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Lower Eastside Community grant program 1

Philanthropy p 6 Early Childhood Equity p 4 Lower Eastside Community grant program is all about 2 p 8 Civic Engagement p 10 Systems Change p 12

Our Story Leadership in action T he Lower Eastside Community Grant Program LECG was launched in 2013 after Linda Jo Doctor Kellogg Foundation Program Officer vetted grassroots grant making as a strategy to support civic engagement efforts benefiting stakeholders on the lower east side of Detroit Our team engaged residents and built deep trusting relationships with neighborhood leaders stakeholders and grassroots groups working with and or on behalf of children and families in the community The grant program took a comprehensive approach to supporting group s efforts to contribute to a healthy start and school readiness for the young children positive learning and development opportunities for older children and stabilization of families with children We provided grants between 250 and 5000 to grassroots groups Residents of the community were the grant makers We actively outreached and provided technical assistance to neighborhood groups of adults and youth to support a wide variety of applicants The positive impact and number of interested residents encouraged us to extend the program boundaries northward into the upper East side Learning opportunities were integrated into the program insuring that panelists remained informed about and contributed to trends in the field Grantees were convened several times a year for networking collaboration and resource sharing The program attracted a variety of applicants and ultimately strengthened resident leadership Continuous learning and evaluation was integrated into the fabric of the program Problems and solutions were processed through a lens of equity in order to positively impact the most vulnerable The Lower Eastside neighborhoods will likely be included in a similar citywide grant making effort in the near future 3

Involve me and I ll remember w e engaged in extensive outreach to attract and build relationships with caregivers early childhood educators and nurturing adults in both the formal and informal sectors Leaders in the network had a keen interest and commitment to exposing young children to socially and literacy enriching experiences healthy eating habits and activities to stimulate the youngest residents quest for knowledge guide her to incorporate concepts and practices into fun activities that strengthen and educate young minds and bodies Ms Howard and leaders like her stand in the gap to improve conditions for children when broken systems fail them YOUTH PARTICIPATION BY AGE The importance of these activities cannot be overstated Research is clear that the cumulative effect of economic inequality on children of color and children from lower wealth households has a negative impact on children s learning and opportunities that can last a lifetime Ages 14 18 29 Tammara Howard is an example of an adult leader whose projects are designed to address the needs of young children She is representative of many leaders in our network Her experience with her own children research and mother wit Ages 9 10 13 Ages 11 13 30 4 Ages 0 8 27 All data in this report is compiled from applications and final reports

Early Childhood With LECG s support kids now understand how important it is to eat fresh healthy food They planted harvested cooked and ate it These kids can actually grow their own food Tammara Howard Belvidere Community Youth Block Club Being able to expose the kids to new experiences and come back to the classroom and see how much they have retained is priceless Their language and vocabulary increased and they continuously want to learn more Victoria Adams Fisher Explorers 5

RESOURCES LEVERAGED Projects that reported getting advice coaching or mentoring from the LECG staff 63 Grant distribution I have been President of a group in my neighborhood for nine years so I have heard of most of the groups in my area Being on the ground I most likely know which community groups have been doing good work I share my information with fellow panelists which in turn helps us make informed funding decisions Jay Henderson Riverbend Community Association 6 77 19 4 1 grant 2 grants 3 4 grants Project funds leveraged from sources beyond LECG LECG only LECG 2 300 Other 1 source 155 LECG 1 960 Other 2 sources LECG 3 320 1 000

