NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL

What NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL does

North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered at 2653 W. Ogden, Chicago, Illinois, operating as a community planning convener for the North Lawndale neighborhood on Chicago's West Side. Founded in 2016 by three co-chairs (Valerie F. Leonard, Rodney Brown, and Dennis Deer), NLCCC unifies nearly 300 community-based organizations, business owners, elected officials, and individual residents behind a single comprehensive planning process. The organization's flagship deliverable is the Quality of Life Plan, developed over 2016–2017 in partnership with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) and described as the first comprehensive plan for North Lawndale in more than 58 years; implementation formally began in July 2017. In 2025, NLCCC advanced as a finalist for the Chicago Prize with the 'Energizing an Economic Ecosystem for North Lawndale' initiative, a $45 million cluster of five community-led projects spanning environmental workforce training, early childhood development, cooperative business development, digital training and co-working, and youth social enterprise.

The organization's core technology is a WordPress-based website (nlcccplanning.org) used for community information dissemination, blog publishing, event listings, and meeting announcements, supplemented by an active social presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and an RSS feed. Revenue mechanics are entirely grant and partnership-driven; NLCCC charges no membership or participation fees and operates with a lean core team of seven employees plus committee members drawn from partner organizations. Distribution occurs through direct community engagement (committee meetings, planning conferences, public hearings) and a network of nearly 300 partner organizations spanning workforce development (North Lawndale Employment Network), business development (Lawndale Christian Development Corporation), digital training (New Covenant CDC's Innovation Center), urban agriculture (50+ community gardens across Gardeneers, NeighborSpace, CCA Academy PermaPark), occupational health research (UIC Center for Healthy Work), and transit advocacy (Citizens Taking Action for Transit Dependent Riders). Customer segments are geographic and mission-aligned — North Lawndale residents, local business owners, community-based organizations, and elected officials — rather than commercial buyers, and engagement is delivered through partnership and coordination rather than paid product distribution.

Name

NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL

Legal name

North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council

Website

https://nlcccplanning.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NLCCC is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that coordinates nearly 300 community organizations in North Lawndale through comprehensive planning, the Quality of Life Plan, and the $45M Chicago Prize 2025 'Energizing an Economic Ecosystem' initiative.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

NLCCC is a nonprofit coordinating body that leads comprehensive community planning and implementation for Chicago's North Lawndale neighborhood. It brings together approximately 300 community-based organizations, business owners, elected officials, and individual residents to develop the Quality of Life Plan and execute community-led development initiatives such as the $45 million Energizing an Economic Ecosystem program. The organization facilitates subcommittees addressing transportation, economic development, sports and recreation, capacity building, and arts and culture.

Product overview

The North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council (NLCCC) is a community-driven planning organization that does not operate as a traditional product company. Instead, it serves as a coordinating body for neighborhood revitalization initiatives, offering programs focused on comprehensive community planning, economic development, environmental sustainability, and youth empowerment. The organization's primary offerings include the Quality of Life Plan, the Energizing an Economic Ecosystem initiative (a $45M multi-project development plan), community gardens programming, and various subcommittees addressing transportation, economic development, health and wellness, and capacity building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Quality of Life Plan Comprehensive community planning document built on community assets, including strategies for economic development, transportation, recreation, housing, utilities, and sustainability. Developed for North Lawndale stakeholders and residents as a single guide for improving the neighborhood's built environment and quality of life.
• Comprehensive Planning Process Community-driven planning service determining goals and aspirations for transportation, utilities, land use, recreation, and housing development in North Lawndale. Conducted in partnership with CMAP through community surveys, planning conferences, and public engagement.
• Energizing an Economic Ecosystem for North Lawndale Comprehensive $45 million neighborhood investment initiative comprising five interconnected community-led projects: Pollinator Pavilion, One Lawndale Children's Discovery Center, 1600 Lawndale Business Hub, Innovation Center, and Sheila's @ Douglass 18.
• Pollinator Pavilion Environmental education and workforce training hub connecting youth and adults to land stewardship, sustainability careers, and urban ecotourism opportunities.
• One Lawndale Children's Discovery Center Early childhood learning center offering culturally affirming play-based learning, wellness programs, and parent support services for Lawndale families.
• 1600 Lawndale Business Hub Cooperative business development space supporting local entrepreneurs, creatives, and community leaders with talent development and shared wealth creation.
• Innovation Center Digital training, co-working space, and entrepreneurial support center helping residents start businesses, build networks, and develop technology skills.
• Sheila's @ Douglass 18 Youth-run cafe and mini-golf social enterprise providing job training, leadership development, and hands-on experience for young people in Douglass Park.
• Historic Community Gardens of North Lawndale Program highlighting the 50+ community gardens in North Lawndale and their contributions to green infrastructure, including open space, water management, soil health, and sustainability.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energizing an Ecosystem for North Lawndale project represents $45 million investment in five community-led projects including Pollinator Pavilion, One Lawndale Children's Discovery Center, 1600 Lawndale Business Hub, Innovation Center, and Sheila's @ Douglass 18

