Fall 2021 REPORT
Fostering Healthy Living in Southeast Michigan
The Community Foundation’s success and growth has always been a reflection of the community we serve. We could not have blossomed into a community foundation that grants over $100 million annually to support our region without the generosity of our donors, a world-class board, a committed group of foundation and nonprofit partners, and a community known for its strength, resiliency, and spirit.
As we near the end of 2021, we reflect on the impact the Community Foundation made this year. We are proud to play a key role in endeavors which create a more vibrant southeast Michigan. We also recognize that our community needs us to continue to do more, especially in the face of the ongoing pandemic, calls for racial justice, and growing income, housing, health care and educational disparities.
Stories of Impact
Time Capsule: Increasing Access to the Arts
The Community Foundation has long been a supporter of the arts, and that continues today. In 1996, a special initiative called the Community Partnership for Cultural Participation was started, with a focus on increasing the number and diversity of people participating in cultural organizations in southeast Michigan. An intensive six years of work, and $5.4 million from 17 local and national foundations, resulted in significant increases in diverse participation in cultural organizations and new collaboration.
Improving Our Health: Supporting Behavioral and Mental Health
The Community Foundation’s work to support behavioral and mental health began long before the pandemic. Since our earliest days we’ve played a role in forming partnerships with other funders, nonprofits, and government to address substance use and support programs that aim to help youth, adults, and older adults.
Throughout the pandemic, the Community Foundation has been investing in programs that support the mental health of those most at risk.
The Community Foundation will continue to build on its longstanding expertise and investments in behavioral and mental health to continue to meet the changing needs of our community.
Community Foundation and Partners Launch Community Policing Initiative
Community Policing Innovations Initiative aims to develop community-driven changes in the way that policing and public safety services are provided by offering guidance and support to help local communities and law enforcement agencies develop partnerships.
Building trust and nurturing legitimacy on both sides of the police/citizen divide is the foundational principle that leads to improved relation-ships between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.
Get Out and Play! SportPort Encourages Youth in Our Region to Stay Active and Healthy
Regular physical activity is proven to help prevent and manage noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. It also helps prevent hypertension, maintain healthy body weight, and can improve one’s mental health, quality of life, and well-being.
SportPort is helping young people across southeast Michigan create healthy habits they will carry with them throughout their lives, and offers a powerful example of what’s possible when our community comes together to make a difference.
Staging Change Detroit Helps 10 Professional Theaters Innovate During a Time of Turbulence
Through Staging Change Detroit, Detroit theaters are getting tools and support to help them innovate, reach new audiences, and enrich our community.
A vibrant theater scene is vital to our economy and has several additional benefits to the residents of southeast Michigan. The talent and innovation in the local arts sector during the pandemic is a tribute to the strength and commitment of the participants in the Staging Change program.