OVERVIEW: The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan supports arts and culture, education, environment, health, civic affairs, human services and community development in the Detroit area.
IP TAKE: The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan is an organization on the move; according to CEO Ric DeVore, it is in the process of “shifting from being a philanthropic bank […] towards more of a change agent.” It values collaboration and has partnered with organizations like the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation to manage funding initiatives. This is a transparent funder that publishes its financial reports on its website and runs an open, online application system. The foundation welcomes phone calls to discuss potential ideas for funding with area nonprofits.
PROFILE: Established in 1984, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan (CFSM) is a community foundation based in Detroit, Michigan. It is a permanent community endowment built by the gifts of thousands of organizations and individuals. The foundation aims to “make southeast Michigan a desirable place to live, work and play for all residents, today and tomorrow.” It funds local efforts for arts and culture, education, environment, health, human services, community development and civic affairs.
Grants for Community Development
The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan supports a wide variety of nonprofits in broad interest areas. Over 200 nonprofits have built endowments with CFSM.
The community foundation has several different funding vehicles through which it makes grants to support the community.
General Grants are awarded to organizations with programs or projects that are sustainable for the long-term, collaborative, likely to leverage money from other sources, and have a regional impact rather than a hyper-localized one.
CFSM has two affiliates that focus on more specific geographic areas: the Chelsea Community Foundation and the Community Foundation for Livingston County. Both have their own eligibility criteria and application process.
Other Targeted fields of interest grants include funding from the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, the HOPE Fund, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds, Southfield Community Foundation Legacy Funds, and Youth Leadership funding.
Some of the many CFSM initiatives are Project Play, the New Economy Initiative and the Detroit Journalism Engagement Fund.
Supporting organizations of CFSM are the Foundation for Detroit’s Future, DMC Foundation, Robert H. Tannahill Foundation, Gilmour-Jirgens Fund, and Russell Family Foundation.
Past local grantees include the Detroit Regional Partnership Foundation, which received at least $6.7 million over a three year period, and Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, which has received several million in grants over the years. Other community improvement grantees include Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services, Central Detroit Christian Community Development Corporation, Downtown Detroit Partnership, Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Foundation for Detroit’s Future, Great Lakes Women’s Business Council, and the PARC-Plymouth Arts & Recreation Complex, all of which received one or more grants of over $200,000.
Grants for Education
The community foundation supports education through its various funding opportunities, particularly its General Grants program. These grants support education broadly; however, local primary and secondary schools receive a lot of attention, as do institutions of higher education throughout the state.
Past grantees include Ave Maria University, which has seen support in the seven digits, Wayne State University, Boys and Girls Club of South Oakland, Macomb Community College, A Brighter Way, Lansing Christian School Pilgrim Foundation, Student Pantry, University of Detroit, and the University of Michigan. All of these groups have received grants of more than $100,000 in recent years.
Organizations with more modest grants include National Society for Hebrew Day Schools, Trinity-Pawling School, Oakland University, Michigan State University, Oakland Literacy Council, Gary Educational Development Foundation, Grosse Pointe North Band and Orchestra Booster Club, and South Redford Foundation for Educational Excellence.
In addition to grants, the foundation also awards scholarships to area students.
Grants for Art
The foundation supports the arts and cultural organizations through its General Grants program, as well as many of its other funding opportunities.
Types include visual and performing arts, including music and theater, arts education, museums, and cultural and historical heritage organizations.
The arts have seen a lot of support lately with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra receiving a $3.7 million grant in a recent year, and The Detroit Institute of Arts was awarded an almost $2 million grant that same year and continuous support for more than two decades.
Other grantees include Plowshares Theatre Company, Michigan Opera Theatre, The Jewish Ensemble Theatre, Great Lakes Chamber Orchestra, Wheatland Music Organization, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, Detroit Artists Market, River Raisin Centre for the Arts, Museum of African American History, Motown Historical Museum, The Zekelman Holocaust Center, The Edison Institute, Stratford Shakespearean Festival of America, and Detroit Historical Society.
Grants for Health
The community foundation supports health, wellness, and healthcare organizations through its various funding opportunities, particularly its General Grants program.
The types of health organizations the foundation supports include mental health, reproductive health, substance abuse treatment and rehabilitation, healthcare access, medical research, and inpatient and outpatient medical care.
Previous grantees in the health space include Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association of Greater Michigan, Henry Ford Health System, The Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Beaumont Health Foundation, Hospice of Michigan, Autism Alliance of Michigan, Corner Health Center, Domestic Assault Rape Elimination, Wellness Networks, Mycare Health Center, Michigan Physical Fitness Health and Sports Foundation, Area Agency on Aging, Planned Parenthood of Michigan, Carewell Health Foundation West Michigan, Spectrum Health Hospitals, and Sacred Heart Rehabilitation Center.
Important Grant Details:
Grants typically range between about $5,000 and $1 million. Most competitive grants are $30,000 to $75,000. The most common amount is $10,000. The foundation awarded over $78 million in grants in a recent year and held more than $975 million in assets.
This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits but prefers that nonprofits call to discuss a potential fit before preparing a proposal.
Grantmaking focuses on Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Monroe, Washtenaw, St. Clair, and Livingston counties in Michigan.
The proposal deadlines are the 15th of February, May, August, and November of each year.
The application process is conducted online.
Direct general questions to the staff at 313-961-6675 or via online form.
PEOPLE:
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