Center for Community Investment

What Center for Community Investment does

Center for Community Investment (CCI) is a U.S. nonprofit organization founded in 2017 and structured as a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, headquartered in Washington, D.C. The organization helps low-income communities and communities of color — along with the practitioners who serve them — transform their local investment ecosystems so that capital flows toward community-defined priorities rather than capital provider preferences. Its work spans seven focus areas: affordable housing, climate, community health, insurance, philanthropy, racial equity, and shared ownership.

CCI's core offering is the Capital Absorption Framework (CAF), a proprietary methodology that guides communities through defining a shared priority, building a project pipeline, and shaping the enabling environment (policies, practices, and capital flows). The framework underpins three leadership development programs — the Fulcrum Fellowship, Field Catalyst, and California Climate Leaders Fellowship — and four strategic initiatives: Connect Capital, Connecting Capital and Community (3C), Accelerating Investments for Healthy Communities, and the Sustainable Communities Investment Accelerator (SCIA). CCI also publishes a searchable resource library (case studies, research, toolkits, guides) and the interactive Community Real Estate Ownership (CREO) Ecosystem Map, co-developed with Viabosque.

CCI does not sell commercial products or services. It is funded by philanthropic grants from a concentrated set of institutional funders, including The Kresge Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., The California Endowment, Target Foundation, and Wells Fargo & Company. The organization distributes its influence through a resource library, monthly newsletter, social media channels, events and webinars, and speaking engagements. Leadership comprises co-founders Robin Hacke (Senior Fellow) and Marian Urquilla, Executive Director Omar Carrillo Tinajero (joined 2017, previously Director of Innovation and Learning and Director of Programs), Director of Programs Stephanie Tyree (2025), Director of Network and Influence Romi Hall, and Director of Finance & Operations Jacques Page.

Name

Center for Community Investment

Legal name

Center for Community Investment

Website

https://centerforcommunityinvestment.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for Community Investment is a nonprofit that helps low-income communities and communities of color transform their local investment ecosystems through its Capital Absorption Framework, leadership fellowships, and place-based initiatives, funded by philanthropic foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Community investment ecosystems
• Leadership development fellowships
• Capital absorption frameworks
• Community development programs
• Shared ownership models

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CCI designs and delivers leadership development fellowships (Fulcrum Fellowship, Field Catalyst, California Climate Leaders Fellowship), multisector place-based initiatives (Connect Capital, Connecting Capital and Community, Accelerating Investments for Healthy Communities, Sustainable Communities Investment Accelerator), and a proprietary Capital Absorption Framework that helps communities define shared priorities, build investment pipelines, and shape enabling conditions. Its programs serve community investment practitioners, philanthropic, nonprofit, public, and private sector leaders working to strengthen local investment ecosystems in historically disinvested communities.

Product overview

CCI is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and initiatives unified by its Capital Absorption Framework. The core offering is the Capital Absorption Framework, which guides three leadership development programs (Fulcrum Fellowship, Field Catalyst, and California Climate Leaders Fellowship) and four strategic initiatives (Connect Capital, Connecting Capital and Community, Accelerating Investments for Healthy Communities, and Sustainable Communities Investment Accelerator). CCI also provides a Resource Library containing publications, case studies, research, and tools, along with interactive resources like the Community Real Estate Ownership Ecosystem Map. The organization operates across seven focus areas: Affordable Housing, Climate, Community Health, Insurance, Philanthropy, Racial Equity, and Shared Ownership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Capital Absorption Framework

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

One partnership is on record.

• ViabosquesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI partnered with Viabosque to create the Community Real Estate Ownership (CREO) Ecosystem map, an interactive resource highlighting shared ownership models across sectors.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): LISC is one of the largest US community development intermediaries, deploying capital and capacity-building across affordable housing, health, and economic development — directly comparable to CCI's ecosystem approach to community investment.
• Enterprise Community Partners: Enterprise is a national nonprofit focused on affordable housing and community development through capital, policy, and practitioner capacity-building — a direct peer to CCI's housing-focused ecosystem work.
• NeighborWorks America: NeighborWorks is a national network supporting community development practitioners and affordable housing — directly comparable to CCI's practitioner-network and capacity-building model.
• Living Cities: Living Cities is a collaborative of foundations and financial institutions advancing equitable urban prosperity through cross-sector investment — directly comparable, and CCI co-founder Marian Urquilla previously led Living Cities' Integration Initiative.
• National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC): NCRC is a national coalition advancing fair access to credit and capital in underserved communities — a direct peer in community-investment advocacy and ecosystem work.
• PolicyLink: PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing racial and economic equity — a direct peer in equity-centered community investment and ecosystem-change work.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: Aspen Institute is a large nonprofit think tank running leadership and policy programs across multiple sectors — comparable as a broad nonprofit intermediary; CCI Director of Finance Jacques Page previously served there.
• Urban Institute: Urban Institute is a major research organization producing evidence on housing, community development, and economic mobility — comparable as a broader research and policy intermediary operating in CCI's domain.

Others

• The Kresge Foundation: Kresge is a major national foundation funding CCI and operating its own American Cities and community investment programs — comparable as a funder/peer ecosystem participant in community-investment grantmaking.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: RWJF is a major national health-focused foundation funding CCI's community-health investment work — comparable as a funder/ecosystem peer in health-aligned community investment.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCX7Fr-d1pOD5Og3-l9LuIXQ/videos?app=desktop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centerforcommunityinvestment

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Center for Community Investment