Foundational Change

Community development organizations, or CDOs, function as a critical support system for the people of Detroit. Mainly serving the city’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) population and Detroit’s historically under-resourced communities, the 40- 50 CDOs that span Detroit provide vital support for housing, climate resilience, education, workforce training and community advocacy initiatives. But the funding landscape supporting these smaller-scale nonprofits has traditionally been disparate, disjointed and opaque, with few opportunities for the type of flexible, unrestricted funding critical for growth and sustainability.

In 2020, Enterprise Community Partners facilitated the merger and expansion of two foundation-supported CDO funding programs to form the Detroit CDO Fund. Ultimately financed by four funders and disbursing $10.9 million in operating grants, technical assistance, and other learning resources to 25 organizations across a three-year period.

This report documents the transformative impact of the Detroit CDO Fund and the funding model’s success ensuring grantees’ sustainability and increasing their ability to advance their missions.