Six Detroit-based organizations that support arts, economic development, and community-driven initiatives across Detroit will benefit from a series of new grant awards.
The Hudson-Webber Foundation Board of Trustees has approved nearly $1.3 million in grants to the Detroit-based nonprofit organizations to fund key initiatives aimed at fostering community growth, advancing economic development, and enhancing arts and culture in the metro Detroit area.
Organizations receiving funding are BasBlue, Council of Michigan Foundations, Detroit Opera, Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation, Enterprise Community Partners Detroit, and the Neighborhood Vitality Index. The funding enables new and ongoing projects to address the evolving needs of Detroit communities, while also enhancing the impact of the Foundation’s traditional funding strategies.
The 85-year-old Hudson-Webber Foundation began in 1939 with major contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Webber, other members of the Webber family, and The J.L. Hudson Company. The Foundation is governed by a 13-member board of trustees, with assets of approximately $190 million, and has contributed over $200 million to improve the quality of life in Detroit.
“We are proud to support these remarkable organizations that are making a tangible difference in the lives of Detroiters,” said Donald Rencher, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation. “These grants reflect our continued commitment to driving inclusive growth and fostering vibrant communities across Detroit. Whether through the arts, economic development or community-driven initiatives, each of these projects addresses critical needs and contributes to a stronger, more equitable future for our city.”
Arts & Culture
- The HWF Board of Trustees has awarded $25,000 to the Detroit Opera to support the production and community engagement strategy for “The Central Park Five.” A vital part of Detroit’s cultural assets for 50 years, and under the leadership of renowned artistic director Yuval Sharon, Detroit Opera has advanced a unique vision for opera as a source of high-quality, multicultural artistic performance and a platform for public discourse. The “Central Park Five” earned composer Anthony Davis and librettist Richard Wesley the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2020. The opera tells the story of five Black and Latino teenagers who were falsely accused of rape and assault in New York City’s Central Park in the late 1980s. It became a media sensation and remains a reminder of systemic failures across multiple institutions.
Community & Economic Development
- The HWF Board of Trustees has awarded BasBlue $100,000 to support its mission of advancing women in leadership roles. The operating grant will enable the organization to increase staff support for program development, implementation, and evaluation, as well as develop programs that uplift leadership, support entrepreneurship, build community, and expand leadership structures to sustain growth. BasBlue is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing economic mobility and leadership skills by providing resources for personal and professional developmental growth to underrepresented and under-resourced women and nonbinary individuals in Southeast Michigan.
- The HWF Board of Trustees approved a general operating grant of $750,000 to the Detroit Regional Partnership to support inclusive economic development in the Detroit region. The Detroit Regional Partnership is a regional economic development nonprofit serving Southeast Michigan that is focused on marketing, growing, and supporting the region. In 2023, the partnership secured 22 international and domestic companies, bringing more than 3,200 jobs and $1.2 billion in investment to the area. Additionally, the partnership generated a total economic impact of $2.4 billion in investment and created more than 10,000 jobs.
- The HWF Board of Trustees has approved seed funding of $180,000 to Enterprise Community Partners Detroit to expand support for community development organizations through its Key Corridor Fund. The Key Corridor Fund will collaborate with four larger, more established community development organizations operating in mature commercial corridors and communities in Detroit to build a coordinated, equitable system for community development work.
Policy & Research
- The HWF Board of Trustees has approved a $125,000 grant to support the implementation of the Neighborhood Vitality Index (NVI) in Detroit. NVI is administered by the Michigan Nonprofit Association and implemented in partnership between Data Driven Detroit and JFM Consulting. The NVI is a community-driven framework designed to serve as the data “engine” behind collaborative efforts to create lasting, positive change across the city. It aims to empower more neighborhoods through collective action to achieve vitality citywide, collect and provide access to both qualitative and quantitative data, serve as a tool for tracking progress and success, and promote data-driven planning and decision-making at every level. NVI incorporates data from multiple sources, with a special emphasis on input from Detroit residents, ensuring that the city’s needs and priorities are directly reflected.
Safe & Just Communities
The Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF) has been awarded a $105,000 grant to support the Governor’s Office of the Foundation Liaison (OFL) in strategic planning for the newly established State of Michigan Office of Community Violence Intervention. This funding will help the CVI Office, operating within the Department of Health and Human Services, develop a comprehensive strategic plan, establish a governance structure, and create a resource deployment strategy. In collaboration with the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform, a leading expert in the field, the CVI Office will adopt best practice models in public office structuring. This partnership aims to ensure the newly established office has a lasting impact on reducing violent crime and enhancing safety throughout Michigan, with a particular focus on Detroi
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