Detroit’s future hinges on the success and resilience of its young people, especially those who are the first in their families to navigate the world of higher education. Detroit takes a bold step in supporting these students through a significant $600,000 investment by GreenLight Fund Detroit, bringing the Boston-based nonprofit Bottom Line to the city. This investment is a promise to the community that Detroit’s young people will have the tools and support they need to succeed in college and beyond.
Bottom Line’s entry into Detroit marks a new chapter for a city long committed to the values of educational equity and economic mobility. This partnership is about empowering first-generation college students from low-income families to access, persist through, and complete their college journeys. Founded in Boston in 1997, Bottom Line has spent over two decades refining its model of one-on-one advising, supporting students through every step of their college and career journeys. Now, Detroit joins Boston, New York, Chicago, and Dayton as Bottom Line’s fifth city, allowing more Detroit students to benefit from the organization’s deeply personalized approach.
The goal is ambitious yet focused: GreenLight Fund Detroit’s commitment aims to reach 725 Detroit students annually by 2031, setting a high bar with a 95% college enrollment rate for participating students. Bottom Line’s advisors will work closely with Detroit’s youth, helping them build lists of potential colleges, secure financial aid through the FAFSA, and make informed decisions to reduce student debt, targeting an average of $19,000 upon graduation. Wytrice Harris, Senior Director of College Success and Partnerships for Detroit Promise, highlighted how this new investment aligns with and strengthens existing programs like the Detroit Promise, explaining, “This funding is an important measure to ensure the Promise and other Detroit-based educational support programs can sustainably continue serving local students. It benefits not only the individuals but the economic strength of the Detroit region.”
GreenLight Fund Detroit’s process for identifying and selecting Bottom Line as a partner reflects the organization’s commitment to understanding Detroit’s needs. Each year, GreenLight gathers a team of leaders, community members, and people with relevant lived experiences to discuss which resources are most needed and which models are best suited to address those needs. This year, they saw an urgent gap in post-secondary education support, where a lack of resources was holding back first-generation students. After evaluating multiple options, they selected Bottom Line as the best fit, based on its success in other cities and its readiness to integrate with Detroit’s local context.
Jasahn M. Larsosa, Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Detroit, spoke about the selection process, explaining that they assessed Bottom Line’s impact, financial stability, and commitment to racial equity. For GreenLight Fund Detroit, it’s essential to vet partners thoroughly and ensure they align with the community’s values and needs. Larsosa’s words reflect a healthy skepticism of outsiders that is deeply rooted in Detroit’s experience as a majority-Black city: “We have a healthy skepticism of outsiders. For us to invite you here, your commitment to racial and economic justice must run deep.”
Key to this effort is the leadership of Danielle North, a Detroit native and first-generation college graduate who will serve as the founding executive director of Bottom Line Detroit. North brings a deep understanding of Detroit’s educational landscape and the needs of first-generation students. Previously the executive director of Degree Forward, a Detroit-based program focused on college completion for adult students, North’s experience, dedication, and personal connection to Detroit make her uniquely qualified to lead this initiative. “As a product of Detroit public schools, a first-generation college graduate, and a local community developer, I believe in making deep investments in the city that raised me,” North said. She is now in the process of building her team, forming partnerships, and laying the groundwork for the program to begin serving students by the summer of 2025.
Bottom Line’s program isn’t only limited to getting students into college, the program also guides them through graduation and into meaningful careers that can transform their lives and the lives of their families. The nonprofit’s approach focuses on every stage of the college journey, from the initial application process to securing that first job after graduation. On average, Bottom Line students go on to earn twice the income of their families in their first jobs after graduation. This impact not only supports individual students but also fosters economic growth within their communities, creating a ripple effect that aligns with GreenLight Fund Detroit’s broader mission.
Detroit’s commitment to investing in its youth is supported by a diverse group of funders, including the Jacob Family Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, and the Balmer Group, along with 50 other funders who support GreenLight Fund Detroit’s mission. These contributions reflect a united belief in Detroit’s potential and a collective responsibility to nurture that potential by supporting initiatives like Bottom Line. Each partner, from the funders to the community leaders, recognizes that the future of Detroit lies in the hands of its young people, and by ensuring their success, they’re investing in a brighter, more equitable Detroit for everyone.
This partnership represents a powerful alignment of community, funding, and leadership, all focused on creating lasting change for Detroit’s students. Bottom Line will begin its work in Detroit through a summer bridge program in 2025, giving high school seniors the guidance they need before college starts. By addressing the systemic barriers to higher education access and completion, Bottom Line, supported by GreenLight Fund Detroit, aims to build a more just and equitable path to economic mobility for young Detroiters.
For Detroit students, this is a real chance to break the cycle of poverty, to achieve educational and economic goals that may have once felt out of reach. GreenLight Fund Detroit and Bottom Line’s partnership is a reminder of Detroit’s commitment to ensuring that all its young people have the resources and support they need to succeed. Through this effort, Detroit is not only investing in individuals but also in the strength and resilience of the entire community. This is a Detroit that invests in its future, one student at a time.