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. 

Core Partners

Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation logo
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation logo
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation logo

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