History
The Greater Cleveland Neighborhood Centers Association (NCA) is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1963 as the first metropolitan-wide organization in the U.S. created to help plan, coordinate and budget the work of neighborhood centers. Many of Cleveland’s neighborhood centers were founded in the late 1800s as part of the settlement house movement, to help immigrants by providing training and supportive services that promoted economic stability and self-reliance. This philosophy continues today. Each center adapts its services to meet the evolving needs of the individuals and families it serves.
Mission
NCA’s founding mission was “to strengthen Greater Cleveland neighborhoods through social service delivery and public education; support the social, economic and political participation of its neighbors; and advocate in a responsible manner for institutional change to those ends.”
Today, NCA fulfills its mission by strengthening the capacity of its Member Centers to provide human services and education for children, families and seniors; and by advocating for the social and economic well being of their constituents, which include residents of the city’s poorest neighborhoods.
