MEET THE 2024 KIP:D+ COHORT
Congratulations to all the organizations who received funding in the 2024 round of KIP:D+ to complete their implementation-ready projects. The nine organizations below will share a distributed $1.3 million dollars to realize their visions for their communities. MCR is proud to work with Kresge and Co.act Detroit in continuing the evolution of the KIP:D+ program to be community responsive and dynamic in its support of innovative programs across Detroit.
Over the next 1-2 years, our team will work to provide the nine grantee organizations with technical support, navigating grant processes, exploring the resource landscape, and connecting with peers, colleagues, and specialists across the nonprofit sector. In addition, our team will provide skill-focused workshops and events that build relationships within the current cohort and with fellow grantees from past rounds.
PLANNING & IMPLEMENTATION RECIPIENTS
Blac
k Bottom Archives
Black Bottom Archives is a community-driven media platform dedicated to centering and amplifying the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Black Detroiters through digital storytelling, journalism, art, and community organizing with a focus on preserving local Black history and archiving our present.
Their KIP:D+ grant will support BBA to launch the Preserving Black Legacy Fellowship—a year-long fellowship to support a cohort of seven Black Detroiters in preservation and storytelling tools and techniques and support their development of an archival project that uses oral history to preserve and share their neighborhood's story.
Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation
Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation's mission is to preserve and improve the Grandmont Rosedale neighborhoods of Detroit. Grandmont Rosedale is a community of opportunity that draws a diverse array of people from across the region to shop, eat, start a business, buy a home, and build community.
Their KIP:D+ fund will be utilized to enhance the interior and functionality of a 10-year old community based business incubator and co-working space, Grand River WorkPlace. These upgrades aim to cater to the evolving needs of small business members by providing hybrid meeting functions, independent workspaces, improved seating accessibility, and enhanced privacy, while also fostering greater community involvement and collaboration within the space.
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
Urban Neighborhood Initiatives works with the Springwells neighborhood in southwest Detroit to build a safe and thriving environment where people want to live, work, and play.
With their KIP:D+ grant, UNI’s land use team will deliver the Green Project Playbook vision which includes goals around stormwater management, clean air, beautification, and workforce development. In partnership with neighbors, UNI plans to address residential flooding backups in the neighborhood, improve Springwells’ tree equity score, and complete 50 Green Projects like rain gardens and composting stations, in addition to employing 70 young leaders to carry the work forward while supporting their employment goals.
IMPLEMENTATION RECIPIENTS
A Girl Like Me, Inc.
A Girl Like Me, Inc.'s mission is to educate and encourage girls, teens, teen moms, and young moms between the ages of 11 to 25 to make healthy life choices.
Their KIP:D+ implementation funds will be used to purchase and furnish a home in the Brightmoor neighborhood, transforming it into a welcoming resource hub for teen moms, young moms, their families, and the community. This space will provide essential support, guidance, and community connections for those in need.
Detroit Horse Power
Detroit Horse Power uniquely addresses two persistent problems facing the Motor City: the shortage of opportunities for metro Detroit’s vulnerable populations (especially children) and the abundance of vacant land. Through riding and caring for horses in a safe and enriching space, program participants learn valuable skills that set them up for future success.
Detroit Horse Power is preparing to reactivate the demolished Paul Robeson School site into the largest urban equestrian education center in the nation. Completing this project will scale their impactful youth development programs at a location where the community has championed this uniquely sustainable land use that empowers the next generation of Detroiters. KIP:D+ funds will be used for the interior build-out of classrooms and community space, specifically to install framing, drywall, insulation, and finishings in this new place of neighborhood gathering.
Freedom House
Freedom House supports and empowers refugees, asylum seekers, and others seeking humanitarian protection on their journey to safety, security, and freedom by providing comprehensive services in an inclusive and welcoming space.
Their KIP:D+ implementation grant will contribute toward Freedom House Detroit's $3.78 million East Campus Project. This project includes the construction of a 4,900 square foot addition, renovation of 800 square feet of existing building space, and outdoor improvements. The funds will specifically support the New Arrival Intake Center. This will be a new space where recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers can temporarily reside and engage with basic needs, legal, and social work intake coordinators.
Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments
The vision of the Detroit Hamtramck Coalition for Advancing Healthy Environments on the near east side of Detroit and Hamtramck, is to witness healthy residents who deserve clean air to breathe, clean water to drink, and land free of pollution to live on and to grow their own food on.
Their KIP:D+ funds will be used to (1) implement a robust community engagement and participation plan (based on previous pre-planning work with KIP: D+) to study environmental health issues and risks, priorities, solutions, and the resources to put those solutions in motion and (2) continue to build trust in community by becoming a non-profit, community-driven, grassroots, environmental justice action coalition focused on the near eastside of Detroit.
Jefferson Chalmers Farmers Market
The Jefferson Chalmers Farmers Market engages in community building, economic development, food security while promoting healthy eating lifestyles, art and culture in the community. Their project aims to transform their market into a neighborhood food resource hub through phased development.
Their KIP:D+ grant will help complete the initial phase of this project which includes establishing a welcome center. This will consist of 320 square feet of space, constructed from a converted 40-foot shipping container powered by solar energy. This center will accommodate market offices, a shared kitchen space and community cafeteria, a small-scale grocery store, and a nursery.
Class Act Detroit
Class Act Detroit is driven by their mission to unlock the vision and creativity of working families in Detroit via hip-hop culture.
Their KIP:D+ funds will support remodeling nine interior spaces and developing nine external lots in Detroit's Midwest/Tireman neighborhood. This initiative follows a four-year charrette led by over 1,000 adolescent youths, BIPOC working families, and legacy Detroiters. The project aims to empower the liberation, unification, and celebration of descendants of the African Diaspora through arts education, cultural resilience, positive racial identity, entrepreneurship, self-actualization, and discovery. It also builds upon earlier support from a KIP:D capacity grant encouraging initial discussions and planning. The result is the adaptive reuse of a historic 13,000-square-foot formerly vacant house of worship into a community center and cultural hub affectionately named House of Hip-Hop.