Focus Area Overview

We believe that a learning revolution is under way in Detroit. When complete, this transformation will result in a groundbreaking overhaul of the way our hometown educates children and supports families. We want to ensure that every Detroit student enters kindergarten ready for achievement and graduates from high school prepared for post-secondary education. This ambition aligns with the Excellent Schools Detroit citywide education plan, which calls for Detroit, by 2020, to be the first major American city where 90 percent of students graduate from high school, 90 percent enroll in college or a quality postsecondary training program and 90 percent of enrollees are prepared to succeed without needing remediation.

We focus on strategies that will create high-quality education options, early childhood programs, out-of-school options and community supports. We invest in innovative projects that:

• Foster new models to improve quality in early childhood education through early intervention, parent engagement and market-based incentives.
• Realign health and human services to support student achievement through community schools.
• Attract innovative and exemplary 21st-century education models to Detroit neighborhoods.

Our Funding Process 

Our Detroit team members are deeply engaged in the community and make every effort to be aware of emerging and ongoing initiatives with potential to accomplish the community’s goals.

The Detroit Program periodically offers open grant opportunities to organizations within a certain sector.

We recommend staying  in touch though email subscription, RSS, or social media to learn about those opportunities.