Philanthropy Money is one thing Impact is another P hilanthropy focuses mostly on awarding money to projects and causes to change conditions for the better Money is often the only thing people think of when they think about philanthropy Foundations and communities are increasingly considering resources beyond money and also the mechanisms through which money and resources are allocated Grassroots grant making also known as intermediary philanthropy allows foundations to work through an intermediary organization to make awards to smaller groups that might not otherwise enjoy funding This emerging form of grant making challenges assumptions about who makes decisions about funding The Lower Eastside Community Grant Program was designed to place decision making into the hands of residents trusting that they know best what the community needs and the stakeholders with the ability to act in the best interest of the community The program provides A simple and transparent application process Extensive outreach and technical assistance to engage and support traditionally overlooked groups Quarterly grant reviews by grant reviewers from the community Opportunities for grantees and reviewers to learn new information and network Alternate forms of evaluation that allow us to capture outcomes that might not be best measured by numbers and charts Commitment to evaluate problems and solutions through a racial equity lens LECG has awarded 300 000 averaged 2 865 per grant given 95 grants Totals December 2013 through December 2016 7

WHAT IS EQUITY Equity is the virtue of being just even handed and impartial Distribution of resources recognizes differences and attempts to counteract unequal individual opportunities RACE OR ETHNICITY OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS 100 96 77 60 20 1 Black Hmong 1 2 Latino 100 Youth 60 20 17 2 White 1 3 Adults Other GENDER OF PROJECT PARTICIPANTS 100 60 53 40 47 60 Youth Adults 20 Male Female Project breakdown by gender Boys 10 Both 83 Girls 7 8 Projects involving just boys were leadership development projects that included 100 boys of color

If equity equals justice we invest in justice Equity E quity is giving people what they need to lead full and healthy lives This sounds simple enough It however requires our team including grant makers to scrutinize all aspects of our work to anticipate its impact on the most vulnerable LECG staff deployed outreach and engagement strategies to reach groups serving children and families residing in higher poverty areas of the community and children of color with an emphasis on black and brown boys We are serious about increasing advantages for those most in need Lower Eastside Community Grant Program has given me the opportunity and more resources to work with young men of color at Denby Southeastern High School Our program empowers young men to make good decisions through connecting them with community and business leaders Toson Knight Caught Up Mentoring 9

Turning mirrors into windows W ondrous things happen when neighbors link up People who know each other get to know each other better Identifying common challenges and possible solutions is not usually far behind Neighbors sharing their gifts and talents to make things better is the outcome of civic engagement Residents of the Lower Eastside had a pent up desire to either initiate or expand their efforts to improve community on behalf of children Groups in their community were diverse and many worked hyper locally Adults took responsibility for children and each other on their block and or within a mile of their homes The Lower Eastside Community Grant Program provided resources for groups to imagine and implement new possibilities The program also encouraged residents not previously involved to contribute their gifts and talents to their community 10 MOST COMMON PROJECT TYPES Groups identified up to two options from a list of 18 Arts and Culture 19 Academic Enrichment 19 Career and College Preparation and Exposure 11 Health and Food 9 Sports and Recreation 8 Neighborhood Events 7

Civic Engagement RESIDENT PARTICIPATION Participation by age 400 1 148 Youth Participants 300 200 100 Ages 200 0 to 8 9 to 10 11 to 13 14 to 18 472 Adult Participants CONTRIBUTIONS BY PROJECT PARTNERS ORGANIZATIONS 150 Snacks meals 5 Fiduciary 6 100 50 Ages 19 to 21 22 to 34 35 to 54 Youth participation by year 556 in 2013 14 846 in 2014 15 55 2 032 in 2015 16 Vendor 3 Planning training 20 Computer lab equipment 15 Staff volunteers 19 Provided youth 16 Host site 16 11

INDIVIDUAL OUTCOMES Q A 100 Did youth build new relationships and connections to their community said Yes Has your project helped youth become more capable learners navigators and contributors to their community 93 said Yes Did this project draw more adults into new or stronger relationships with youth 97 said Yes Did adults develop new skills roles and relationships in the community because of this project 80 said Yes 12 COMMUNITY LEVEL OUTCOMES Q Did your project empower residents to improve and or influence schools organizations institutions or your neighborhood A 80 said Yes Did your project help to increase opportunities and equity for youth of color especially black and brown boys and young men 90 said Yes Did your project connect or interact with local policy makers 40 said Yes Did your project contribute to any changes in resources and public policies affecting youth and your neighborhood 7 said Yes

