Programs and Initiatives

The work we fund, the work we walk alongside

Demo Nonprofit builds and backs long-running programs in six sectors that shape whether a community can hold together: early learning, workforce, health, housing, food, and civic life. We commit to neighborhoods for years, not quarters, and we measure what changes for the families who live there.

How our programs are built

Long horizons, flexible dollars, evidence in the open.

Most funders chase the trend cycle. Two-year grants, narrow logic models, new strategic priorities every leadership change. The organizations doing the actual work spend their best people writing reports about work they have not yet had time to finish.

Our programs are designed against that pattern. Commitments run five to ten years. General operating support is the default, not the exception. Every initiative is paired with an independent research partner so the lessons travel beyond our portfolio. And every program is co-designed with the communities it serves before a dollar moves.

Slower to launch. Steadier to last. Honest about what works.

Flagship initiatives

Four programs anchoring our 2026 portfolio

These are the multi-year initiatives we fund, staff, and steward directly. Each is in its third year or beyond, paired with an external evaluation partner, and built to outlast our involvement.

Education7-year commitment

The Rising Scholars Initiative

A college access and persistence program serving 1,200 first-generation students across 14 partner high schools. Students join in 10th grade and stay supported through their second year of college.

One-on-one advising from a coach who stays with them for seven years
Direct emergency aid for tuition, transit, books, and rent
89 percent college enrollment, 71 percent retained after sophomore year

Read the program brief

HealthPooled fund

Healthy Neighborhoods Fund

A pooled philanthropic fund backing community-based health partnerships in eight metro regions. We bring local health systems, community clinics, and resident-led organizations to the same table and resource the plan they build together.

52 community partners co-funded across eight regions
Resident advisory boards govern grantmaking in every region
Independent evaluation by the Urban Institute

Read the program brief

WorkforceLearning network

Pathways Workforce Collaborative

A national learning network of 23 workforce development organizations sharing practices on adult skills training, employer partnerships, and wage outcomes. Members share data, curriculum, and lessons across cities.

23 member providers reaching 9,400 adult learners annually
Shared outcomes dashboard tracking wages 12 and 24 months out
Open-source curriculum and employer playbooks

Read the program brief

CivicSince 2019

Civic Bridge Program

A leadership accelerator for community organizers and neighborhood leaders. Cohorts spend nine months building skills in coalition-building, public budgeting, and policy navigation, then return to their communities with a small project fund.

340 organizers trained across 28 states since 2019
Each fellow returns with a 15,000-dollar project fund
Alumni network actively organizing in 94 cities

Read the program brief

Where we work

Eight program areas, one community lens

We invest in the sectors that determine whether a family can stay housed, fed, healthy, and connected. These eight areas frame every grant we make and every initiative we operate.

Early Learning

Pre-K access, family literacy, and school-readiness programs in under-resourced neighborhoods.

Workforce Pathways

Adult education, job training, and career navigation for workers shut out of growth sectors.

Health Access

Community clinics, mental health services, and prevention programs in medically underserved areas.

Housing Stability

Eviction prevention, rental assistance, and supportive housing for families on the edge.

Food Security

Community pantries, school meal programs, and neighborhood nutrition education.

Civic Leadership

Youth leadership pipelines, neighborhood organizing, and the practical skills of civic life.

Arts and Culture

Community arts programs, cultural preservation, and the spaces where neighborhoods see themselves.

Family Stability

Family support services, kinship care, and the wraparound resources that keep households whole.

Get involved

Three ways to work with us

We do not run our programs alone. The community-based nonprofits we fund and the donors who fund us are the reason any of this work happens. Here is how to step in.

Partner with Us

For community-based nonprofits seeking multi-year general operating support, capacity investment, or a research partner. We accept letters of inquiry on a rolling basis from organizations in our eight program areas.

Submit a letter of inquiry

Fund a Program

For individual donors, family offices, and institutional funders ready to co-invest. Join a pooled fund, sponsor a single initiative end-to-end, or build a custom giving plan with our program team.

Talk to our development team

Join the Field

For practitioners, researchers, and policy partners. We co-publish evaluations with academic partners, share data with peer funders, and convene practitioners across our portfolio twice a year.

Connect on a collaboration

A note on what we are and are not

Demo Nonprofit is not a direct service provider. We do not run shelters, operate clinics, or deliver classroom instruction. Every program on this page exists because a community-based nonprofit is doing the actual work on the ground. Our role is to resource them well, stay out of their way, and tell the story of what they achieve.

Reach our program team