News & Views Family-friendly policies can help keep people in Michigan and create economic opportunity May 15, 2025 This is the second entry in the Families in Neighborhoods blog series. The series offers commentaries that explore efforts underway in Detroit, to reimagine neighborhoods as places of opportunity for children and families. In recent years, policymakers in Detroit and across Michigan have sought to develop strategies to deter people from…
News & Views Empowering communities to combat the affordable housing crisis with OppCo Housing Accelerator Fund May 15, 2025 Across Massachusetts, the housing affordability crisis continues to deepen, and the state has set the goal of creating 222,000 new homes by 2035, while preserving its existing affordable housing. The state ranks third in the nation for highest housing costs, with a severe shortage of affordable rental options. Long-time residents…
News & Views Lee: College Decision Day provides a moment of validation for student achievement and aspiration May 14, 2025 For high school students, it’s not just about choosing a college — it’s about feeling seen, supported and set up to thrive. College Decision Day, observed each year on May 1, marks the deadline for most high school seniors across the U.S. to commit to a college. The Detroit College…
Person Jordan Duckens Jordan Duckens is a communications officer at The Kresge Foundation, where she supports the American Cities and Human Services programs at Kresge. She joined the foundation in 2025. Previously, Jordan served as communications strategist at Kresge Arts in Detroit, where she was involved with celebrating metro Detroit artists through promotion…
Resource Thermal Energy Networks in the United States May 12, 2025 A report from Transformative Strategies Consulting and Common Spark Consulting (funded by The Kresge Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and Clif Family Foundation) outlines opportunities for philanthropy to help ensure Thermal Energy Networks become engines of local control and equity, not instruments of exclusion. The recommendations are clear: there is a significant…
Resource Space to Grow: A Decade of Transforming Chicago Schoolyards and Communities May 8, 2025 This report from Healthy Schools Campaign, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making schools healthier places where children can learn and thrive, documents 10 years of its Space to Grow program. Space to Grow invests in communities that are at high risk of experiencing the consequences of climate change like flooding…
News & Views Resilient Neighborhoods: Empowerment program helps seniors age in place with home repair grants and education May 7, 2025
Person Jenny M. Garnica-Bermejo Jenny M. Garnica-Bermejo is the talent and human resources assistant at The Kresge Foundation. She joined the foundation in 2025. Previously, Jenny worked at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan as an HR assistant, where she supported recruitment efforts, onboarding processes, and staff engagement activities. She has also held multiple…
Resource Free MetroCards and College Retention: Findings from The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs & CUNY April 29, 2025 For many students at the City University of New York (CUNY), getting to class isn’t simply a matter of time, it’s a matter of affordability. Community colleges overwhelmingly serve students from households earning less than $50,000 a year. While tuition is often covered through grants and subsidies, non-tuition costs like…
News & Views Helping children thrive: Community of practice links local programs supporting kids and families from birth to career April 22, 2025 This is the second entry in the Families in Neighborhoods blog series. The series offers commentaries that explore efforts underway in Detroit, to reimagine neighborhoods as places of opportunity for children and families. Last August, Kresge and several national funders worked with the U.S. Department of Education to host the…