Neighborhood Partnership Program

What is the Neighborhood Partnership Program?

The Neighborhood Partnership Program is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and is aimed at developing distressed communities by providing tax incentives to businesses that give substantial, long-term (at least five year) contributions to low-income communities.

Why is the Neighborhood Partnership Program needed?

Low-income neighborhoods need vision, dedication and a steady source of funding to create changes. This program provides the long-term private investments needed for sustained community development. NeighborhoodsNow adds value to this program as the broker between corporations and community development corporations. We provide technical assistance to nonprofits seeking to apply for this program. We also conduct due diligence for corporations seeking to make investments in communities. Our expertise with the creation of these public-private partnerships makes it a win-win situation for everyone.

Current Projects

Since January 2007, NeighborhoodsNow has helped to secure $1.5 million in private funds to support development in low-income communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia region. Formal partnerships in the region include:
  • Sovereign Bank and Hispanic Association of Contractors and Enterprises
  • Wachovia Bank and People's Emergency Center
  • Wachovia Bank and the Spanish American Civic Association
  • Wachovia Bank and the Housing Association and Development Corporation of Allentown
  • PNC Bank and Project H.O.M.E.
  • Citizen's Bank and Nueva Esperanza

Future Projects

NeighborhoodsNow staff is meeting with various potential corporate sponsors to see of their interest in specific neighborhoods or communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia Region. For more information about the Neighborhood Partnership Program, please contact info@neighborhoodsnowphila.org.

Results/Lessons Learned

Although the Neighborhood Partnership Program is a statewide initiative, Philadelphia—home to ten of the 20 initial partnerships—supported this initiative more than any other region during the first 10 years.

For more information about the history and the lessons learned of the program, download the Neighborhood Partnership Program brochure [60K PDF].