Spring 2020 REPORT

A Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

When we began putting together this newsletter a few months ago, we had no idea how quickly our work would change as result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But in the past few weeks, just as this issue of the REPORT was being printed, we began to notice that certain needs were emerging as a result of this emergency, and we began to act.

Read our Letter from the President on the Community Foundation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Living in the age of information, many of us rely on numbers to make improvements in our lives.

We wear step trackers to keep us fit, count calories at mealtimes, and our smartphones — if we so choose — provide us with daily statistics about the time we spend in front of our screens. When applied on a larger scale, numbers can be incredibly useful in facilitating community change.

Over the past year, the Community Foundation has been working closely with grantees from the Southeast Michigan Counts Initiative — a project designed to support local efforts for a complete and accurate count in the 2020 U.S. Census.

Read the Full Message from the President

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Stories of Impact

2020 Census: Getting a Complete Count

When the 2020 census officially launches on April 1, it marks the beginning of one of the most complex and crucial community projects of the decade.

For more than a year, through the Southeast Michigan Counts campaign, the Community Foundation and its partners has been working to ensure as many individuals as possible are counted.

Discover the importance of the 2020 census and our work with Southeast Michigan Counts

In November 2019, with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the New Economy Initiative of the Community Foundation launched In Good Co., Detroit — a storytelling campaign designed to promote existing Detroit entrepreneurs and inspire others to see themselves as business owners and create new ventures.

Each month, the year-long campaign highlights a Detroit business owner from a unique industry. As of February, the In Good Co. campaign has reached more than 9,000 visitors through its website, 600 podcast downloads, and more than 2,300 views on YouTube.

Read about the goals of In Good Co. and its potential impact on the community

Vivian Day Stroh: Connecting with Immigrants and Refugees

When longtime Community Foundation donor and board member Vivian Day Stroh was in college, she spent time studying abroad in England. There, she witnessed firsthand the mistreatment of the country’s many refugees — particularly those from the Middle East.

Fast-forward several years and, while attending a Community Foundation meeting, Stroh learned about the Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative.

Read how Stroh is supporting immigrants and refugees with the Community Foundation

Strengthening the Capacity of Detroit’s Theater Group

Through Staging Change Detroit — a program launched by the Community Foundation in partnership with the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation — members of 10 professional theater organizations in Detroit benefited as they joined together in a cohort designed to network and develop strategies to grow Detroit’s theater scene.

Learn about how Staging Change Detroit is supporting Detroit’s theater scene