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
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
All-time grants received statistics from Candid dataset:
Total Grant Value:$547,558,024
Number of Grants:1,087
Number of Funders:254
Selection of highest value grants received from the last seven years:
Amount
Year
Funder
Subject
$65,000,000
2024
MacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott made an unrestricted grant of $65 million to Enterprise Community Partners. The gift reflects the impact and scale of Enterprise’s programs that create and preserve affordable housing, the organization’s essential role in solving the nation’s housing crisis, and validation of Enterprise’s unique model combining a nationwide investment platform with one of the largest housing advocacy operations in the country.
Mackenzie Scott made an unrestricted donation of $50 million to Enterprise Community Partners in support of its work to increase the supply of homes people can afford, to advance racial equity and dismantle the legacy of racism in housing, and to build resiliency and upward mobility for all. This grant is part of the $4,158,500,000 in gifts Scott made to 384 organizations across all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and economic crisis.
$14,314,931
2020
Assistant Secretary For Community Planning And Development
Section 4 capacity building for community development and affordable housing
Enterprise Community Partners (Enterprise) makes home and community places of pride, power, and belonging, as well as platforms for resilience and upward mobility for all. Our grant enables Enterprise to help rigorous Place Based Partnerships across the US assess the local landscape related to housing and the impact it has on educational outcomes, develop tools to identify and address local needs, and influence key policies at local, state, and federal levels
This grant provides support to Enterprise Community Partners for its CDO Fund that will provide operating support to Detroit community development organizations for three years.
$5,000,000
2022
The Gilbert Family Foundation
HOUSING ENTERPRISE COMMUNITY PARTNERS CDO HOME REPAIR
$5,000,000
2021
Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP)
Enterprise Community Partners announced a commitment of $5 million from the Community Investment Guarantee Pool (CIGP) in support of efforts to advance racial equity in housing. The funding will support Enterprise's Equitable Path Forward, a five-year, $3.5 Billion initiative aimed at increasing investments in Black, Indigenous, people of color, and other historically marginalized housing providers.
This grant provides support to Enterprise Community Partners for a CDO Fund that will provide operating support to Detroit community development organizations for three years.
Core support for the CDO Fund that provides support for community development organizations that engage in economic and community development, organizing, resident engagement, and social service projects that empowers Detroiters
To help at least 3,500 New Yorkers stay in their homes in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis through service connections and financial resources, including rent relief; to expand the capacity of community-based service providers to deliver eviction prevention services, including supports and services for those who otherwise would slip through the safety net, including undocumented immigrants and shadow economy workers.
