Grant Programs
Five-Year Report
Co.act promotes an equitable funding landscape through piloting and modeling participatory grantmaking and convening cross-sector partners to amplify best practices and co-create recommendations. Beyond providing funding, Co.act connects all grant-seekers to an ecosystem of resources and support. We hope that our commitment to show up as a true partner – one that cares deeply about our grantees’ success and communities we serve – shines through during and after our grantmaking. We deliberately fund organizations that share our desire to build equitable futures through catalyzing collaboration and authentically engaging our communities.
Activate Fund
With support from Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, the Activate Fund strengthens nonprofit capacity and collaboration, recognizes peer learning, and builds cohorts. We operationalized this mission through five components: Nonprofit Fundamentals, Collaboration Pilot, Service Provider Network, Earned Revenue Accelerator, and Apparatus Cares.
The majority of grantees included organizations led by people of color and/or women with budgets of less than
awardees received a total of
An additional 7 collaboratives, comprising 171 organizations, were awarded with in-kind services valued at $210K.
An intense, challenging but ultimately transformative experience that has reframed the way we both approach and plan to advance our work (products & services).
– Activate Fund Grantee
%
100% of grantees reported that the Activate Fund grant helped further the work and accelerate the mission of their organization.
Pacific Community Ventures’ evaluation report (2021) found that Activate positively impacted grantees’ organizations – including improving their financial health, expanding services, fundraising, and more.
Detroit Community Development Mini-Grants
In partnership with Community Development Associates of Detroit (CDAD), two rounds of Community Development mini-grants were hosted in 2020 and 2021, providing the opportunity for nonprofit organizations to apply for up to $5,000 each from a fund total of $350,000. The grants helped provide critical services, such as food and PPE distribution, to their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched in summer 2020, the initial fund of
garnered nearly
in funding requests.
Because of the overwhelming number of funding requests we received, Co.act secured two new philanthropic partners to help us meet the demand. This yielded a
%
increase in grants, 50 additional critical relief projects were funded.
– Auntie Na’s Village
KIP:D+
A partnership between the Kresge Foundation, Michigan Community Resources and Co.act, KIP:D+ incubates, accelerates, and provides funding for community and resident-led initiatives that will improve the quality of life and strengthen the fabric of community in Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.
In 2023-2024, we received hundreds of applications, unearthing the need of nearly
of funding requests for community-centered initiatives, most of which came from small nonprofits that have historically been excluded or hard to reach in grant application processes. We were able to fund 10% of them and are actively looking for additional philanthropic partners to meet the community’s needs.
This is an opportunity to bring our vision to life for teen moms and young girls in Detroit. We’re creating a safe and supportive space where they’ll feel valued and empowered to shape their futures. It’s a meaningful step for our community, and we’re eager to see the positive impact we can make together.
– Tyra Moore, Executive Director of A Girl Like Me, Inc.
The WELL Fund
Built on several years of shifting status quo around nonprofit burnout, The WELL Fund launches in partnership with the Skillman Foundation, Black Executive Directors Alliance Detroit, and the Youth Development Resource Center, to support the wellness and capacity of BIPOC-led nonprofits that serve Detroit youth (ages 5-24). Grant awards supported general operating funding, technical assistance, capacity building and leadership development, and support for wellness activities.
5 grantees received a total of
and one-on-one capacity building technical assistance.
An additional four awardees received community wellness stipends, totaling
The WELL Fund gave us as leaders in the community an opportunity to lead. And that makes a big difference. It allows people in the community – who are doing the work, who understand what the community needs, who know the people we work with – to thrive. We really are better together.
– Camille Proctor, Executive Director, The Color of Autism
BIPOC-led nonprofits receive less funding though they are often more ingrained and attuned to the communities they serve. Our goal was to create a fund specifically to support the leaders of these organizations.
– Terry Whitfield, Past Partnership Manager, The Skillman Foundation