Enterprise Community Partners, formerly the Enterprise Foundation, is a Columbia, Maryland-based nonprofit organization with offices nationwide that aims to create affordable housing for low-income people. 1
The group is a founder of Power Forward Communities, a coalition of nonprofits advocating expanded use of home weatherization and more energy efficient appliances in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Other founders include Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity International, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and United Way Worldwide. 2
In December 2024, MacKenzie Scott donated Enterprise Community Partners $65 million. 3
Background
Jim and Patty Rouse founded what eventually became Enterprise Community Partners in 1982. 4
The group works all over the United States and has offices in Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans, the District of Columbia, New York, San Francisco, Cleveland, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. 5
Advocacy
Enterprise Community Partners advocates increased federal housing tax credits, reforms to qualified contracts and right of first refusal provisions for homes financed through the federal housing credit to prevent investors from buying those homes, establishing a neighborhood homes tax credit, and increasing federal spending on housing programs. 6
On racial policy, the group advocates for reforms to the Community Reinvestment Act that encourages banks to lend to racial minorities, for expanded funding for rental choice vouchers, for opposing source of income discrimination, for removing exclusionary zoning which protects single-family homes, for restricting the ability of landlords to evict tenants, for more spending on social programs, for more community-owned housing developments, for expanding tax credits to improve charter-school facilities, for improving the quality of manufactured homes, and for expanding Opportunity Zone legislation. 6
On climate policy, the group supported the Biden administration-backed Inflation Reduction Act spending bill which increased spending on energy efficiency and weather-dependent energy such as wind and solar. The group supports increased disaster recovery spending, congressionally mandated stronger building codes and a requirement that federally funded homes be powered with weather-dependent energy, and increased resilience to climate change. 6
The group is a founder of Power Forward Communities, a coalition of nonprofits advocating for expanded use of home weatherization and more energy efficient appliances in low-income and disadvantaged communities. Other founders include Rewiring America, Habitat for Humanity International, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and United Way Worldwide. 2
In April 2024, the group along with the Funders Together to End Homelessness and the National Alliance to End Homelessness filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the Johnson vs. Grants Pass case opposing the power of cities and towns to ban public camping by the homeless. 7
Funding
According to Enterprise Community Partners’ 2023 tax return, the group received $23,391,198 from governments. 8
The Kresge Foundation, Ford Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundations, Ballmer Group, and the Gilbert Family Foundation are funders of Enterprise Community Partners. 9
Among other funders of the group are many businesses and foundations including the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 10
Between 1982 and 2017, the MacArthur Foundation gave $15,307,400 to the group. 11
In June 2024, Pinnacle Financial Partners announced a $10 million investment in the group. 12
In December 2024, MacKenzie Scott donated the group $65 million to support its work. She previously gave $50 million in 2020. 3
Leadership
The president and CEO of Enterprise Community Partners is Shaun Donovan. He was hired in September 2023. He previously served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and the director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget under President Barack Obama. 13
The chair of the board of directors is former U.S. Representative Rick Lazio (R-NY). He is an attorney who helps companies claim federal tax credits. 14
Financials
According to Enterprise Community Partners’ 2023 tax return, the group had $110,122,180 in revenue, $113,542,808 in expenses, and $913,170,085 in assets. 8
That year, the group gave many donations and grants to groups involved in affordable housing, with its largest grant given to Enterprise Community Development in the amount of $5,810,553. 8
References
- “What We Do.” Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 20, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/about/what-we-do.
- Power Forward Communities, Accessed December 9, 2024. https://powerforwardcommunities.org/
- “Mackenzie Scott Bolsters Affordable Housing Efforts.” Housing Finance Magazine, December 2, 2024. https://www.housingfinance.com/news/mackenzie-scott-bolsters-affordable-housing-efforts_o.
- “How It All Started.” How It All Started | Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/about/how-it-all-started.
- “Where We Work.” Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/about/where-we-work
- “2023 Public Policy Priorities.” Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/sites/default/files/2023-03/2023-002 2023 Policy Priorities – R4[32].pdf.
- “National Alliance to End Homelessness, Funders Together to End Homelessness, and Enterprise Community Partners File Amicus Brief in Support of the Rights of the Homeless in Landmark Supreme Court Case.” National Alliance to End Homelessness, April 3, 2024. https://endhomelessness.org/media/press-releases/national-alliance-to-end-homelessness-joins-funders-together-to-end-homelessness-and-enterprise-community-partners-to-file-amicus-brief-in-support-of-the-rights-of-the-homeless-in-landmark-supreme-co/.
- “Enterprise Community Partners Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/521231931/202401919349301485/full.
- “Enterprise Community Partners Announces $23.7M for 32 Detroit Community Development Organizations.” Kresge Foundation, February 7, 2024. https://kresge.org/news-views/enterprise-community-partners-announces-23-7m-for-32-detroit-community-development-organizations/.
- “Funders.” Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/funders.
- “Enterprise Community Partners.” MacArthur Foundation. Accessed December 27, 2024. https://www.macfound.org/grantee/enterprise-community-partners-210/.
- “Pinnacle Invests $10 Million in Enterprise Community Partners’ CDFI.” Pinnacle Financial Partners, June 12, 2024. https://www.pnfp.com/news/news-releases/pinnacle-invests-10-million-in-enterprise-community-partners-cdfi/.
- “Enterprise Community Partners Names Shaun Donovan as Chief Executive Officer and President.” PR Newswire: press release distribution, targeting, monitoring and marketing, June 5, 2023. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/enterprise-community-partners-names-shaun-donovan-as-chief-executive-officer-and-president-301842586.html.
- “Rick Lazio, Chair.” Enterprise Community Partners. Accessed December 9, 2024. https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/about/rick-lazio-chair.