Save the date: KIP:D is back!
We are thrilled to announce that, starting this fall, The Kresge Foundation and Michigan Community Resources (MCR) have invited Co.act Detroit to administer the Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit (KIP:D) grant program. Michigan Community Resources will continue to provide technical support and create spaces for grantees to convene in a mutually supportive network. “Co.act’s experience as a site for inclusive, equity-focused grant programs like the Activate Fund made it a natural fit for the redesign and administration of the program,” said Bryan Hogle, Senior Program Officer with The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program, who has been involved with KIP:D since its launch in 2014. “That core alignment of values and principles, along with the strong working relationship Co.act and Michigan Community Resources enjoy has led to a great deal of creativity and thought in this next round of KIP:D.” Applications open on Thursday, November 18, 2021.
About KIP:D
In 2014, Kresge’s Detroit Program launched KIP:D to support nonprofits in their work to improve the quality of life and strengthen the fabric of Detroit-area communities. So far, KIP:D has distributed 127 grants totaling $11.1 million to 78 different organizations to fund transformative, resident-led community projects. The program has also provided $1.5 million in technical support to help organizations carry out these projects.
KIP:D has fostered creative green uses of vacant spaces, funded transformations of vacant buildings into community assets, modified streets and sidewalks for greater walkability and supported the development of non-place-based projects like mobile libraries.
At the same time, KIP:D has bolstered the ability of organizations to conceive and execute those projects, including through funding the work MCR has done to provide technical assistance, convene cohorts of grantees and create space for grantees to share lessons, attend workshops and engage in conversation. Learn more about past KIP:D projects here.
An evaluation of the initiative’s first three years commissioned from the University of Michigan School of Social Work’s Program Evaluation Group found that the projects fostered social cohesion and brought a sense of ownership around the projects and the community more broadly.
Learn more
There are going to be a few changes in the application and selection process (including the opportunity to nominate someone you know for the selection committee) — but the goal of KIP:D remains the same: to fund transformative neighborhood projects that support the vision, creativity and priorities of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park residents.