Skill Building & Employment

We support opportunities grounded in community, relationships and cultural humility that lead to broader personal and career opportunities for teens and adults affected by poverty and inequity.

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CEO is committed to centering racial equity in our work and recognizes incarceration’s enduring toll on Black Americans and communities of color. Black individuals are incarcerated at 5.8 times the rate of white individuals and disproportionately bear the harm of the criminal justice system…[and] the disparity in opportunity for Black individuals with criminal convictions is jarring…making clear that structural factors like racial injustice and discrimination play a significant role in our country’s employment practices. Recognizing this reality, CEO has prioritized racial justice in all aspects of its work, including looking at our demographic outcomes by race.

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“

CEO is committed to centering racial equity in our work and recognizes incarceration’s enduring toll on Black Americans and communities of color. Black individuals are incarcerated at 5.8 times the rate of white individuals and disproportionately bear the harm of the criminal justice system…[and] the disparity in opportunity for Black individuals with criminal convictions is jarring…making clear that structural factors like racial injustice and discrimination play a significant role in our country’s employment practices. Recognizing this reality, CEO has prioritized racial justice in all aspects of its work, including looking at our demographic outcomes by race.

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Our Grants Also Support

Developing K.I.D.S., or Developing Kingdoms In Different Stages, for guiding youth in their mental, physical and educational growth; and empowering youth through opportunities to become strong contributors to our community.

Empowerment Plan for hiring, training and providing direct aid to employees facing multiple barriers to work and housing, and for supporting them as they build skills, gain a stable income, and secure permanent housing for their families.

Urban Neighborhood Initiatives (UNI) for providing transformational and holistic skill building, apprenticeship and leadership opportunities for Detroit teens and young adults.

Some Examples

  • Programs for teens and young adults, sometimes tied to identity or passion projects, and focused on building a particular skill set, often in a sport, art form or academic subject, while instilling leadership and other essential life skills. Teens typically connect with these programs over a period of years and reach higher levels of educational attainment and career readiness.

  • Programs supporting college students whose circumstances of personal hardship are greater than those of most of their academic peers. To reach their academic potential, these students may require resources beyond scholarships.

  • Programs training adults or disconnected youth (age 16-29) facing high barriers to entering the workforce, equipping them with necessary soft and entry-level hard skills, and basic reading and math competencies. These skills enable them to secure and maintain entry-level employment and pursue advanced education and training opportunities connected to career pathways.

Other Priorities

Basic Needs & Housing

A consistent focus dating back to our founders, we support non-profits that provide food, shelter and other necessities for day-to-day living, free of charge and in a high-quality, dignified, culturally aligned manner.

Recovery & Restoration

We fund supports for people experiencing interpersonal or community violence, substance use, human trafficking, or other highly traumatic circumstances. Resources may include specialized, trauma-informed interventions and holistic pathways to healing.

Covid-19 Relief

We supported our community in their mobilization and distribution of food, PPE, cash assistance, and other resources to meet wide scale emergency needs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.