Seven Grants Made to Support Pontiac Community
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and the Pontiac Funders Collaborative announce seven grants totaling $770,000 designed to help the community thrive – four to build capacity of key institutions in Pontiac and three to support larger city-wide projects.
The Pontiac Funders Collaborative is a group of funders administered by the Community Foundation working in close partnership with nonprofit organizations and local government in Pontiac.
“The Pontiac Funders Collaborative has made great strides in working with local groups and individuals to chart an inclusive and promising future for all members of the Pontiac community,” said Mariam Noland, president, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. “We are pleased to support this collaborative initiative and eager to see its impact throughout the city of Pontiac.”
“The enthusiasm and hard work that the stakeholders involved with the Pontiac Funders Collaborative have shown — even in these challenging times — have been enormously impressive and inspiring,” said Julie McMahon, president, Tauber Family Foundation.
“Ongoing collaboration, partnership, and learning are all keys to the success of this initiative,” said Virginia Romano, chief executive officer, Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation.
Four grants totaling approximately $100,000 are helping key institutions in Pontiac build organizational capacity, improve efficiency, and ensure sustainability. The recipients are:
- The City of Pontiac
- Pontiac School District
- Oakland University
- Main Street Pontiac
Three grants totaling nearly $670,000 are assisting projects focused on public spaces, entrepreneurship, and collective impact. The projects and grantees supported are:
Friends of the Clinton River Trail
Clinton River Maintenance Trail Project
For a trail maintenance project that will design, engineer, and construct significant enhancements to the Clinton River Trail in Pontiac.
Pontiac Community Foundation
Center for Pontiac Entrepreneurship
To develop an economic development plan with current and future ecosystem partners and develop programming and tools.
Oakland University/Oakland University Foundation
Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership
Provide support for an executive director of the Pontiac Collective Impact Partnership and the initial administrative cost of office space, data planning, and fiscal agent fee.
As the Pontiac Funders Collaborative continues to function within the limitations and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, the funders continue to champion its commitment to collaboration and input from groups, organizations, and individuals in the city of Pontiac to help inform grantmaking and build trust within the community.