We've been covering neighborhood development news a lot lately, as all parts of the city
have gotten more notice for development potential. Some developers have also taken
a more nuanced approach to the practice, trying to minimize displacement while creating wealth for Detroiters.
One way to do that is by support local assets. And that's exactly what the Kresge Foundation is doing with the announcement that it will be providing $1 million dollars in grants to 21 community organizations throughout Detroit.
"Groups on the front lines of the city's revitalization told us that operating support for their day-to-day operations is the most important contribution we can make to support their work," says Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of Kresge's Detroit Program, in a press release.
Organizations like the Southwest Detroit Business Association and the Osborn Neighborhood Alliance will receive between $30,000 and $60,000 annually.
GenesisHOPE, a community development arm of the Genesis Lutheran Church on the east side that does a lot of work with food security, is one of the smaller organizations on the list, having only two full-time staff members. The grant will allow GenesisHOPE to retain staff and devote more time and resources to engaging the community, says the group's executive director, Jeanine Hatcher.
"There's no one strategy that necessarily works across the city, but these groups are adept at figuring out which ones are worth pursuing on their home turfs," says Hatcher, in a press release. "We are proud to support them, and we'll also be working to bring them together to give them chance to learn from each other."
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