A little over a year ago, I addressed 300 partners, peers and friends at Kresge’s Our Urban Future conference, the last of several events marking the Kresge Foundation’s Centennial. I told the group:  

“Let’s use our time together to fire our imagination to conceive of a bolder, more equitable urban trajectory. I am optimistic that we can do that. . . . And, under the circumstances, being anything other than an optimist strikes me as a profoundly unproductive use of our time.” 

The last year has provided innumerable invitations to pessimism, resignation, even despair. I acknowledge the accumulated and deep losses and remaining challenges, but still, I stand by the spirit of my words. We can conceive of a bolder, more equitable urban trajectory that amplifies and honors the gifts of our cities: diverse populations, neighborhood assets and unbowed civic and community leaders. We see people envisioning and implementing this trajectory every day.  

So even as we mourn the careless destruction of pillars of civil society, the families and communities destroyed by deportation, the hateful rhetoric and violent action visited upon our cities, we also hope. We hope because we know what we have done and what we can do to move toward greater equity and opportunity in cities.  

Yes, there has been whiplash around funding. Loud voices have denigrated and dismissed prior efforts, tried to erase history and stopped the flow of information that helps measure progress. But you haven’t stopped, and neither has Kresge. That’s why we’re publishing this Centennial convening summary now. The work still matters. 

When we combine what we heard during our Centennial convenings with our own understanding of how change happens in cities, we see three themes for city building and civic problem-smashing emerge. Cities need:   

• A multi-sectoral, pluralistic approach and the right leadership to organize and maintain it 

• Community self-determination and creative use of assets 

• New and strengthened systems to deliver diverse forms of capital 

Over the past year, we’ve seen continued progress on each of these themes. Our grant partners tell us they are putting more energy into convening, collective action, collaboration and building stronger networks, especially with groups that have not historically engaged with their issues.  

In the face of efforts to uproot and isolate vulnerable people and describe them as outsiders or threats, people are rallying to defend their neighbors. New communities of practice are emerging, such as one that Kresge supports to help city residents secure quality employment, improved income, and health insurance.  

As federal dollars abruptly disappear, people are imagining new ways to engage the private markets to accelerate real estate investment in disinvested areas and creating community-owned infrastructure that can operate independently of political shifts. Kresge is providing resources to nonprofits to help them become more resilient and manage their funds for longevity and impact. 

Like you, the Kresge Foundation will not deviate from our mission of strengthening the building blocks of equity and opportunity in American cities. While partners and friends might have to adjust methods or even make excruciating decisions about where to move forward and where to pause, we are all steadfast in our commitment to our shared purpose and the shared vision of our urban future.  

This summation of our Centennial year convenings, 100 Years of Grantmaking: Lessons Learned from the Kresge Foundation’s Centennial Convenings, is not a postcard from a vanished era. Instead, I hope it is a galvanizing reminder of the variety of ways that people across the country are still, continually moving every day towards great equity and opportunity, and even joy, in America’s cities.  

The work has never been easy. You are not alone. Let’s keep going together.