If there is no seat let s create one Systems Change E xercising the power to make change is at the core of civic engagement Regular people becoming involved with each other identifying common challenges and taking collective action to advocate for positive conditions is at the heart of the grant program Groups in our network develop and strengthen skills and collaborations in order to advance agendas to improve the lives of children and families in the community Alternate practices and systems are also developed to respond to and protect the most vulnerable against the effects of systemic inequalities WHAT IS SYSTEMS CHANGE Changes in organizational culture policies and procedures within individual organizations or across organizations that enhance or streamline access and reduce or eliminate barriers to needed services by a target population 13

I am we are ONE R eview Panelists are community leaders who volunteer their time at least quarterly to make decisions about which projects to support They are not the usual suspects They however have deep relationships with residents and stakeholders in their community The depth of their commitment to children is demonstrated by the fact that 7 of the 8 panelists executed projects for children in their own networks Together they act as a well oiled machine reflecting upon and discussing the type of projects they want to see and assessing its impact on the overall health of children families and the community The leaders are known to carefully review up to 40 applications during a session Panel members also participate in learning events to build knowledge about philanthropy equity youth and community development They additionally visit projects attend networking events with grantees and collaborate with organizations to promote the field of grassroots grant making They are dedicated change agents and the essential essence of the program 14

Panelists LECG PANELISTS Kevin D Binion is a lifelong resident of Detroit s east side He has worked with youth for over 30 years in leadership training sports education financial literacy and entrepreneurship Linda Bowie is a retired postal worker Wayne State graduate former math teacher and proud grandmother of three She is passionate about protecting the welfare of young people and the elderly Shadora L Ford is the founder and lead mentor of Destined For Greatness Mentoring Initiative Her passion is community service mentoring and steering at risk girls into more positive lifestyles J W Henderson is the president of Riverbend Community Association which consists of 12 Block Clubs They provide services to improve the lives of youth and seniors Kinda Makini is the director of Inner City Youth Group ICYG ICYG provides a safe and structured environment for children ages 6 17 of low income families after school and during the summer Donna McDuffie loves gardening and community events She enjoys working with diverse groups in neighborhoods on the Lower Eastside of Detroit and adjacent communities Miguel Pope is the founder and managing director of the BE EXPOSED Detroit youth development program He is equally passionate about social justice and youth development Mrs Turk White is an executive director and CEO with the Empowerment Zone Coalition Inc Her major focus for the past 26 years has been on coalition building in the field of health with a focus on substance abuse prevention 15

Staff If serving is below you leadership is beyond you T he busy beavers working behind the scenes to serve the community are also of the community They work together mapping strategy and supporting applicants and grantees as well as trumpeting the impact created by the phenomenal work of community leaders The cast of characters are 16 Kayla Perrin Ms I Mims Community Coach Program Assistant and Evaluation Leader She is a permanent fixture in community settings providing technical assistance to grant applicants and encouraging grantees to think about next steps Her free time is divided between pursing her Master s degree in social work and attending music concerts Kayla serves on the board of the local Self Development of People SDOP committee She is most likely the first and most friendly face that applicants meet when they contact the program Ms Mims time is equally divided between evaluation and program support activities Her background is in data management and administrative support Her interests are family and DIY projects Lisa Leverette Director and C C O Chief Change Orchestrator She can be found equally in communities and in strategic meetings Lisa believes in imagining and implementing practices that challenge traditional models that have largely left black brown and poor residents languishing on the margins of society She is a fellow with the Detroit Equity Action Lab DEAL board member with Grassroots Grantmakers and Chairperson of the international committee for Self Development of People SDOP Her hobbies are listening to jazz and house music exploring the city and traveling

Acknowledgments Thank You The Lower Eastside Community Grant Program is administered by Prevention Network Special and heartfelt thanks to the many groups and leaders who diligently work for and on behalf of children We recognize and honor your contributions 17

18 2727 2nd Avenue Suite 144 Detroit MI 48201 313 782 4042