Community Design Collaborative

Strengthening neighborhoods through design.

The Community Design Collaborative is a community design center that provides pro bono preliminary design services to nonprofit organizations in greater Philadelphia, offers unique volunteer opportunities for design professionals, and raises awareness about the importance of design in community revitalization.

Early design assistance is critical to nonprofits and the communities they serve. Preliminary design services help nonprofits see new opportunities, make the most of scarce resources, engage stakeholders, get projects funded and built, and strengthen neighborhoods. However, the cost of preliminary design services is often out of reach.

The Community Design Collaborative connects nonprofits with pro bono preliminary design services by matching them with volunteer architects, landscape architects, interior designers, urban planners, preservationists, engineers, and cost estimators. Since our start in 1991, Philadelphia's design professionals have invested more than 100,000 hours of their time and expertise in over 600 projects.

The Collaborative's early design assistance helps nonprofits succeed in the challenging arena of community development. 1 in 4 of our nonprofit clients take significant steps like securing funding, hiring design consultants, and building projects.