14 Nonprofits in Pontiac Receive Nearly $117,000 in Capacity Building Grants from Pontiac Funders Collaborative
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the Pontiac Funders Collaborative announced 14 grants totaling nearly $117,000 to small and mid-sized nonprofits through the Capacity Building for Nonprofits grant program.
These grants will strengthen internal capacity and professional development while also encouraging collaboration amongst nonprofits in Pontiac. The Pontiac Funders Collaborative is a group of funders managed by the Community Foundation working in close partnership with nonprofit organizations and local government in Pontiac. To date, the Collaborative has granted over $1.3 million to support economic growth and prosperity in the Pontiac community.
“Nonprofits in Pontiac have long been working for positive social and economic change in the community,” said Sonia Plata, Co-Chair of Pontiac Funders Collaborative Advisory Council and Flagstar Bank Foundation Director. “Now, with these capacity building grants, they will be better equipped with the staff skills to make the most of their resources and knowledge of community. It’s an investment in the future vitality of Pontiac.”
“The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is committed to the continued growth and vitality of Pontiac with the Pontiac Funders Collaborative,” said Mariam Noland, President of the Community Foundation. “Nonprofit organizations play a critical role in our communities and the capacity building grant program will increase nonprofits’ ability to fulfill their missions and better serve the residents of Pontiac.”
The Capacity Building Grant Program includes three grant opportunities:
- Professional Leadership Development: For individuals working in civic, nonprofit or community organizations to participate in professional development activities.
- Organizational Development: Support for small and mid-size nonprofit organizations seeking to improve their capacity to better serve the community.
- Collaboration Development: For small and mid-sized nonprofits to more effectively cooperate, communicate and coordinate for consensus-building, shared policies, practices and projects.
14 Grants from Pontiac Funders Collaborative ($116,720 total)
- Accent Pontiac, Inc. – To increase awareness and donors by investing in an updated website, donor database, and graphic design expertise.
- Gary Burnstein Community Health Clinic (GBCHC) – To provide expert counseling and instruction to address board culture that will sustain the organization for future generations and make GBCHC a dynamic partner for the Pontiac community.
- Center for Success Network (collaboration) – For the Connected Parent Engagement project that identifies, addresses and remedies adverse effects of socioeconomic disadvantages on parenting and children’s aptitude for literacy learning.
- Bound Together – For organizational development capacities through training for the board in major gifts development, planned giving and the importance of strategic planning to nonprofit governance and
- Center for Success Network – For education-focused DEI training for the Director of Equity and Social Responsibility to ensure access to tools and knowledge that will deepen the racial equity work defined in our Call to Action.
- 2 As 1 Forever, Inc. – For training to learn how to develop a team, provide adequate direction for marketing and ensure correct financial management for the organization.
- The Art Experience, Inc. – To purchase access to a HIPAA compliant, robust case management software program, its one-time implementation fee, and some payroll costs associated with its launch.
- E-Community Outreach Services – For financial strategy training to strengthen knowledge of and access to tools that test assumptions and create models.
- Growing Pontiac – To receive the Nonprofit Management Certification at Oakland University to improve capacity for fundraising and financial management.
- Centro Multicultural La Familia, Inc. – For consultant services to develop a capital campaign to raise funds to rehabilitate a building that has been donated for a community center.
- Micah 6 Community – Support for the creation, administering and evaluation of a community needs assessment targeted at census tract 1420 in Pontiac.
- Sheriff PAL Program – For training in Salesforce software.
- Friends of Pontiac Parks Association – To rebuild and expand the capacity of the organization to raise funds on a consistent and sustainable basis and to better align with mission to support Pontiac parks.
- Pontiac Community Foundation, Inc. – For the development of the fundamental elements of the community foundation model to ensure long-term investment in the Pontiac community.
The Pontiac Funders Collaborative was launched by this cohort of funders in 2020 to ensure a collaborative and community-driven approach to Pontiac’s future. This effort has included the convening of a cross section of 40 leaders from Pontiac for initial feedback and will grow community wide in the years ahead. The funders have committed to a three-year horizon of working in partnership with the community to establish a shared vision for Pontiac, identify goals and make potential investments.
About the Pontiac Funders Collaborative
Members of the Pontiac Funders Collaborative include Ballmer Group, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Flagstar Bank Foundation, General Motors, New Economy Initiative, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Tauber Family Foundation, William Davidson Foundation, and the Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation. For more information visit cfsem.org/Pontiac.
About the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is a full-service philanthropic organization leading the way to positive change in our region. As a permanent community endowment built by gifts from thousands of individuals and organizations, the Foundation supports a wide variety of activities benefiting education, arts and culture, health, human services, community development, and civic affairs. Since its inception, the Foundation has distributed more than $1.2 billion through more than 80,000 grants to nonprofit organizations throughout Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties. For more information, visit www.cfsem.org