Economic & Community Development

We help local leaders create more prosperous and equitable communities through strategic economic and community development by providing resources and support to lay the foundations of economic mobility – housing affordability, thriving small businesses, vibrant neighborhoods, access to capital, and career pathways in growth industries. We identify and share innovative solutions, create collaborative learning communities supported by national experts, and deliver specialized technical assistance that drives meaningful local impact.

Current Initiatives

Opportunity Zone Resources
for Local Leaders

AFA released the Opportunity Zones Designation Toolkit to give local leaders a guide for assessing and identifying their communities’ high-priority tracts for Opportunity Zones 2.0. Throughout 2026, AFA will be releasing policy briefs and case studies that detail promising models to align local policies, incentives, and market engagement strategies.

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Economic Opportunity Accelerators

Accelerator for America’s Economic Opportunity Accelerators (“Accelerators”) initiative connects a diverse network of local leaders with the collaborative learning, expert insights, and resources needed to develop and implement innovative solutions that accelerate economic mobility and opportunity in communities throughout the country. Through this growing network of more than 900 leaders across 120+ communities, the initiative brings together cross-sector practitioners who are committed to sharing solutions and accelerating economic progress.

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Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers to small business growth, particularly for entrepreneurs of color. AFA is an active partner in the Milken Institute’s Initiative for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, helping bring the perspective of mayors and local leaders to national capital access strategies. AFA and the International Economic Development Council co-published two reports addressing equitable capital access and other critical elements of the entrepreneurial and small business ecosystem that are necessary to foster inclusive growth.

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New Growth Initiative Small and Midsized Cities Hub Partnership

New Growth Innovation Network selected AFA as its strategic outreach partner to support the Small and Midsized Cities (SMC) Hub. The SMC Hub offers technical assistance, programming, and strategic funding opportunities to support economic and community leaders in cities with populations between 30,000 and 500,000.

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Impact Stories

RIVERSIDE, CA

AFA provided technical assistance to Riverside by developing an Inclusive Development Action Plan (IDAP), which outlines how local leaders can leverage the region’s economic strengths to benefit all residents. This plan serves as a model for similar work in other cities. Additionally, AFA supported Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson, Chair of the California Big City Mayors Coalition, at the coalition’s inaugural summit, facilitating discussions and policy planning on critical issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, and economic competitiveness.

ALLENTOWN, PA

The City of Allentown set an ambitious goal to reduce prime-age unemployment from 12% to 5% by 2030, supported by a $20 million federal Recompete grant. AFA provided essential technical assistance, helping local leaders establish rigorous KPIs and evaluation tools to track progress and ensure grant accountability. Additionally, through a partnership with AFA Harvard-based research and policy institute Opportunity Insights provided research resources that inform data-driven strategies for improving childcare access and integrating economic opportunity into their violence prevention strategy, ensuring all residents can benefit from regional growth.

KANSAS CITY, MO

AFA provides capacity building and technical assistance to Kansas City, partnering with Mayor Quinton Lucas, philanthropy, and regional government to promote equitable infrastructure, workforce, and economic growth. AFA helped the city secure a federal designation for the Kansas City BioHub – one of 31 Tech Hubs in the nation – attracting over $54 million in grant funding. Additionally, AFA designed an “Investment Playbook” for regional economic growth. The playbook includes the Critical Materials Crossroads initiative, which earned a National Science Foundation grant to establish a hub for critical materials innovation, commercialization, and workforce.

"When I first became mayor in 2020, we had virtually no economic development staff in the City of Riverside. AFA brought an opportunity for me to actually build out capacity to do economic development with a playbook."
Patricia Lock Dawson
Patricia Lock DawsonMayor of Riverside, CA
“Accelerator has been a thought partner. It's been a convener that helps us connect with other people who might have faced a similar challenge and come up with a novel solution.”
Matthew Tuerk
Matthew TuerkMayor of Allentown, PA
"Accelerator for America brings mayors together to be able to have the know-how, the resources, and the technical expertise to make a meaningful difference in their communities."
Rex Richardson
Rex RichardsonMayor of Long Beach, CA

Latest Updates

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  • Newsletters
  • Newsletters
  • | Featured

AFA adds local elected, national philanthropic leaders to its Advisory Council

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Newsletters
| Economic & Community Development, Housing, Transit & Infrastructure
  • Newsletters
  • | Economic & Community Development, Housing, Transit & Infrastructure

The Expanding Mandate: Rethinking Economic Development for People and Place

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Reports
| Economic & Community Development, Housing
  • Reports
  • | Economic & Community Development, Housing

Public Assets Corporations Playbook

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Newsletters
| Economic & Community Development, Housing
  • Newsletters
  • | Economic & Community Development, Housing

From Grantmaking to Game-Changing: How Community Foundations Can Shape Local Housing

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