Rip Rapson, president of The Kresge Foundation, framed the closing plenary, "Strengthening Communities Together," at the Independent Sector and Council of Michigan Foundation's 2009 annual conference, with a discussion of where the city of Detroit is headed and what it may be able to teach other post-industrial cities seeking renewal.

Read Rip Rapson's full remarks, "A Different View of Detroit."

The three-day conference, held in downtown Detroit, drew more than 1,100 participants from the philanthropic and charitable communities.

In his remarks, Rapson said the rules of the road for working in Detroit have changed. Despite the negative news coverage on the state of the region, a new and profoundly different story is emerging, with the public, private and philanthropic sectors working together to re-imagine and rebuild all aspects of community life. Rapson described an aggressive, coordinated effort by local and national foundations to help shape and fund a sustainable long-term future for the city – working closely with all levels of government.

For more information on the Independent Sector/Council of Michigan Foundation's 2009 annual conference, visit the conference site.