Accelerating Change
A Year In The Work
Since our launch experience in Summer 2019, much has changed in our world.
Co.act opened its doors to in-person programming and collaboration in June 2019. In March 2020, we paused and shut our building, out of caution and safety because of COVID-19.
As we step into a new year and a new phase of work, we’re looking back on the impact we’ve had in the nonprofit ecosystem we’re proud to call home.
See The Co.act Community In Action
Pictured below are a few of the 2021 Detroit Community Development Mini-Grant recipients. In June 2021, Co.act Detroit and Community Development Advocates for Detroit (CDAD) awarded nearly $300,000 in funding to 53 organizations through the Mini-Grant Fund funded by Hudson-Webber Foundation and McGreggor Fund. Learn more about the 2021 Detroit Community Development Mini-Grant recipients here.
Hear From The Co.act Community
“Co.act is there to bring people who can help you get the job done, that will walk you through the steps, that will move you to the next level, and they support you all along the way.”
— Velma Overman, Operation Refuge
Impact
Co.Lab Connect
The Co.Lab Connect program invites nonprofits in Southeast Michigan to complete Principles & Practices assessments. These detailed organizational health assessments, developed and administered by Michigan Nonprofit Association, help organizations build capacity and demonstrate accountability and transparency.
The Co.Lab Connect program provides opportunities for consultations and coaching to local organizations in a broad variety of capacity areas. Co.Lab Connect partners provide 1-on-1 coaching, leveraging cross-sector partnerships to provide no cost, high-quality service to nonprofits. Our shift to virtual programming allowed us to remain consistent in providing Co.Lab Connect appointments every week, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 310 appointments were held during 82 Co.Lab days in 2020. To date, our partners have hosted 597 appointments (as of EOY 2021).
%
Organizations with budgets of $0 - $49,000
Plus:
12.8% with budgets $50,000-$99,999
8.7% with budgets $100,000-$240,999
7.7% with budgets $250,000-$499,999
7.7% with budgets $1,000,001-$5,000,000
15.9% other
%
Organizations with 5 or fewer staff members
Plus:
17.4% volunteers
1.8% with staff size of 6-10
5.6% with staff size of 21+
5.1% with staff size of 11-20
6.2% other
Subsectors Served
Youth development organizations
Education organizations
Human services organizations
Arts and culture organizations
Housing and community development organizations
Public and societal benefit organizations
Food organizations
Health organzations
Environment and animals organizations
Professional societies and associations
Internaltional and foreign affairs organizations
And more
Activate Fund
Co.act launched the Activate Fund to strengthen nonprofit capacity and collaboration, recognize peer learning and build cohorts. During post-funding evaluation, 100% of grantees reported that the Activate Fund grant helped further the work and accelerate the mission of their organization! The Activate Fund’s targeted outcomes included:
- Identify, address and eliminate barriers
- Collaborate, think and invest differently
- Celebrate wins and share best practices
- Create power and change in beneficiary communities
- Strengthen local networks
Activate Fund programs include the Earned Revenue Accelerator Pilot, Nonprofit Fundamentals Grants, Activate Fund Service Providers, Collaboration Pilot Award and Apparatus CARES Award.
Value of services
Direct grants
Service providers vetted
%
Grantee organizations led by people of color
%
Grantee organizations led by women
%
Grantee organizations with budgets under $1 million
Nonprofit Wellbeing Series
One of Co.act’s core beliefs is in the importance of creating cultures of wellbeing and care within nonprofit organizations, so that we can better serve and care for our communities. Manifesting this belief, we have collaborated with a selection of local providers to host the Nonprofit Wellbeing Series.
Events in the series
Guests hosted
A Growing Network
Co.act grantees are based all around southeast Michigan and beyond.
Detroit, MI 48223
Detroit, MI 48204
Detroit, MI 48207
Detroit, MI 48201
Detroit, MI 48216
Madison Heights, MI 48071
Atwater, OH 44201
Detroit, MI 48210
Detroit, MI 48214
Detroit, MI 48202
Royal Oak, MI 48067
Roseville, MI 48066
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Detroit, MI 48209
Detroit, MI 48221
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Detroit, MI 48238
Sterling Heights, MI 48310
Detroit, MI 48226
Detroit, MI 48203
Detroit, MI 48206
Farmington Hills, MI 48331
Detroit, MI 48207
Activate Fund Grantees
AIGA Detroit
Arts & Scraps
Artlab J
American Indian Health and Family Services
Build Institute
Center for Community-Based Enterprise, Inc
Center for Success Network
Concrete Oasis
Congress of Communities
COTS
CultureSource
DAPCEP (Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program)
Detroit Food & Entrepreneurship Academy
Detroit Future City
Detroit Hives
Detroit Police Athletic League, Inc.
Development Centers
Family Assistance for Renaissance Men (FARM)
FoodCorps Inc.
Give Merit
Journey To Healing
JOURNi
Joy Southfield Community Development Corp.
Mack Avenue Community Church
Macomb County Rotating Emergency
Michigan League of Conservation Voters Education Fund
Millennials-Vs-Everybody
National Veteran Business Development Council
Neighborhood House
New Detroit, Inc.
Open Book Theatre Company
Operation Refuge
Reading Works
Ruth Ellis Center
Shelter Team (MCREST)
Student Advocacy Center
Susie Q’s Kids, Inc.
The Carr Center
The Education Trust-Midwest
The Packard Motorcar Foundation
The Yunion, Inc.
United Community Family Services
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
Villages Community Development Corporation
Wayne County SAFE
We the People of Detroit
Acknowledgments
Partnerships are essential to our work. We inspire collaborative action and call on organizations to come together to solve our region’s most pressing challenges collectively.
Co.act was created to complement existing resources and support for the nonprofit community in southeast Michigan. We work closely with intermediaries and cross-sector partners to drive transformative change. Below are a few of our closest partners.
Funders & Sponsors
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Foundation
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Kresge Foundation
McGregor Fund
Hudson Webber Foundation
JP Morgan Chase Fund
Microsoft Philanthropies
Chemical Bank
Program Partners
These organizations partner with us to deliver innovative programming and technical support.
Advancing Macomb
Apparatus Solutions
313creative
CCS Fundraising
Community Development Advocates of Detroit
Council of Michigan Foundations
Culture Source
Data Driven Detroit
Design Core Detroit
Dinner for 30 with Cornetta Lane
Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
EarlyWorks, llc.
Gingras Global
Healing by Choice!
Insights³
Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, IUPUI
Michigan Community Resources
Nonprofit Enterprise at Work
Nonprofit Personnel Network
Oakland University
University of Michigan School of Social Work Technical Assistance Center
Urban Consulate