Brilliant Detroit Appropriations Request

Brilliant Detroit Appropriations Request is sponsored by Michigan State Senate. Funding request to expand literacy initiatives in Detroit and Pontiac.

Appropriations Requests for : Brilliant Detroit Posted Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 12:03 PM Download appropriations request document (PDF) 1. Cosponsoring legislators: 2. Intended legislatively directed spending item recipient: 3.

Physical address of legislatively directed spending item recipient and the intended location of the project or activity: 5675 Larkins St. Detroit, MI 48210, funding will support operations at several locations within the city of Detroit 4. The recipient's employer identification number: 5.

Requested amount of the legislatively directed spending item: 6. What is the purpose and how does the legislatively directed spending item provide a public benefit that is an appropriate use of taxpayer money?

Brilliant Detroit is requesting $3M to expand this comprehensive, place-based literacy initiative across Southeast Michigan, particularly in Detroit and Pontiac, where the percentage of students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks is among the highest in the state.

Funds will support the infrastructure necessary to staff programs, recruit and train volunteers, and implement structured literacy interventions that align with school MTSS frameworks and reinforce and supplement, not supplant, classroom instruction. Funds will also strengthen early learning interventions and school referral systems, increasing the region’s capacity to help students meet Michigan’s K–3 reading requirements.

Founded in 2016, Brilliant Detroit builds Kid Success Neighborhoods—connected, place-based hubs where families with young children through 3rd grade can access coordinated literacy, health, and family support within walking distance. Our proven literacy platform provides individualized and small-group literacy support designed to build foundational skills, cultivate a love of reading, and strengthen family engagement.

As literacy gaps widen across Southeast Michigan, these targeted interventions address individual skill gaps, helping children gain competencies needed to move toward grade-level proficiency and long-term academic success. Students enrolled in Brilliant Detroit’s literacy programs demonstrate measurable growth, increasing an average of three reading levels, while summer participants reduce learning loss by up to 90 percent.

We aim for at least 75% of regularly attending students to show gains on common assessments such as DIBELS and STAR, alongside improvements in kindergarten readiness, engagement with books, enthusiasm for learning, reading confidence and proficiency and social-emotional skills that support classroom success.

Additionally, 75% of children and families remain actively engaged in programming, supporting both parental and academic involvement. 7. Has the legislatively directed spending item previously received or been awarded any of the following types of funding in the past 5 years?

Amount received: Amount: $3,800,000. 00 8. Estimated time frame for completion of the legislatively directed spending item project: Additional Information For Nonprofit Corporations 9.

Is the recipient a nonprofit corporation? 1. Continuous operation in this state for the preceding 36 months 2.

Physical office in this state for not less than the preceding 12 consecutive months 3. Have a board of directors 4. Officers and active members on the board of directors: Certification By Sponsoring Legislator "I certify that my immediate family members, legislative staff members, and I have no direct or indirect pecuniary interest in the requested legislatively directed spending item."

"I certify that the intended recipient of this legislatively directed spending item is not a for-profit entity." "I certify that the information in this form is true to the best of my knowledge."