Partners
The Kresge Foundation
As part of the 2022-2025 Detroit Arts Support program, Kresge remains committed to equity-based initiatives. While applications are not expected to excel on all points below, a competitive application will clearly present the organization’s commitments to the following:
- Advancing opportunities for creative expression among low-income individuals and people of color.
- Broadening participation and access to arts and culture in the community, including the promotion of cross-cultural understanding and diversity through programming.
- Exemplifying a commitment to organizational diversity among its board and staff leadership reflective of the community and population served.
Additionally, strong applications will show the following about organizations:
- Contribution to the cultural identity and economic vitality of Metro Detroit.
- Evidence of high-quality artistic achievement and strength of programming.
- Commitment to youth development, including arts and culture education.
- Support for local artists and creators of cultural products, including training programs, opportunities for display or sale of works of art, and hiring artists and creative professionals to develop or present programs.
- Participation in effective partnerships and collaborations with other cultural or non-cultural organizations to advance broader community development efforts.
- Evidence that the operating support will help the organization achieve long-term goals.
Program Officer
Michelle Johnson — mdjohnson@kresge.org
Michelle Johnson — mdjohnson@kresge.org
Fred and Barbara Erb Family Foundation
The Erb Family Foundation will review applications from eligible organizations in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. Given the Foundation’s plans to spend down its assets by 2035, the Foundation anticipates this will be its final three-year cycle of Detroit Arts Support. Planned grant amounts for organizations selected for funding will be determined by the funding formula below:
| 2024 Organizational Revenues | Grant Award |
|---|---|
| $100K – $499K | $12,500 Per Year |
| $500K – $2.9M | $18,750 Per Year |
| $3M + | $25,000 Per Year |
Program Officer
Adam DesJardins — adesjardins@erbff.org
Hudson Webber Foundation
As part of the 2025-2028 Detroit Arts Support program, Hudson-Webber remains committed to organizations advancing racial equity and neighborhood-based work that are located in Detroit and where the majority of its work happens in Detroit. While applications are not expected to excel on all points below, a competitive application will clearly present the organization’s commitments to the following:
- Serve as a way through which Detroiters can experience high quality arts and culture from across the nation and the world. This includes delivering regular exhibitions, performances, and collections that are intentionally relevant and accessible to the local community.
- Deliver high quality arts and culture programming that reflects Detroit. This includes organizations that steward cultural places and institutions that are uniquely Detroit and regularly deliver cultural experiences that lift authentic stories and voices of Detroit, past and present.
- Support neighborhood-based arts and culture work. This includes organizations that preserve and amplify neighborhood history and cultural expression.
- Strengthen the nonprofit arts and culture sector. This includes organizations that increase collaboration, sustainability, and diversity within arts and culture organizations.
Additionally, strong applications will show the following about organizations:
- Contribution to the inclusive growth and economic vitality of Detroit
- Evidence of high-quality artistic achievement and strength of programming
- Commitment to advancing opportunities for low-income individuals and people of color to engage in the creation or curation of arts and culture activities.
- Exemplify a commitment to diversity among its board and staff leadership.
- Elevate the local and national profile of Detroit’s arts & culture scene.
- Organizations with operating expenses greater than $25M are not eligible for HWF DAS funds.
Program Officer:
Michael Shaw — mshaw@hudson-webber.org
Contact
For questions regarding the application, please email grants@culturesource.org.
For additional questions about funding geographies and priorities, please explore the funding partner’s details and contact information below.
Note: CultureSource serves as the administrator for DAS. CultureSource does not make funding recommendations or funding decisions.
Process
Step 1 | Application Submission
Eligible organizations should submit one application. Applications are due Thursday, July 28th at 5:00pm EST.
Step 2 | Foundation Eligibility Review
Applications are shared with program staff of the Detroit Arts Support funding partners (The Kresge Foundation, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, and Hudson-Webber Foundation), who will each individually review applications for eligibility aligned with their foundation’s specific funding criteria.
Step 3 | Focus Groups
Four groups of community members (“focus groups”) each receive 20-25 applications to read. Focus group participants are connected to the regional arts and culture sector as supporters, advocates, or practitioners.
Focus group participants will not score applications or provide funding recommendations—again, each foundation will have their own process for reviewing applications against their own funding priorities. Instead, focus groups will surface characteristics and qualities they notice about applying organizations, highlighting points of perceived strength, fascination, and curiosity. The focus group dialogue is meant to provide helpful insights about the state of cultural organizations and reflect a useful range of perceptions about organizations as they present themselves in application materials. Applicants will be able to listen to the focus group discussion of their application. Scheduling details will be announced following the application deadline: Thursday, July 28th at 5:00pm EST.
Apart from focus group participants and DAS funding partners, your application information will be kept confidential.
Focus Group Participants:
- Louis Aguilar
- Racheal Allen
- Rachel Bendit
- Annmarie Borucki
- Sandy Burnley
- Cézanne Charles
- Mark Clague
- Shamyle Maya Dobbs
- Khalilah Burt Gaston
- Mia Khim
- Dustin McClellan
- Peter Robinson
- Buzz Thomas
Step 4: Financial Health Assessment
Susan Nelson of the nonprofit consulting group TDC performs a financial health assessment of applying organizations and shares findings with the DAS funding partners. TDC will also be available to review results with organizations on an individual basis (an amazing and valuable opportunity for all applicants to gain insights about their organization). Scheduling details will be announced following the application deadline: Thursday, July 28th at 5:00pm EST.
Step 5: Decisions and Notification
Each DAS funding partner works with their internal staff and board to finalize their funding decisions. Individual grant sizes will range from $5,000 to $100,000 per year. All grants will be made in three-year commitments. Foundations will collaboratively announce these decisions in the fall of 2022. Applicants will be notified by email and CultureSource will post funding plans on this website.
Note: Not all organizations will be selected for funding by each funding partner, and selection is not merit based.
Get Started Here
Applications Due By Thursday, July 28th at 5:00pm EST
Please watch the recording of the Detroit Arts Support Info Session below
Contact
CultureSource is helping DAS partners administer this initiative. CultureSource is not making funding recommendations or making funding decisions.
For questions regarding the application, please email grants@culturesource.org.
For additional questions about funding geographies and priorities, please explore the funding partner’s details and contact information below.
