From the Founding Executive Director
Five-Year Report
Dear Co.Activists,
Leading Co.act for its first five years has been incredibly humbling, inspiring, and peppered with moments of sheer pride in what people who believe in each other can do together. As someone who whole-heartedly believes in our collective power, Co.act’s mission aligns with the very core of my being. Because there is power in bringing together diverse perspectives, minds and ideas for innovation, we can transform the way in which we think, work, share resources, and more, all for the greater good. We can shift culture and redesign systems to be equitable.
Our approach to our work started on day 1 in 2019. Our name Co.act was created with community in our very first co-design sessions. Since then, the Co.act team has anchored ourselves at the intersection of philanthropy and the nonprofit community. We’ve convened groups that otherwise might be disparate in what I like to call “brave spaces.” Together, we push the envelope regarding how we work collaboratively without competition, receive and disburse funding, and innovate at every opportunity.
This commitment to equity and innovation has resulted in realities that five years ago may have otherwise seemed out of reach. For example, Co.act invested $75,000 in the Earned Revenue Accelerator, which was part of our Activate Fund, made possible with $1.9 million in funding from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation. The initial Accelerator investment yielded $500,000 in earned revenue among six organizations.
For outcomes like this, Co.act serves as a conduit and champion for accelerating collaboration and innovation. The rest has been a result of the brilliant people we surround ourselves with – both in our beautiful physical space at 6568 Woodward Ave in the New Center neighborhood of Detroit and across Southeast Michigan.
I’d be remiss if I did not thank our funding partners who helped us triple our budget and nearly double our staff size in our first five years. And of course, the Co.act team who has been instrumental in ensuring we deliver on our mission, as well as challenge us to be and do better every day.
I’ve learned that together, we are abundant, adaptable and resilient. I hope that the information you’ll read in our five-year impact report brings you moments of pride as you reflect on your own role in the successes. And I hope it inspires you to think and act boldly about reimagining what’s possible in the next five years.
In partnership,
Allandra Bulger
Founding Executive Director
