Foundation Grants $1.3M to Cranbrook Institute of Science
Grant Will Improve Visitors’ Water Literacy and Inspire Stewardship of the Great Lakes
Today we announced $7.2 million in new and ongoing grants during our May grant cycle. See the complete grants list here.
A $1.3 million grant to Cranbrook Educational Community’s Cranbrook Institute of Science will enable the Institute to redesign and update its existing freshwater resources exhibit. The new installation will use innovative technology and compelling content to help visitors from Michigan and beyond understand the past, present, and future of the Great Lakes; learn how humans impact the water and watersheds around them; and be inspired to experience a shared sense of responsibility for the region’s unique freshwater resources.
“We are excited to support our legacy partner, Cranbrook, and this incredible educational opportunity at the Cranbrook Institute of Science. The updated exhibit will offer students and adults an engaging learning experience about the complex ecosystem of the Great Lakes watershed, while emphasizing environmental stewardship,” said John Erb, president and chair of the Erb Family Foundation.
Motown Museum received $1 million for the construction of an expanded Museum that will preserve and elevate a cherished period in Detroit’s music history for visitors from around the world. The expanded space will grow the institution’s campus to a nearly 50,000-square-foot destination for cultural tourism and education. The expansion will enable Motown Museum to increase its capacity and share more stories about the Motown legacy, while serving as a creative center for the next generation of musicians, vocalists, producers, and entrepreneurs.
The Erb Family Foundation also supported the following, among others, in its May grants cycle:
- Friends of the Oudolf Garden received $160,000 to install an ADA-compliant boardwalk to improve visitors’ access to and experience of Oudolf Garden Detroit’s wet meadow, which is being restored with native plants.
- Michigan Environmental Council received $250,000 to improve soil on the state’s farmland by working with Michigan Agri Business Association , Michigan Agricultural Advancement, National Wildlife Federation Great Lakes Regional Center, and Alliance for the Great Lakes to help stakeholders understand the critical links between soil health and water quality to reduce harmful algal blooms in places like Lake Erie.
- University of Michigan School of Public Health received $225,000 to coordinate the work of Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, Southwest Detroit Community Benefits Coalition, JustAir, other stakeholders, and City of Detroit residents in efforts to use air quality and traffic data to support new, safe routes for trucks on residential streets.
ArtOps (via Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings) received $90,000 to continue JazzEd Detroit’s support of convening, collaborating, and coordinating marketing for five leading jazz education programs in the Detroit area. Each program—at the Carr Center, Michigan State University’s Community Music School-Detroit, Detroit Jazz Festival, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and Music Hall—also received $70,000 in continued funding for instruction and performance opportunities that will develop the next generation of jazz musicians and audiences.