Annual Grants Awarded from Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has awarded nearly $1.7 million in grants to 73 organizations through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds.
The majority of this year’s grants have been designed to support organizations as they adapt and adjust during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to continue their critical work on current projects or address urgent needs as they arise within the seven counties of southeast Michigan: Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston.
The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established the endowed Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation to provide support to issue areas that were important to Mr. Wilson during his lifetime: Caregivers, Design and Access, and Youth Sports across the region, and Grosse Pointe Community Assets, to support projects in Ralph’s hometown. Endowment funds are designed to grow over time and provide funding in perpetuity for charitable causes according to the Wilson Foundation’s wishes. Since 2016, over $5.5 million in 234 grants have been awarded to nonprofits in southeast Michigan.
“We are honored to help carry out Mr. Wilson’s philanthropic passions by supporting organizations working in caregiving, design and access, youth sports across the seven-county region, and community assets in Grosse Pointe, which was home to Ralph during his lifetime,” said Mariam C. Noland, President of the Community Foundation. “Through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds, organizations will continue their critical work to improve the lives of residents in our community.”
The endowment funds at the Community Foundation are complementary to the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s efforts to create immediate impact within the communities of Southeast Michigan and Western New York. Grants are made annually, and information for next year’s grants will be available this fall.
The following grants were among those provided from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Foundation Funds administered by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan through an open, competitive application process.
19 Grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for Caregiving, ($20,000 each)
- Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association (Michigan Chapter) – Southfield
- Chaldean Community Foundation – Sterling Heights
- Cody Rouge Community Action Alliance – Detroit
- Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network – West Bloomfield
- Michigan Disability Rights Coalition – East Lansing
29 Grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for Youth Sports ($20,000 each)
- Athletic Factory Inc. – Port Huron
- Detroit Police Athletic League – Detroit
- Girls on the Run of Southeastern Michigan – Ypsilanti
- Michigan Scholastic Cycling Association – West Bloomfield
- Vista Maria – Dearborn Heights
12 grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for Grosse Pointe Community Assets ($10,000 each)
- Grosse Pointe Artists Association – Grosse Pointe Farms
- Grosse Pointe Foundation for Public Education – Grosse Pointe
- Grosse Pointe Garden Center, Inc. – Grosse Pointe Farms
- Grosse Pointe Library Foundation, Inc. – Grosse Pointe Farms
- Grosse Pointe War Memorial Association – Grosse Pointe Farms
13 Grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for Design and Access
- Auntie Na’s – $40,000 for a walking path that encircles Auntie Na’s Village in Detroit and introduce physical activity to complement existing programming.
- City of Royal Oak – $32,517 for the construction of a universal design hard-surface trail through the Royal Oak Arboretum.
- Michigan Municipal League Foundation – $50,000 for the creation of the Hamtramck Park Conservancy to manage and maintain Hamtramck’s parks and public spaces.
- Thumb Land Conservancy – $50,000 for the establishment of a coastal forest park and trail along Lake Huron connecting the Port Huron area to Lakeport State Park.
- Trinity Health Michigan\St. Mary Mercy Livonia – $50,000 to create a bike/walk path along Stark Road in Livonia that would connect Hines Parkway and the Stark Road Recreation area.