Seven organizations receive funding to strengthen neighborhoods, support small businesses, expand economic opportunity and advance community-driven solutions across Detroit.
DETROIT — The Hudson-Webber Foundation’s (HWF) Board of Trustees has approved $2.1 million in new grants to seven organizations working to strengthen Detroit neighborhoods, support small businesses and entrepreneurs, expand economic opportunity and create more equitable pathways for residents to build wealth and thrive. The grants range from investments in affordable homeownership and neighborhood development to workforce initiatives, legal services and efforts to address Detroit’s property tax challenges.
Organizations receiving funding are Council of Michigan Foundations Inc., Detroit Area Workforce Funders Collaborative, Detroit Justice Center, Detroit Land Bank Community Development Corporation, Eastern Market Corporation, Invest Detroit Foundation and Villages Community Development Corporation.
“Detroit’s strength has always come from its people and its neighborhoods, and these investments are about making sure both have the resources and opportunities to thrive,” said Donald Rencher, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation. “We are supporting organizations that are helping Detroiters start and grow businesses, become homeowners, find pathways to economic opportunity and have a greater voice in the future of their communities. At the same time, we are investing in solutions to some of the larger challenges that can stand in the way of that progress. Together, this work helps create a stronger and more inclusive Detroit.”
The approved grants include:
Built Environment
- Eastern Market Corporation has been awarded a $600,000 general operating grant to support its work strengthening Eastern Market as a center for food access, entrepreneurship and small-business growth. The three-year grant will help Eastern Market support businesses and entrepreneurs, manage and strengthen the district and guide future development in ways that benefit the surrounding community. Funding also will support planning for the organization’s future, fundraising for improvements to Shed 4 and efforts to better tell the story of Eastern Market and attract new resources. The Hudson-Webber Foundation has provided approximately $3 million in grant support to Eastern Market Corporation since 2010.
- The HWF Board of Trustees has awarded the Villages Community Development Corporation a $150,000 general operating grant to support its work strengthening the Villages neighborhoods on Detroit’s east side. Serving as a connector among residents, neighborhood associations and the City of Detroit, the organization works to ensure neighborhood growth reflects the priorities of the people who live there. The grant will support efforts to improve mobility and traffic safety, strengthen neighborhood infrastructure, support small businesses and economic development, and expand home repair and affordable housing opportunities.
- The HWF Board of Trustees has approved a $150,000 grant to the Detroit Land Bank Community Development Corporation to help community development organizations rehabilitate vacant houses and create more affordable homeownership opportunities for Detroiters. Through a new pilot program, the Detroit Land Bank Authority’s Community Development Organization Rehab Pilot, participating organizations will receive support to acquire and renovate vacant homes and make them available to homebuyers at affordable prices. The program is designed to address some of the biggest obstacles community organizations face when bringing vacant homes back into productive use, including the cost of rehabilitation, access to construction financing and the gap between renovation costs and what an income-qualified homebuyer can afford.
Community & Economic Development
- Invest Detroit Foundation has been awarded a $600,000 grant to expand access to capital and other resources for Detroit businesses, developers and neighborhood projects. Invest Detroit provides flexible financing and technical assistance for businesses and real estate projects that can have difficulty securing traditional financing. The funding will help the organization continue investing in commercial, mixed-use and multifamily developments while supporting entrepreneurs and projects that contribute to stronger neighborhoods and greater economic opportunity across Detroit.
- The HWF Board of Trustees has approved a $50,000 grant to Detroit Area Workforce Funders Collaborative to strengthen efforts to connect Detroiters with quality jobs and economic opportunity. The Collaborative brings together philanthropy, community organizations, government, employers, researchers and workforce organizations to improve the systems that connect residents with employment. The group will use the funding to elevate the voices and experiences of workers, identify barriers to employment and advancement, and encourage changes in workforce policies, funding and employer practices that better respond to the needs of Detroit residents.
Policy & Research
- Council of Michigan Foundations has been awarded a $150,000 grant to support the Governor’s Office of the Foundation Liaison, which connects Michigan’s philanthropic organizations with state government to address shared challenges and opportunities. Over the next two years, the office will build relationships with the incoming gubernatorial administration and state agency leaders, bring government and philanthropy together around common priorities and identify opportunities to combine public and private resources. The office also will help philanthropic organizations understand changes in state and federal policy and funding that could affect Michigan communities.
- Invest Detroit Foundation also has been awarded a $100,000 project grant to help develop a comprehensive approach to property tax reform in Detroit. Property taxes have been a longstanding concern for residents, businesses and policymakers, and the grant will support research and analysis aimed at identifying a structural approach that could lower Detroit’s property tax rate while protecting the revenue needed to provide essential city services. The work will include financial and policy analysis, development of potential legislative changes and educational materials to help Detroiters better understand the issue and possible solutions.
Safe & Just Communities
- The HWF Board of Trustees has awarded the Detroit Justice Center a $300,000 general operating grant to support its work removing legal and economic barriers for Detroit residents and strengthening community-based approaches to justice and safety. The organization provides legal assistance to Detroiters facing housing, traffic, family law and other challenges while also advocating for broader policy changes. The grant also will support legal and technical assistance for community land trusts and worker-owned businesses, helping residents build ownership and wealth in their neighborhoods, as well as restorative justice initiatives that seek community-based solutions to conflict and public safety.