The Climate Resilience and Urban Opportunity (CRUO) Initiative launches. This five-year, $29 million effort prioritized work led by advocates and organizers in urban communities facing disproportionate environmental burdens.

The FreshLo (Fresh, Local & Equitable) initiative launches. Before sunsetting in 2021, the initiative provides $8.4 million in grant funding, technical assistance and learning opportunities to 23 organizations promoting the integration of food, creative placemaking and community to drive equitable neighborhood revitalization.

Kresge adopts Equity as its sixth organizational value. The statement begins: “The Kresge Foundation centers equity as one of its organizational values. Equity to us means that all people — regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, zip code, health and ability status, or any other consideration — have equal and inviolable dignity, … Continue reading 2019

Kresge Early Years for Success (KEYS) launches with the goal to strengthen the city’s early childhood education and development systems and to ensure all Detroit children grow up ready to learn in kindergarten and beyond. This is the precursor to Hope Starts Here, a citywide initiative that launches in 2017 in partnership with the W.K. … Continue reading 2016

Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit (now KIP:D+) launches with $5 million to fund Detroit-based nonprofits in transformative projects across the city. The 2023 round of KIP:D+ brings the total of granted projects and planning efforts to 184 – along with $13.7 million in total grant support dollars – since launch. Similar “KIP” initiatives are established in Memphis … Continue reading 2015

Ground breaks on a state-of-the-art early childhood center on the Marygrove campus.

The American Cities Practice (now Program) launches and a Memphis internal cross-team working group is established. Memphis, which has become one of the foundation’s focus cities, has received more than $23 million in grant support.

Kresge Trustees make a commitment to deploy $350 million in social investments by 2020, with a goal to attract an additional $1 billion from other investors.

Kresge makes a $50 million commitment to transform the Marygrove campus into a robust preschool-to-postsecondary resource for Detroit.