On a recent morning at Urban Alliance Detroit, there was an air of excitement as the nonprofit’s summer Friday sessions kicked off. Participants listened attentively with pens poised to jot down notes while leaders advised them about how to stay on track academically and financially.
The Friday sessions were funded, in part, by a Community Foundation grant to help the nonprofit connect young people ages 18-24 with the mentorship, training and internship opportunities they need to successfully enter the workforce and achieve long-term career success. The program also helps them overcome employment barriers including access to childcare, transportation, basic needs and the social capital required to land internships and jobs.
Urban Alliance Detroit Executive Director Alphonso Amos
“We believe that talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not,” Urban Alliance Detroit Executive Director Alphonso Amos says. “So, our work is about closing the gap.”
The grant was one of 28 totaling $1,489,57 that the Community Foundation made in 2025 to Youth and Education-serving nonprofits through its community grantmaking program, which supports literacy, youth development and lifelong learning, from early childhood to adulthood. Through the community grantmaking program, the Community Foundation collaborates with organizations that are deeply rooted in the communities they serve — organizations that bring forward bold ideas, adaptive approaches and a commitment to tackling complex challenges in sustainable ways.
Urban Alliance is just one example. The nonprofit’s mission is to help young people ages 16-24 live a life of economic independence and upward mobility by connecting them to meaningful careers. The organization is based in Washington, D.C., and has branches in Michigan, Illinois, Maryland and Virginia.
According to Urban Alliance, 90% of its graduates transition successfully into career pathways. Of those who go off to college or university, 80% complete their degree.
Amos says those statistics don’t tell the full story of Urban Alliance’s impact.
“I love the fact that it’s more than just numbers,” Amos says. “Behind every metric is a young person whose trajectory has changed. Behind every internship is a student who believes in themself more deeply.”
This story originally appeared in our Fall/Winter 2026 REPORT Newsletter