$7 Million in Grants Approved Sept. 2016

Of note, $4 million in unrestricted operating support over a 3 year period to 43 Anchor Arts organizations in partnership with the Kresge Foundation.

Since 2010, Erb has partnered with the Kresge Foundation on a shared application, review and reporting process for these grants. Although the process is shared, each foundation makes independent funding decisions. Kresge today announced 66 arts grants totaling $5.1 million over the same three year period as Erb (click here for the Kresge press release). This brings the total amount of grants approved to date by the two foundations to $37 million.

Erb’s Anchor Arts program supports arts organizations that have had historical significance to the Erb family, as well other arts organizations that are physically located in the city of Detroit and are essential for a strong central city and vibrant neighborhoods. 41 of the 43 grantees are located in the city of Detroit. Please click here to view the list of recipients.

The Erb partnership with Kresge demonstrates that organizations with separate but complementary agendas can and should find ways to collaborate for increased efficiency and impact.

Another $2.5 million in Erb grants will advance green infrastructure in the city of Detroit and the binational Great Lakes basin, and improve water quality in western Lake Erie through:

• Site assessments and contractor training to enable small businesses and nonprofits (and in 2017 income-qualifying residents) to install green infrastructure and qualify for a green credit program being developed for the Detroit Water & Sewerage Department’s Drainage Charge.
• Planning that incorporates green infrastructure along key new Greenways in Detroit.
• Longitudinal research of the social and environmental impacts of four bio-retention gardens in northwest Detroit neighborhoods and related governmental policies.
• Modeling the relative contributions to phosphorus loading in Lake Erie from the Detroit River system and other watersheds.
• Three peer leadership and policy programs–one that helps mid-sized municipalities across the binational Great Lakes basin develop green infrastructure practices and policies; one that helps farmers in the western Lake Erie basin adopt conservation practices; and one that supports rain gardens, rain barrels and other green infrastructure in the city of Detroit.

Green infrastructure uses trees, plants and natural solutions to soak up stormwater where it falls to keep it from the sewer system which, when overloaded, discharges sewage into our rivers and streams. Using trees and plants help beautify the area, clean the air, and provide landscaping jobs, while saving money where green can substitute for more costly grey infrastructure (human engineered solutions that involve concrete, steel and the like). Click  here to learn more and here for a series of short videos of local projects.

Additional Erb grants will support triple bottom line policies and programs, jazz education, and year three of a twenty-year, $10 million commitment to Detroit’s Grand Bargain.

Please click here for the complete grants list.