focused foundation supporting community health and equity initiatives. Comparable as a partner/funder with overlapping focus on maternal and infant health in the same neighborhoods NLI serves.
• Greater Cleveland Partnership: Regional economic development organization in Cleveland. Comparable as a partner organization supporting business and community partnerships in the same geography with overlapping civic engagement and community development focus.

Broad incumbents

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial intermediary supporting neighborhood revitalization across 38 markets. Comparable as a broader, established player in community leadership and neighborhood capacity-building with overlapping funder relationships.
• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit working on affordable housing and community development. Comparable as a broader incumbent offering overlapping capabilities in community leadership and neighborhood revitalization at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Neighborhood Connections: Cleveland Foundation initiative that funds and supports grassroots neighborhood leadership and resident-led projects. Directly comparable given shared focus on grassroots civic engagement in the same metro and overlapping funder relationships.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland: Cleveland-based youth development nonprofit serving youth across multiple sites with mentorship, leadership, and recreation programming. Comparable as a youth-serving organization combining mentoring, leadership development, and recreation in the same metro.
• Cleveland Neighborhood Progress: Cleveland-based community development nonprofit supporting neighborhood-based revitalization across the same geography. Directly comparable as a Cleveland-focused intermediary connecting residents, funders, and civic institutions for community improvement.
• Youth Opportunities Unlimited: Cleveland-based youth workforce development and opportunity nonprofit. Directly comparable as a partner organization serving overlapping youth populations with career exploration, mentoring, and leadership development.
• Central Promise Neighborhood: Cleveland collective impact initiative focused on cradle-to-career outcomes in the Central neighborhood. Directly comparable as a partner in neighborhood revitalization with overlapping resident leadership and youth development activities.

Emerging players

• Voices for Ohio's Children: Ohio statewide child advocacy organization. Comparable as a partner in youth-focused advocacy and policy work with partial overlap in the youth development and family support space NLI operates in.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NLICLE
• Facebookfacebook.com/NeighborhoodLeadership
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/neighborhood-leadership-institute-nli

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Neighborhood Leadership Institute