New grants support development of affordable housing, community safety initiatives and fundingfor key statewide policy partners to advance inclusive growth and well-being for all Detroiters
DETROIT – The Hudson-Webber Foundation’s (HWF) Board of Trustees has approved a total of $900,000 in new grants to several select nonprofit organizations across metro Detroit driving positive change and leading empowering programs and initiatives that directly impact residents throughout the city
Organizations receiving funding are Center for Michigan, Citizens Research Council, Detroit Economic Growth Association, Detroit Public Safety Foundation and The Michigan League for Public Policy. The funding enables new and ongoing projects to address the evolving needs of Detroit communities, while also enhancing the impact of the Foundation’s traditional funding strategies.
“These investments reflect Hudson-Webber’s commitment to supporting organizations that are driving meaningful, measurable progress for Detroiters,” said Donald Rencher, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation. “From strengthening neighborhood safety and expanding access to housing, to advancing sound public policy and informed civic engagement, these partners are helping build the systems and conditions necessary for a more equitable, resilient and thriving Detroit.”
The list of grants approved at the Trustee’s December 2025 meeting are:
Built Environment
- The Detroit Economic Growth Association received two $100,000 grants to support projects that help grow Detroit’s economy, create jobs and attract investment that benefits all residents. One grant will support the Citywide Home Repair Taskforce, which works to improve how home repair services are coordinated across the city. The task force includes more than 40 partners, such as the City of Detroit, home repair providers, funders and utility companies, working together to make it easier for residents to repair and maintain their homes. The Board of Trustees also approved a second $100,000 grant for the Pro-Housing In-Fill Program, which supports the development of single-family homes and other small-scale housing. This program focuses on removing financial and regulatory barriers that make housing difficult to build or afford. By increasing access to family-friendly housing, these efforts will help Detroit remain competitive and support long-term, sustainable growth.
Safe & Just Communities
- The HWF Board of Trustees has awarded $200,000 to the Detroit Public Safety Foundation to support the City of Detroit’s planning, design and launch of an Office of Neighborhood Safety. This new office would bring together the City’s Community Violence Intervention (CVI) work, the Mental Health Co-Response Program and youth safety and mentorship efforts under one coordinated structure. By housing these programs in a single office, the City aims to better align funding, share best practices, set clear standards for service providers, strengthen governance and advocate for sustained resources, creating a more coordinated and effective approach to public safety.
Detroit’s CVI efforts have already shown strong results. Originally launched with philanthropic support, including significant involvement from the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Force Detroit became the city’s first formal CVI organization. Since then, CVI has grown into a city-led strategy supported by federal and philanthropic funding and delivered in partnership with community organizations. These programs operate in six designated zones across the city and rely on outreach workers with lived experience. Together, they have contributed to historic reductions in violence, with all six CVI zones seeing crime declines that exceed citywide trends.
Hudson-Webber Foundation’s Board of Trustees also announced core policy grants for general operating funds for three organizations that are focused on achieving inclusive and shared prosperity for Detroiters:
- Center for Michigan has been awarded a $100,000 grant to further advance its mission. The Center and its Detroit effort, Bridge Detroit, delivers quality journalism while utilizing deep community engagement and narrative to lift up issues voiced by Detroiter-led staff. Over this period, Bridge Detroit will continue to be an important information tool for Detroiter’s and strengthen the State level elections in the year ahead.
- The Citizens Research Council (CRC) has been awarded a $100,000 grant to continue producing high-quality nonpartisan analyses of the most important policy questions facing Michigan, including education, healthcare, public finance and economic development. CRC has historically focused on rigorous research on the impact of municipal and legislative actions, with a renewed and stronger focus on Detroit’s public sector and leading a body of work focused on inclusive growth. Over this period, CRC will prove critical to providing strong budget and economic analysis for the City and a growing body of work around tax reform.
- Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP), which has recently deployed community engagement staff in Detroit to help better connect community members to state government decision-makers through training and tools, has been awarded a $200,000 grant to advance its economic opportunity policy agenda. MLPP is a nonpartisan policy institute dedicated to economic opportunity for all in Michigan. Michigan League for Public Policy’s role is to focus on policy analysis and advocacy to raise and remove barriers for low-income Detroiters to improve their social and economic opportunities. Over this period, MLPP will prove critical to the protections of public programs (SNAP, TANF, workforce programs) but also in the pursuit of the Working Family Tax Credit or Child Credit which are aimed to reduce poverty with outsized impact on Detroiters.
By supporting these organizations, and the other partners that are part of the Policy & Research slate, HWF continues to support an integrated set of thriving policy organizations that are identifying and advancing policies that can improve the economic and overall wellbeing of Detroiters.