The Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation are excited to introduce the 30 nonprofit organizations selected for the 2026 Local Data for Equitable Communities program. Each organization will receive a $50,000 grant to lead a local project focused on improving community conditions, such as housing quality, access to healthy food, access to public transit, safe air and water, and community safety. These kinds of local conditions affect community members’ health, security, education, and economic success. The projects are spread across 21 states and located in a variety of geographic contexts, including rural areas, tribal communities, small towns, and major cities.

All the projects are structured on the premise that community members have the insights needed for solutions and can use local data to shape effective policies, attract funding, and address structural inequities.

What the Grantees Will Do 

Over the next nine months, each organization will carry out a project rooted in the priorities of their community. Example project approaches include the following: 

• auditing conditions of street corridors for pedestrians and park amenities 
• testing water or air quality to identify health hazards
• conducting community surveys to gather resident experiences and ideas for solutions on safety, housing, and other issues 
• collecting data on occupancy, ownership, and housing quality 

These efforts are grounded in trust, relationships, and the power of community members to shape their futures. 

Grantees will receive technical assistance, supported by the Urban Institute, and will have opportunities to learn from their peers. 

We hope the grantees’ projects will inspire other communities, funders, and policymakers to invest in local capacities to use data and tap into community wisdom to drive change. 

Coming Soon

This fall, we’ll begin sharing insights and updates through our Equity in Action blog series, which will spotlight the tools and strategies grantees are using to improve the conditions and quality of life in their communities. The blog series will explore food access, housing, transportation, climate and the environment, and more. 

📍 View the list of grantees. 

Subscribe to Urban’s "Housing and Communities" newsletter to get updates on Local Data for Equitable Communities and the blog series.