The Kresge Foundation, in partnership with Co.act Detroit and Michigan Community Resources, is launching the first-ever Cultural Heritage round of Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit Plus, with up to $1.25 million available for community-led projects that preserve, celebrate and activate the cultural identity of neighborhoods across Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park.

Applications open May 4 and close June 1 at 5 p.m. ET. The program expects to award 10 to 15 grants of up to $100,000 each, with funding decisions announced in August.

Since its launch in 2014, KIP:D+ has awarded 193 grants totaling $15 million to support resident-led projects that improve neighborhood life and reflect community priorities. The Cultural Heritage round marks a new chapter for the program, the first time KIP:D+ has dedicated an entire funding cycle to projects rooted in arts, culture, history and community identity.

“Cultural heritage is not a museum piece. It is alive in the neighborhoods of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park every day, in the stories elders tell, the festivals communities organize, the public art that marks a place as theirs. With this round of KIP:D+, we are investing in the people and organizations doing that work, because protecting and celebrating cultural identity is part of what makes a neighborhood whole,” said Wendy Lewis Jackson, managing director of The Kresge Foundation’s Detroit Program.

What this round supports

KIP:D+ Cultural Heritage is designed for projects that honor the past, care for important places and imagine the future of Detroit, Hamtramck and Highland Park. Both physical and nonphysical projects are eligible.

Examples include:

• Storytelling and oral history projects
• Archiving efforts that preserve community memory
• Public art or permanent installations
• Exhibitions
• Neighborhood signage
• Cultural events and celebrations
• Activating community spaces
• Placemaking and placekeeping work

Projects should strengthen belonging, preserve stories and places, and be shaped by community voice. Applicants should be prepared to begin work soon after receiving funding and complete their projects within a 24-month grant period. (See the KIP:D+ Cultural Heritage Program Guidelines)

Building on a legacy of community-led work

The Cultural Heritage round builds on a decade of KIP:D+ investments in resident-driven projects. Past grantees offer a window into the range of work this new round is designed to support.

Black Bottom Archives has worked to preserve and share the history of Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood, a community displaced by urban renewal whose stories continue to shape the city’s identity. Through oral histories, digital archives and public programming, the organization is making sure the memory of Black Bottom is not only preserved but actively passed on to new generations of Detroiters.

Sidewalk Detroit takes a different but complementary approach, using arts-based programming to activate underused public spaces and celebrate the cultural heritage of the neighborhoods it serves. The organization hosts an annual festival highlighting Brightmoor’s public spaces and serves as a curator, producer and installer of community-driven public art across the city. Its work in Eliza Howell Park and the East Canfield Art Park reflects an eco-conscious, community-rooted approach to placekeeping, with notable installations including Patrick Dougherty’s “Stickwork” in 2021, Jordan Weber’s “NewForest, Ancient Thrones” in 2024, and Halima Cassells’ recycled art installation.

Together, projects like these illustrate the breadth of what cultural heritage work can look like, from archiving and oral history to public art, festivals and the long-term care of community spaces.

“This Cultural Heritage round lifts up work communities have been doing for generations and creates space for untold stories to be shared. Shaped by a community-based advisory committee, it reflects what residents and organizations say matters most. Through KIP:D+, we’re supporting community-based organizations to tell their own stories, rooted in the history, creativity and lived experiences of their neighborhoods,” said Ezekiel Harris, executive director of Co.act Detroit.

“Cultural heritage lives in the stories, spaces and traditions that communities carry forward every day, and this next round of Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit Plus is an investment in that living legacy. At Michigan Community Resources, we help turn those visions into viable, resourced and enduring projects. We work alongside organizations from first idea to full realization, because when communities are trusted, supported and resourced, they don’t just preserve culture, they shape the future of their neighborhoods,” said Shamyle Dobbs and Alisha Butler, co-CEOs of Michigan Community Resources.

Who can apply

The program is open to nonprofit organizations and community groups located in and serving Detroit, Hamtramck or Highland Park. Applicants must have at least two years of experience working with the communities they serve and must propose a project connected to culture, history or community identity.

Organizations do not need to hold 501(c)(3) status to apply. Community groups without tax-exempt status may apply with a 501(c)(3) fiduciary, also known as a fiscal sponsor. Michigan Community Resources can help applicants identify a fiduciary if needed.

How to apply

Applications are submitted online through Submittable. Both written and audio applications are accepted.

Applicants will need to provide a project scope and timeline, a project budget, a letter of request, a list of project personnel, and organizational documents including their most recent audit or 990. Learn more on how to apply here.

Get support

Michigan Community Resources is available for one-on-one support throughout the application period. Interested applicants can attend information sessions or sign up for virtual office hours to get help with their application, discuss eligibility, find a fiduciary or address compliance questions.

To sign up for KIP:D+ application assistance and technical support or learn about upcoming information sessions, visit connect.mi-community.org/mcr-kipd-support.

For questions about program guidelines, eligibility or the selection process, contact Co.act Detroit at [email protected] or 313-789-1386.

For application support, contact MCR at [email protected].

For more information on eligibility, project types and how to apply, visit kresge.org/initiative/kipd-plus/.

Key dates

• Applications open: May 4
• Application deadline: June 1 at 5 p.m. ET
• Selection committee review: June through July
• Applicants notified: August
• Grant period: Approximately third quarter 2026 through third quarter 2028