Belle Isle, the Detroit Sound Conservancy and Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit are among the cultural assets getting a piece of $2.6 million in philanthropic support.
The Board of Trustees for the Hudson-Webber Foundation has awarded $2.6 million in grants to 10 nonprofit organizations that drive change and lead programs that impact Detroiters.
The foundation announced July 8 that the funding awards, approved in June and earlier this spring, should “enable new and ongoing projects to address the evolving needs of Detroit communities, while also enhancing the impact of the foundation’s traditional funding strategies.”
Donald Rencher, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation, stated that “these organizations embody the very best of Detroit, each demonstrating a steadfast dedication to enhancing the lives of our residents” and the investments “address critical needs, foster community development and promote a growing and inclusive Detroit.”
June grants include:
- A $405,000 grant to The Parade Company, intended to help support the organization with putting on America’s Thanksgiving Parade. The parade was initially put on by J.L. Hudson’s department store, with the company ending sponsorship in 1979.
- A $100,000 grant to the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD) is intended to help increase engagement with and representation of Detroit’s diverse population, predominantly the BIPOC community.
- A $100,000 grant to the Detroit Sound Conservancy (DSC), to support the acquisition, planning and development of the lots adjacent to The Blue Bird Inn. DSC aims to ultimately redevelop the site into a community center and music nightspot. Jonah Raduns-Silverstein, DSC’s Director of Operations, said that their long-term goal is to use the funding for planning and community engagement in regards to their site, and that the space is intended to act as an accessible park in the neighborhood.
- A $300,000 general operating grant to the Belle Isle Conservancy (BIC) to help improve access to the park space, benefitting physical, social, and emotional well-being for Detroit residents.
- $600,000 to the The Joe Louis Greenway Partnership, supporting general operations and advancing its vision for reunifying and reenergizing Detroit’s diverse communities, many of which have been separated by freeways.
- Lastly, a $500,000 program grant to the city of Detroit, intended to provide implementation capacity and pooled funds for the City of Detroit Down Payment Assistance Program (DPA), which will be operated by National Faith Homebuyers. This is in addition to a second round of American Rescue Plan Act funding, which consists of $5 million dollars in federal money, and $2 million in partner grant funding.
Spring grants include:
- A $200,000 program grant to Midtown Detroit Inc. (MDI), as fiduciary, to support the Detroit Cultural Center Association (DCCA) – Start-Up Support. The DCCA was formed in 2018 to reimagine Detroit’s Cultural Center, a nine-block neighborhood in Midtown, into a world class cultural center.
- A $200,000 grant over two years to CHN Housing Partners to support implementation capacity for the Detroit Housing Network and its single-family housing strategy in neighborhoods across Detroit.
- A $250,000 grant for general operations of Michigan Future, Inc. (MFI). The grant is intended to bolster the organization’s capacities in research, communications and advocacy to advance the Neighborhood Talent Concentration Initiative (NTCI), designed to generate more high-wage jobs by creating places where young talent wants to live and work.
- The Children’s Foundation has been awarded a $25,000 program grant to support the Michigan Central Station Children’s Endowment, which seeks to support a set of Detroit-based, youth-serving organizations with permanent endowment resources to promote their sustainability and impact for decades to come.
“Our investment in these organizations underscores our unwavering commitment to driving positive change in Detroit,” Rencher said.
Editor’s note: The Hudson-Webber Foundation is a funder of BridgeDetroit. Donations do not impact editorial coverage.