Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative

What Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative does

Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1994 in partnership with the Los Angeles Mayor's Office to deliver community-driven neighborhood revitalization in historically under-invested areas of Los Angeles County. Over 30+ years, LANI has raised and leveraged more than $230 million to deliver physical infrastructure improvements — parks, open spaces, sidewalks, street trees, pedestrian plazas, transit hubs, bike lanes, lighting, bus shelters, and commercial corridor façades — across 56 neighborhoods, with neighborhoods also attracting $49 million in follow-on private investment. Its core offering, "the LANI Model," combines turn-key capital project management with deep community engagement through steering committees, technical advisory committees, walk audits, and workshops, positioning LANI as a trusted intermediary between municipal government and residents. LANI also manages Business Improvement Districts (Byzantine-Latino Quarter Pico BID since 2006 and West Adams BID since 2021), produces training toolkits for other cities and CBOs, runs an annual Community Forum, and partners with LA County Public Health's Step by Step pedestrian safety program.

The organization's business model is grant- and donation-funded: tax-deductible contributions from individuals and organizations, federal/state/local government allocations for planning and construction, and foundation grants (e.g., Water Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Urban Institute). LANI does not charge fees for community engagement services and does not develop or license proprietary technology; its differentiation is methodological and relationship-based, supported by six regional industry awards and a Presidential Commendation from Bill Clinton. Governance is provided by a board of directors including urban planning, landscape architecture, public affairs, and civic infrastructure executives, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Veronica Hahni (in role since 2009) and a small program, development, and capital projects staff. Current and recent initiatives include the Rain Ready Streets stormwater program (with Water Foundation and Herrera Inc.), Design Justice in Watts, Western Gage Community Park, and sidewalk repair partnerships with LA City Council offices.

Name

Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative

Legal name

Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative

Website

https://lani.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative (LANI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1994 that delivers community-driven neighborhood revitalization — parks, sidewalks, transit, and business corridor improvements — across 56 historically under-invested Los Angeles neighborhoods, funded by grants, government allocations, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Community development services
• Neighborhood revitalization programs
• Community engagement consulting
• Public space planning
• Pedestrian safety infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: LANI accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations to support their neighborhood improvement work. They are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with Tax ID 95-4481955.
2. Grants and Government Funding: LANI has raised and leveraged over $230 million in funding, including federal, state, and local government funds for planning and construction projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LANI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers community-driven neighborhood revitalization projects across Los Angeles County. It combines expert project management with deep community outreach to plan, fund, and construct physical improvements including parks, open spaces, business corridors, sidewalks, pedestrian plazas, transit hubs, and streetscape enhancements in historically under-invested neighborhoods. The organization also manages Business Improvement Districts and produces educational toolkits on community engagement, sidewalk repair, and stormwater management.

Product overview

LANI is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of community development services centered on its core LANI Model—a combination of expert project management with deep community outreach that empowers local stakeholders. The organization provides direct project delivery (LANI Projects) including parks, sidewalks, pedestrian infrastructure, and business corridor improvements; manages Business Improvement Districts; and produces educational resources including the Community Engagement Toolkit, Sidewalk Repair Guide, and Rain Ready Streets Toolkit. Programs like the annual Community Forum and Training and Capacity Building services disseminate LANI's community engagement expertise to partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rain Ready Streets: A community-driven project focused on neighborhood solutions to improve water quality and keep water local in Los Angeles, working with residents in Historic Filipinotown and Western and Gage areas.
• Design Justice: Ted Watkins Memorial Park

Products and services

• LANI Projects Comprehensive project management and community engagement service that delivers completed neighborhood improvement projects, including parks, open spaces, pedestrian plazas, business corridors, transit hubs, and sidewalk environments across Los Angeles County.
• Business Improvement District (BID) Management Administrative and strategic leadership service for Business Improvement Districts that fosters economic development in historically underserved areas, including the Byzantine-Latino Quarter Pico BID and West Adams BID.
• Step by Step Pedestrian Plans Community engagement service delivered in partnership with LA County Public Health's Step by Step program to develop pedestrian safety plans for unincorporated neighborhoods.
• Sidewalk Repair and Improvements Sidewalk repair and street tree planting service delivered in partnership with City of Los Angeles Council offices to restore aging sidewalks eroded by tree roots and wear in underserved neighborhoods.
• Commercial Corridor Façade Improvements Service that transforms aging commercial districts through façade improvements, public art, lighting, and streetscape enhancements, currently underway in JEDI Zones throughout the City of LA.
• Training and Capacity Building Targeted training and capacity-building service for community-based organizations and municipal departments, focusing on inclusive community engagement practices.
• Community Forum LANI's annual forum that brings together neighborhood leaders, activists, experts from city and county departments, community-based organizations, and the private sector for networking and knowledge sharing. Free to attend.

Quantifiable outcome

• $230 million+ raised and leveraged for neighborhood improvements
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and foundational.

• Herrera Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2025Technical partner for the Rain Ready Streets project, working with LANI and residents in Historic Filipinotown and Western and Gage neighborhoods to develop stormwater management solutions.
• LA County Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2016, LANI has been a partner of LA County Public Health's Step by Step program, spearheading community engagement in unincorporated neighborhoods for pedestrian safety plans.
• Los Angeles Mayor's OfficefoundationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerLANI was founded in 1994 as a demonstration project in partnership with the LA Mayor's Office to address systemic challenges in underserved Los Angeles neighborhoods.
• City of Los Angeles Council OfficescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLANI partners with City Council offices to restore sidewalks eroded by tree roots and wear and tear since 2014, expediting essential repairs in underserved areas.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• GreenInfo Network: California-based nonprofit that supports planning, conservation, and community development with data, mapping, and analysis tools — adjacent to LANI's urban planning work but more data/tech oriented.
• Urban Institute: National research organization that studies and supports equitable community development; a current LANI co-grantor and adjacent partner in place-based research and policy work.

Direct peers

• Enterprise Community Partners: National nonprofit that combines capital, policy, and community development expertise to revitalize under-invested neighborhoods — operates a similar model of pairing community engagement with infrastructure and housing investment.
• Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles: LA-focused housing and neighborhood revitalization nonprofit that combines volunteer engagement with physical construction projects — comparable community-driven built-environment model in the same geography.
• Inclusive Action for the City: LA-based community development financial institution serving low-income entrepreneurs and neighborhoods; comparable in geography, mission, and reliance on government/foundation capital.
• The Trust for Public Land: National nonprofit focused on creating parks and protecting land for people, with strong activity in LA. Comparable to LANI's park, open-space, and green-infrastructure project delivery in underserved communities.
• LA Más: LA-based nonprofit design and policy organization that works directly with underserved communities on equitable planning, housing, and public space — highly comparable local peer competing for similar municipal and foundation funding.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National CDFI that finances and supports neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and community development projects — directly comparable to LANI in mission and grant/leveraged-capital model, but at much larger national scale.

Others

• Center for Community Innovation (USC): USC-based research and practice center focused on equitable development in LA — adjacent academic peer producing research and tools that complement LANI's community engagement work.

Broad incumbents

• Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA): Public agency administering housing and community development programs countywide — overlaps with LANI's mission but as a much larger government entity with different funding structure and mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/rainreadystreets.harvardpark
• Xx.com/laniorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/LANIorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/los-angeles-neighborhood-initiative

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Los Angeles Neighborhood Initiative