Highlights of Our Work in Detroit

We’re midway through 2022, the perfect time to take a brief look at the last several years together. What a great reminder of what we can do collectively, and continue to build resolve and shift our community forward.

Founding Social Investors Pool Funding

Our GreenLight Fund co-founders, along with our incredible Detroit founding social investors, convened at the Mayor’s office to pledge to combine funding streams and work together for the next several years on high priority issues facing our local residents. Their faith in handing over decisions through a community-centric process led us here.

Building Our Teams . . . and Our Identity

Our Detroit approach to convening the decision-makers of our inaugural Fund focused on our community, residents, and racial equity from the beginning. Drawing from both GreenLight Fund national’s 5-step methodology and the local Change the Conversation on improving philanthropy, we built a people-centered approach to determining priorities and spending our millions of funds.

Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO)

Our first social investment serves formerly incarcerated residents through immediate and comprehensive job supports for self sufficiency. Beyond hitting our participant target goals, CEO has brought policy changes and cash assistance to improve overall local conditions for returning citizens. As an engine for equitable job growth and reducing recidivism for the region, they are currently expanding into Pontiac!

New Teacher Center (NTC) Partners with DPSCD

Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) has been building a robust leadership pipeline for our teachers, with NTC integrating its evidence-based supports by training over a hundred and fifty veteran teacher mentors as highly skilled coaches to support new teachers entering the profession. NTC is now being embedded throughout the entire district.

Springboard Collaborative Improves Home Reading

Our third social investment helps teachers and parents achieve reading goals with students during summer and out-of-school time. Local parent feedback drove us to this decision – they demanded to be more deliberately included in their child’s learning. After Covid-19 hit, Springboard served over a thousand students and is growing its individualized literacy skill development between both school and home.

SHIFT Series Lifts People, Policy, Processes for Change

We invited our closest advisors and partners to debate how they are actively shifting their use of partnerships, tools, platforms, and power to achieve tangible change by centering people. We asked big questions that led to authentic, vigorous debate – which in many ways mirrors are internal selection and decision-making process. Click through the series videos to hear more!

Greater Collaboration in the Coming Year
Stay tuned for big news about how combined efforts from folks like you are coming together for shared progress!