Key Points
- The Community Economic Development program provides funding to private, nonprofit community development corporations, including faith-based organizations and Tribal and Alaskan Native organizations.
- Funding for this program is available on an annual cycle.
- In addition to the CED grant program, there is a Community Economic Development Planning Grant Program that provides entities initial support to build capacity in preparation of CED grant.
- Learn more about active Community Economic Development project locations in your area.
FIM Opportunities
The Community Economic Development program is a federal grant program that expands employment for individuals with low income in communities facing persistent poverty and high unemployment by investing in community development corporations that create and expand businesses and job opportunities.
Jobs created with Community Economic Development funds provide living wages, paid leave, fringe benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition, employees are also connected to critical support services to remove barriers to long-term employment and economic mobility. And 75 percent of all of the jobs created with Community Economic Development funds are filled by individuals with low income.
Grocery stores are job creators and healthy food providers; without them, community residents would not have access to fresh food that they can afford. Access to healthy food is an important component of Food Is Medicine programs.
For an example of how these funds can be used to support increased access to healthy food, learn how Community Builders of Kansas City used Community Economic Development grant funds to prevent the Blue Parkway Sun Fresh grocery store from shutting its doors in Kansas City, Missouri. Now, the community has access to fresh, affordable, healthy food and 32 community members have reliable employment with benefits.
