diverse work group

Southern Cities Economic Initiative

Expanding Capacity, Building Resilience

Every day, municipal leaders across the South navigate complex economic challenges. Barriers such as limited job growth, restricted access to capital and a lack of affordable housing make it difficult for cities to fully realize their economic potential. Environmental disasters have further compounded these challenges, making recovery and sustainable progress even more difficult. 

Despite these hurdles, the South is a region of remarkable strength, innovation and resilience. By integrating strategic economic expansion efforts with broader community well-being initiatives, local leaders can build stronger, more resilient economies that support families, businesses and neighborhoods. 

Since 2021, the Southern Cities Economic Initiative (SCEI) has helped more than 35 municipalities throughout the Southeastern United States take actionable steps toward economic growth by providing them with tools and resources to implement sustainable strategies that lead to expanded economic opportunities for residents and small businesses. SCEI is a collaboration between National League of Cities and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta,* along with financial and strategic support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Kresge Foundation and the Nathan Cummings Foundation. 

*The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta does not provide funding, nor does it participate in participant selection or decisions of grant funding of SCEI participants.  

The 2025 SCEI Cohort 

NLC’s second cohort of SCEI launched in April 2025 with 20 participating cities:  

  • Atlanta, GA  
  • Canton, GA  
  • Center Point, AL
  • Charlottesville, VA
  • Fayetteville, AR
  • Greenville, MS  
  • Harrisonburg, VA  
  • Jackson, MS
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • Jonesboro, GA  
  •  Lauderhill, FL
  •  Little Rock, AR 
  •  Monroe, LA 
  • Morrisville, NC
  • Nashville, TN 
  • Natchitoches, LA  
  • New Orleans, LA  
  • Pensacola, FL 
  • Sunflower County, MS  
  • Thomasville, NC 

These cities committed to strengthening economic resilience and serving as models for cities nationwide through strategies such as:

  • Fostering local business growth  
  • Expanding employment opportunities   
  • Strengthening homeownership and financial empowerment  

With tailored support and grant funding from NLC, as well as collaboration from national experts and peer municipalities, the cities are fostering economic mobility and resilience by catalyzing local opportunities for small business development, procurement excellence, childcare, youth workforce development and housing affordability.  

Fourteen of these cities were selected to move forward to the two-year implementation phase of SCEI, receiving grants of between $40,000 to $60,000 to put their ideas into motion and generate meaningful impacts for their constituents and communities.  

The implementation cohort includes: 

  • Atlanta, GA  
  • Center Point, AL 
  • Charlottesville, VA  
  • Fayetteville, AR  
  • Greenville, MS  
  • Harrisonburg, VA  
  • Jackson, MS 
  • Jonesboro, GA  
  • Lauderhill, FL 
  • Little Rock, AR  
  • Monroe, LA  
  • Natchitoches, LA  
  • New Orleans, LA 
  • Thomasville, NC

Building on Past Successes

“Thanks to SCEI, we were able to create the Builder’s Blueprint Program. This program expands opportunities for…our contractors and vendors. We are strengthening Chattanooga’s supplier diversity while creating critically needed economic opportunities.”

Mayor Tim Kelly, City of Chattanooga, TN

This current cohort is built on a previous iteration of SCEI that supported 15 southern cities between 2021 and 2024 to successfully launch economic initiatives, including: 

  • Expanding Small Business Support – Establishing new city departments focused on small business growth 
  • Enhancing Contracting Opportunities – Helping small, local businesses secure city contracts 
  • Leveraging Funding – Mobilizing millions in grants to support economic development 
  • Strengthening Workforce Initiatives – Launching youth employment programs in partnership with public school systems 
  • Increasing Access to Business Resources – Enacting legislation to expand services for disadvantaged business enterprises 

NLC worked with an external firm to conduct a formal evaluation of the first three years of SCEI and found that the technical assistance and grants provided by NLC had a positive impact on the successes of the participating cities.    

More About SCEI

Want to learn more? Read this NLC brief, which highlights successes and experiences from past participating cities.

read the brief

You may also like:

  • Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development

Three Ways Cities Are Creating Economic Opportunity by Decreasing Barriers to Workforce Success

By:
  1. Ayesha Mehrotra
  2. Kayla Anthony
  • Civic Engagement

How Two Cities are Using Collaborative Planning Strategies to Build Economic Wellbeing and Pursue Housing Solutions

By:
  1. Ayesha Mehrotra
  • Financial Empowerment

Cooking Up Inclusion: How Norfolk’s Bon Appétit Initiative is Boosting Small, Women- and Minority-owned Businesses

By:
  1. Rosanna Mulcahy
  • Financial Empowerment

Building Opportunities: How Chattanooga’s Blueprint Program Inspires the Next Wave of Economic Inclusion

By:
  1. Rosanna Mulcahy
  • Entrepreneurship 

Towards Resilient Economies: Southern Cities’ Commitment to Inclusive Procurement

By:
  1. Rosanna Mulcahy
  2. Jordyn Battle
  • Community & Economic Development

Housing Is a Team Sport: Turning Housing Policy into Homes

By:
  1. CitiesSpeak Guest