Mission
The Matthew and Karen Cullen Family Foundation believes cities must be socially and economically vibrant in order to create communities that thrive. In order to promote more just and inclusive communities, we seek to advance the following focus areas in our grant making:
- Public Spaces
- Social Justice
- Economic Development
- The Environment
- Racial Justice
- Youth Development & Education
We are proud to have called southeast Michigan home for generations, and the city of Detroit itself is an essential piece of our family’s past, present, and future. Preference will be given to programs and activities that offer solutions to directly improve the quality of life for residents of Detroit and the greater metropolitan area.
Programs, projects, and activities that address the following elements will also receive priority consideration:
- Opportunities to level the playing field for the under-served and under-resourced
- Opportunities to increase health, wellness, and fitness
- Opportunities to broaden educational resources for Detroit students
- Opportunities to broaden public participation or civic engagement
- Opportunities to positively impact African-American and other marginalized communities
The Matthew and Karen Cullen Family Foundation values innovation, collaboration, entrepreneurship, and action. We seek to partner with programs where our involvement can have an immediate and meaningful impact. Organizations should demonstrate sustainable and quantifiable community plans with the potential to drive long-term success. Programs that leverage funding from a broad base of support beyond the Foundation are also prioritized.