Recent Grants Awarded
The McGregor Fund is pleased to share news of $7.5 million in grants awarded to 32 area nonprofit organizations in the first half of 2026.
Highlights include support for partners who are:
- Providing direct assistance to individuals and families
- Advancing systems-level food advocacy and expanding land ownership
- Expanding restorative justice infrastructure
- Leading community violence intervention
- Providing innovative support to survivors of domestic violence
- Offering youth development, leadership and skill-building opportunities
- Activating community-driven solutions promoting well-being and thriving
- Working to advance a shared economic justice agenda centering Black Detroiters and those most disconnected from economic opportunity.
The Fund has also continued emergency grantmaking to current grant partners impacted by federal budget cuts and those serving individuals at risk of losing housing, access to basic needs, or safety.
Basic Needs: Housing & Food Justice
Basic Needs: Housing & Food Justice grants, totaling $2.5million, for food, shelter, and other necessities essential for day-to-day living, were approved for eight grant partners.
To advance housing justice, the McGregor Fund awarded grants to partners connecting Detroiters to essential health resources, community-based care, housing and wraparound services.
Grants were made to partners providing direct, flexible aid to individuals across Detroit, including one working to reduce child poverty and improve maternal and infant health outcomes and another providing coordinated entry and permanent supportive housing services to youth experiencing homelessness.
Also included were grants supporting community food sovereignty, healthy meal provision and food waste reduction, as well as a grant to a partner building community coalitions and advancing systems-level food advocacy. Another grant was made to a partner expanding land ownership and agriculture infrastructure for Detroit-based urban farming networks.
Recovery & Restoration
Recovery & Restoration grants, totaling $
The Fund supported grant partners expanding restorative justice infrastructure for Detroiters facing barriers created by mass incarceration, including direct legal services, peer-led reentry stabilization, clinical support and economic mobility programming. This includes partners connecting individuals to stable housing, healthcare access and workforce pathways, and supporting their movement towards long-term community reintegration.
Additional grants were made to partners leading community violence intervention work, including behavioral health services, workforce development and wraparound supports for youth and families. Other grants supported partners advancing digital media and education infrastructure to facilitate mentoring, restorative intervention, and arts and emotional wellness support.
The Fund also made grants to partners providing emergency and long-term recovery support to adult survivors of domestic violence and their dependents, including access to immediate shelter, bridge housing and relocation; classes to support mobility and independence; flexible financial assistance; and culturally-grounded transitional housing and support programs, including a pilot affordable housing project.
Skill Building & Employment
Eleven grants under the Skill Building & Employment umbrella, totaling $2.1 million, were made to promote economic justice and mobility, focusing on personal development, fulfillment, choice and connection.
Grants were made to partners offering youth development, workforce readiness, and family engagement programming, including one responding to growing demand in a newly expanded facility and another offering arts-based opportunities that build skills and confidence and connect youth to performance opportunities and creative career exploration.
The Fund is also supporting partners offering leadership and skills development to Detroit youth, including one providing entrepreneurial opportunities and postsecondary support throughout high school and beyond, and another working with youth to develop critical thinking, public speaking, civic leadership and real-world problem-solving skills through competitive debate programming.
Other grants were made to support partners working towards a more racially equitable workforce system. These included grants to a workforce funder collaborative, as well as to a partner building a community-centered construction ecosystem and creating equitable pathways for contractors and entrepreneurs across Detroit.
Additional grants were made to partners providing safe, supportive and culturally affirming youth programming for children and families, increasing food access to immigrant families, and advancing summer youth employment opportunities.
Additional Grants
The Fund also made three grants, totaling $650,000, to organizations that strengthen the infrastructure of civil society and promote justice and equity, particularly in an environment marked by increasing threats and challenges to the well-being of Detroit and its residents.
One of these grants will support an enhanced collaboration of grant partners uniting to strengthen organizational wellbeing and long-term resilience across nonprofit organizations based in Southeast Michigan, including coordinated infrastructure support ranging from governance coaching and legal assistance to strategic narrative work and emergency response funding.
Another grant supported participatory grantmaking, leadership development, community engagement work, and broadened participation in philanthropy for Black-led grassroots organizations. A third grant supported a partner providing pro bono legal support to local, community-based, non-profit and investigative journalism organizations.
Celebrating a Decade With Marcia Gardner
This month, we are celebrating Marcia Gardner, who is marking a decade with the McGregor Fund.
The McGregor Fund’s Grants Manager & Executive and Board Administrator, Marcia assists the President, staff and Trustees with various projects, including monitoring compliance with Fund policies and board meeting preparations. She also supports the grants management team with pre-award workflow, grant applications and communications.
Most importantly, she is the heartbeat of the McGregor Fund team. Beyond assisting the McGregor staff and Board with compliance, grants management, and communications, she is the ultimate host. Every space that she touches is grounded in love and care.
All of us at the McGregor Fund thank you, Marcia, for your kind, ever-supportive leadership and your dedication to our grant partners. We love you Marcia and are so lucky to work with you!
Update on Presidential Transition
Earlier this year, Kate Levin Markel announced her decision to step down from her role as president to make room for new leadership after 11 years in this seat, and 25 years of service to the McGregor Fund. The Fund’s Transition Committee has now begun work to steward the process of welcoming a new president.
Read more here: McGregor Fund Announces Executive Search Team