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• North Lawndale Employment NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lead partner for the Pollinator Pavilion project, an environmental education and workforce training hub connecting youth and adults to land stewardship and sustainability careers. NLCCC member organization.
• Lawndale Christian Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for the 1600 Lawndale Business Hub project, a co-op engine driving new energy into local businesses, food, and art of North Lawndale as part of the Energizing an Ecosystem initiative.
• New Covenant Community Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner for the Innovation Center project providing digital training, co-working space, and entrepreneurial support to help residents start businesses and build networks.
• One Lawndale Children's Discovery CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-lead organization for the One Lawndale Children's Discovery Center development, offering culturally affirming play-based learning, wellness programs, and parent support.
• Sheila's @ Douglass 18minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Youth-run café and mini-golf course in Douglass Park providing real-life training ground for young people to develop leadership skills through paid opportunities.
• Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 April 2016NLCCC partnered with CMAP to create a comprehensive Neighborhood Plan that provides stakeholders and residents with a single guide for improving the neighborhood's built environment and quality of life. CMAP provides technical assistance and planning expertise for the first comprehensive plan in over 50 years.
• GardeneerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago nonprofit providing full-service, customized school garden programs that manages Homan Rails Farm and Spaulding Memorial Garden in North Lawndale.
• CCA AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation partner managing PermaPark food forest using permaculture principles, with students, staff, and faculty involved in garden design and maintenance.
• NeighborSpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban garden land trust protecting community gardens including Betty Swan Community Arboretum and African Heritage Garden through permanent preservation agreements.
• North Lawndale Greening CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity committee managing MLK District Garden and Betty Swan Community Arboretum, working on neighborhood greening initiatives since the 1980s.
• Foundation for Homan SquareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit managing the historic Sears Sunken Garden, which received Historic Landmark status from the City of Chicago in 2014 and National Register of Historic Places designation.
• Chicago Sinai CongregationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSynagogue partnered with Historic Stone Temple Baptist Church to create the Stone Temple Peace Heritage Garden and education center.
• Historic Stone Temple Baptist ChurchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric church (Chicago Landmark) partnered to create community garden. Dr. Shemuel Israel serves as president of North Lawndale Greening Committee.
• Homan Grown, L3CminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise focused on propagating urban durable perennials and creating regenerative edible and ornamental landscapes, overseeing One Straw Community Garden.
• UIC School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with Center for Healthy Work for 5-year participatory research study on occupational health in North Lawndale and Little Village, funded by NIOSH/CDC.
• Center for Healthy Work at UICcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocuses on vulnerable workers experiencing occupational health disparities in precarious jobs. NLCCC leads North Lawndale participation in the study.
• Juvenile Protective Association (JPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization whose representatives presented at American Public Health Association's Annual Meeting on psychiatric rehospitalization outcomes for children in substitute care.
• Citizens Taking Action for Transit Dependent RidersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit advocacy group that shares announcements about RTA and CTA public hearings and budget meetings relevant to North Lawndale.
• Sankofa Safe Child InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization hosting technical assistance sessions and capacity building workshops for NLCCC members at Sankofa House location.
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIC's North Lawndale campus provides design collaborations with neighborhood organizations. Odile Compagnon serves as design advisor to NLCCC.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brighton Park Neighborhood Council: Chicago community council organizing residents, businesses, and institutions for neighborhood planning and development on the city's southwest side. Closest structural peer to NLCCC in terms of council-based governance, geographic focus, and comprehensive planning approach.
• The Resurrection Project: Chicago-based community development organization building economic vitality, affordable housing, and civic engagement in neighborhoods including Pilsen and Little Village — directly comparable mission, geographic footprint (nearby Chicago communities), and coalition-driven model.
• Austin Coming Together: Chicago West Side community collaborative coordinating institutions, residents, and businesses for collective impact in the Austin neighborhood — directly comparable convening role, coalition-based structure, and quality-of-life planning mandate.
• West Side United: Chicago West Side health equity and economic development coalition coordinating hospitals, universities, businesses, and community organizations — directly comparable multi-sector convening model anchored in West Side Chicago neighborhoods including North Lawndale.
• Greater Auburn Gresham Development Corporation: Chicago South Side CDC coordinating economic development, housing, and community planning in Auburn Gresham. Comparable coalition-based structure and community-led development mission, though focused on a different Chicago neighborhood.

Regional players

• Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago: Chicago-wide nonprofit providing neighborhood revitalization, affordable housing, and community development services. Comparable mission in community-led planning and economic development, though operating at citywide rather than single-neighborhood scale.
• Centers for New Horizons: Chicago-based nonprofit providing community development, early childhood education, and workforce services on the city's South Side. Comparable mission across NLCCC's portfolio (early childhood via Children's Discovery Center, workforce via Pollinator Pavilion) and similar Chicago focus.

Broad incumbents

• Chicago Community Trust: Regional community foundation that administers the Chicago Prize and funds community development across metropolitan Chicago. While NLCCC is a grantee/partner rather than competitor, the Trust represents the institutional counterparty NLCCC must engage to scale its ecosystem initiative.
• Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC): National community development financial institution that finances and coordinates community-led revitalization across the U.S. LISC operates at far greater scale than NLCCC but shares the role of convening nonprofits, businesses, and local government around neighborhood development — directly comparable mission and coalition-based model.

Emerging players

• Chicago United for Equity: Chicago business and civic coalition focused on racial equity and economic inclusion across Chicago communities. Comparable coalition-based approach to advancing community priorities through multi-stakeholder alignment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nlcccchicago
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council
• Facebookfacebook.com/NLCCCPlanning
• Instagraminstagram.com/nlccc2653
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nlccc

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 NORTH LAWNDALE COMMUNITY COORDINATING COUNCIL