The Detroit Neighborhood Fund’s goal was to build stronger, healthier neighborhoods in Detroit’s near-east side by convening community leadership and improving the engagement, empowerment and capacity-building of the residents and organizations in the target communities.
BACKGROUND
The Detroit Neighborhood Fund was established in 2006 through a commitment of $5 million from the Ford Foundation and $10 million from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
The Detroit Neighborhood Fund was originally intended to position east-side neighborhoods to participate in and benefit from the major economic development and investment planned for Detroit’s east riverfront. When the collapse of the regional and national economy stalled these plans, the Detroit Neighborhood Fund became a critical neighborhood resource that helped stabilize this strategically important part of the city, preparing it for revitalization. Detroit Neighborhood Fund investments helped the neighborhoods weather the economic downturn by investing in the community capital and key new anchoring assets that will retain and attract residents to the neighborhoods in the coming years. With a resurgence of interest in city living among younger adults, and with the growing Midtown neighborhood at capacity, the near-east side is well positioned to take advantage of the residential demand generated by the city’s “Live/Work” programs.
The Detroit Neighborhood Fund was managed as a partnership among the three sponsoring foundations, with Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan Trustees and program staff of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and Ford Foundation serving as advisors. All program and financial decisions — including strategy development, grant making and program recommendation were reviewed and approved by advisors to the fund. Between the launch of the Neighborhood Fund in 2007 and its conclusion in December 2012, 53 grants, totaling $13,588,080 were made. Additional investments of $1.4 million supported data-gathering and analysis, national consultants and community engagement. Conservative estimates indicate these investments attracted more than $85 million in additional public and private suport in the near-east side neighborhoods.
IMPACT
Detroit’s Riverfront East Neighborhoods: Building Community with Citizen Leadership, Strong Organizations and Strategic Investments, August 2012
To learn more about the impact of investments on neighborhood anchors, download the Detroit Neighborhood Fund – Supported Anchor Projects report below.
What We’ve Funded
The Detroit Neighborhood Fund contributed $13,588,080 across 53 grants from 2006-2012. To view a full list of the programs that received grants from the fund, download the grant listings below.
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