This fifth round of funding brings Kresge’s total COVID-related grant investments to an estimated $11.7M

The Kresge Foundation announced today a fifth round of grantmaking commitments – totaling more than $1.4 million – to support nonprofit organizations that are on the frontlines of community-based and national responses to the COVID-19 crisis. Since April, Kresge has granted approximately $11.7 million to organizations combatting the negative effects of the pandemic.

The following organizations were awarded more than $900,000 in new grant support from Kresge:

• Community Partners, Los Angeles (fiscal sponsor) – This $100,000 grant from the Education Program will enable the Southern California College Access Network to create an online hub to help students navigate the unique challenges of college access and success during COVID-19, including evolving campus plans, financial aid, distance learning, mental health and transfer, and help them make informed decisions about higher education in fall 2020 and 2021. California is one of four focus states for the Education Program.
• Detroit Public Television, Wixom, Michigan – This $117,000 grant from the Detroit Program supports Tools for Hope, an innovative series of free virtual workshops to support early childhood education professionals as they face the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as programming to highlight the work of Detroit’s artists and arts organizations.
• Metro Solutions, Detroit (fiscal sponsor) – This $176,000 joint grant from the Arts & Culture and Detroit Programs provides startup capital for the City of Detroit’s Office of Arts, Culture & Entrepreneurship to complete its initial set of projects, including funding for the city’s only COVID-19 artist relief fund.
• Michigan Nonprofit Association, Lansing, Michigan – This $200,000 grant provides project support to Michigan Nonprofit Association for the work of a collaborative of five intermediaries to address the needs of Southeast Michigan nonprofits as they face new and amplified challenges as a result of the COVID pandemic.
• The National Civil Rights Museum, Memphis – This American Cities Program grant of $15,000 will assist the National Civil Rights Museum in its efforts to safely reopen, reengage visitor audiences and resume operations following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• SoHarlem, New York – This general operating support grant from the Arts & Culture Program of $75,000 will allow SoHarlem to continue operations and retain its staff and creatives. SoHarlem leveraged the skills of its artisans to manufacture personal protective gear – masks and gowns – to essential workers in Harlem early in the pandemic.
• Texas Higher Education Foundation, Austin, Texas (fiscal sponsor) – This $125,000 grant from the Education Program will support the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in its efforts to provide emergency financial aid to students experiencing basic needs deficiencies, including food and housing insecurity, exacerbated by college closures and COVID-19 related disruptions. Support from the Education Program will also fund the creation of two reports outlining lessons learned from the aid program to help ensure its long-term sustainability. Texas is one of four focus states for the Education Program.
• University of South Florida Foundation, Tampa, Florida (fiscal sponsor) – This $50,000 grant from the Education Program will enable the Florida College Access Network to implement its new 2020-2025 strategic plan to boost postsecondary attainment. The plan includes providing nonpartisan research data to state leaders, addressing systemic barriers contributing to equity gaps, and supporting a more robust public policy role to ensure higher education funding and student-centered policies remain a priority during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Florida is one of four focus states for the Education Program.
• The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. – This Health Program grant of $60,000 will support a set of Urban Institute virtual convenings in September 2020 to create a policy agenda to support public housing authorities recovering from the COVID-19 crisis, as well as to support long-term preservation and revitalization of the public housing stock.

In keeping with an earlier commitment to offer current Kresge grantees greater flexibility and resources, the Foundation is also providing supplemental financial support in new grant amendments – totaling $510,00 –  to help organizations meet challenges wrought by the pandemic:

• The Community Arts Stabilization Trust, San Francisco – This $150,000 grant amendment from the Arts & Culture Program will enable the Community Arts Stabilization Trust to continue operations, address the need to re-envision cultural spaces and preserve and create long-term affordable spaces for creative work and housing.
• Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, New Orleans – The Environment Program financial amendment of $45,000 will support the Deep South Center for Environmental Justice’s COVID-19 response in Gulf Coast communities.
• The Education Commission of the States, Denver – This $50,000 financial amendment from the Education Program will enable Education Commission of the States to enhance and apply state policies and practices that help students transition successfully from high school into postsecondary education during the COVID-19 pandemic. This amendment ensures that Michigan state higher education leaders receive tailored guidance about options for responding to the complex educational conditions caused by COVID-19.
• GreenLatinos, Washington, D.C. – This Environment Program grant amendment of $20,000 will support GreenLatinos’ COVID-19 rapid response efforts. Additionally, a conversion of their remaining grant funds to general operating support will allow GreenLatinos to hire a water policy consultant.
• Healthy Schools Campaign, Chicago – An Environment Program financial amendment of $20,000 will support the Healthy Schools Campaign’s ongoing work to transform Chicago schoolyards into shared green spaces for learning, while reducing neighborhood flooding through the use of green storm water infrastructure.
• Michigan College Access Network, Lansing, Michigan –This $100,000 Education Program financial amendment funds the Michigan College Access Network’s COVID-19 Response Grants, which provide up to $10,000 each to schools, organizations and communities throughout the state to mitigate COVID-19’s harmful impact on college access and success. Michigan is one of four focus states for the Education Program.
• National College Attainment Network, Washington, D.C. – This $75,000 financial amendment from the Education Program will enable the National College Attainment Network to enhance its online learning platform, called Fundamentals for College Access and Success Providers, in response to increased demand for professional development from practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Urban Sustainability Directors Network, San Francisco – This grant amendment from the Environment Program provides $50,000 for the Urban Sustainability Directors Network as its member cities navigate the public health and economic crises driven by COVID-19 as well as the recent uprisings in response to racial injustice.

For more about Kresge’s response to the COVID pandemic and resources for grantee partners, please visit our COVID-19 Response page.