What Cities United does

Cities United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates as a national network of mayors and local officials committed to building comprehensive public safety ecosystems for young Black men and boys and their families. The organization, which is a project of Tides Center, supports jurisdictions in developing and implementing a systems-wide public safety strategy that combines the political will of elected and appointed officials with the public will of community-based organizations and young leaders. Cities United engages 130+ cities across the United States through an annual national convening, the Leading the Way Tour, Young Leader Summits, Roadmap Academy, and ongoing coaching and support. Documented outcomes include a 40% reduction in youth-involved shootings in key partner cities and engagement of 1,000+ young Black men and boys in programming.

Cities United does not develop or sell technology products; its core offerings are programmatic services — convenings, training academies, field coaching, policy support, and a resource library — rather than software or platforms. The underlying infrastructure is a network model rather than a technology platform, with distribution handled via direct field engagement, in-person events, email newsletters, and an organic social presence on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and SoundCloud.

The organization's revenue model is exclusively philanthropic: tax-deductible individual donations (including a monthly $15 giving program) plus a diversified portfolio of foundation and corporate grants. Disclosed core funders include The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ballmer Group, Casey Family Programs, Walmart.org, MBK Alliance, and Community Foundation of Louisville, alongside 15+ additional supporting philanthropic partners. There is no commercial pricing for products or services. Annual revenue is not publicly disclosed. Cities United is led by Executive Director Anthony D. Smith (in role since October 2015) with a leadership team of deputies and directors across Impact, Engagement, Policy and Healing, Black Male Achievement, and Strategic Coordination.

Name

Cities United

Legal name

Cities United

Website

https://citiesunited.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cities United is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2011 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that operates a national network of 130+ cities to build comprehensive public safety ecosystems for young Black men and boys through coaching, convenings, and policy support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Violence Prevention Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (624110), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Justice, At-Risk Youth & Violence Prevention Nonprofits (BPAGADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Housing, Urban/Regional Planning & Community Development (BPAIABAM), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Public safety networks
• Violence prevention programs
• Community engagement services
• Youth development initiatives
• Municipal policy advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville, Kentucky

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Cities United accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals, including a monthly giving program ($15/month campaign). The organization is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and a project of Tides Center.
2. Foundation and Corporate Grants: The organization is supported by a diverse range of foundations and corporate giving programs including The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Ballmer Group, Walmart.org, Casey Family Programs, and numerous others.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Cities United operates a national network that supports mayors and local officials in developing and implementing comprehensive public safety strategies focused on reducing community violence and creating pathways of opportunity for young Black men and boys. Core programmatic services include the National Network of 130+ jurisdictions, the Annual Convening, the Leading the Way Tour, Young Leaders Summits, Roadmap Academy, healing-centered engagement programs, and a resource library of guides and tools. The organization does not sell products but delivers capacity-building, coaching, peer learning, and policy advocacy to its member jurisdictions.

Product overview

Cities United is a nonprofit organization, not a technology product company. Its 'offerings' are programmatic services rather than software products: a national network connecting mayors and local officials committed to public safety for young Black men and boys; an annual convening; a resource library of guides and tools; the Leading the Way Tour; Young Leaders programming; Roadmap Academy; and policy/advocacy initiatives. No distinct brand, product, sub-product, module, or named commercial offering constitutes a discrete product in the traditional sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• National Network of Mayors and Local Officials A national network connecting mayors and local officials committed to building comprehensive public safety ecosystems designed to reduce community violence and create pathways for young Black men and boys and their families. Members receive coaching, peer learning, and ongoing support.
• Annual Convening An annual national gathering convening network leaders and practitioners committed to redefining public safety.
• Leading the Way Tour A mobile tour program that visits cities across the country to highlight local public safety initiatives and build network connections.
• Young Leaders Summits Quarterly gatherings bringing together youth advocates for networking, leadership development, and youth-led initiatives.
• Roadmap Academy An annual program building a shared vision for change with network participants.
• Resource Library An online collection of guides, tools, and resources that support jurisdictions in developing and implementing public safety strategies.
• Healing-Centered Engagement Programs Programs that integrate mental health, violence prevention, clinical insight, community wisdom, and policy change to advance healing, wellness, safety, and justice for communities and young Black men and boys.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% reduction in youth-involved shootings in key partner cities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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.

• Tides CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCities United is a project of Tides Center, which provides organizational infrastructure and administrative support as a fiscal sponsor

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MBK Alliance (My Brother's Keeper Alliance): MBK Alliance is a direct peer in that both organizations are national initiatives focused on improving outcomes for young men of color, with overlapping funder networks and shared mayor-level engagement. Both convene local officials and youth around safety, opportunity, and racial equity.
• Cure Violence Global: Cure Violence applies a public-health framework to gun violence reduction using trusted messengers and community-based interventionists. Its city-level violence interruption model is closely aligned with Cities United's ecosystem approach to reducing community violence.
• Roca: Roca provides behavior-change-based violence intervention programming for the young men most likely to be involved in violence, working with city and state partners. Comparable to Cities United's focus on young men of color and community-level outcomes.
• National Network for Safe Communities: Operates the Group Violence Intervention strategy and partners with cities on focused deterrence and community-driven violence reduction. It is a direct peer given shared methodology, city-level engagement, and focus on youth-involved gun violence.

Broad incumbents

• Everytown for Gun Safety: Everytown is a broad incumbent in the gun violence prevention space engaging mayors, cities, and states through policy advocacy and the Mayors Against Illegal Guns network. It overlaps with Cities United on mayoral engagement and gun violence outcomes, but at much larger scale and with a primarily legislative focus.
• National League of Cities: NLC is a broad municipal-government membership organization serving thousands of cities. It is comparable because Cities United's network model engages mayors around public safety, similar to how NLC convenes city leaders around shared priorities.
• National Urban League: National Urban League is a broad civil rights and social services incumbent working on economic empowerment, education, health, and justice for African Americans and other communities. Comparable given overlap in racial equity, youth development, and city-level program delivery.

Others

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major funder of Cities United's work and a leading philanthropy focused on children and family well-being, including juvenile justice and community safety. Listed as a peer because it shapes the funding landscape and program frameworks Cities United operates within.
• Center for American Progress: Progressive policy organization publishing research and advocacy on public safety, racial equity, and gun violence prevention. It is thematically adjacent — Cities United applies similar policy frameworks at the municipal level through direct practice.

Emerging players

• Vera Institute of Justice: Vera drives criminal justice reform and operates the SAFE (Sequential Intercept Model) and other community safety initiatives. Comparable as a system-change partner working with cities on jail reduction, diversion, and violence prevention reform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/citiesunited
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCB1nz0E_mynNZrFVv4omQWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/citiesunited
• Instagraminstagram.com/citiesunited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cities-united

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 Cities United