Community Grants Program (Health Equity focus)

Community Grants Program (Health Equity focus) is sponsored by Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. This program makes strategic investments in organizations addressing health equity, including increasing access to quality healthcare, improving health outcomes, and providing essential services.

Small businesses offering innovative health literacy solutions or plain language communication services to improve health outcomes in Southeast Michigan could be considered.

2025 Annual Report • Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan We believe our region thrives when people have access to opportunities, essential services and vibrant public spaces. This is the theory of change behind our work. More plainly put, it’s the reason we believe our five focus areas will work in tandem to help create a thriving southeast Michigan.

Each story in this report highlights a different focus area and how our support for it impacts the community. Read the full report (PDF) Thanks to our generous donors and funders, we were able to continue supporting the vital work of community partners that make southeast Michigan a desirable place to live, work and play for all people, today and tomorrow.

Since 1984, the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan has worked diligently to build the resources, relationships and expertise needed to pursue its mission of making our region a desirable place to live, work and play for all residents, today and tomorrow. Since our founding, these efforts, coupled with the generosity and commitment of our donors, have led to the distribution of $1.

4 billion through more than 90,000 grants to nonprofit organizations making a difference in communities throughout our region Read the FULL letter here We streamlined our grantmaking process to create efficiencies for grantseekers and staff, including a simplified, time-saving application process where grantseekers submit a simple proposal request before being invited to apply.

We aligned our community grantmaking strategy with five focus areas – Economic Opportunity, Health Equity, Youth and Education, Arts and Culture, and Public Space and Environment – each grounded in our pursuit of a strong, agile and resilient southeast Michigan. We renamed our Program department the Community Impact team to more clearly reflect the essence of our work.

During the Community Foundation's annual meeting at Marygrove in Detroit, Community Impact Vice President Sarah Baltman Wedepohl explains how we aligned our grantmaking around five focus areas. We renamed our Program department the Community Impact team to more clearly reflect the essence of our work. Explore examples of how we’ve invested in our five focus areas to help create a thriving southeast Michigan.

Creating pathways to stable employment, entrepreneurship and financial security for individuals and families. Featured Partner: Dutton Farm Increasing access to quality health care, improving health outcomes and providing essential services to meet basic needs. Featured Partner: Forgotten Harvest Supporting literacy, youth development and lifelong learning — from early childhood to adulthood.

Featured Partner: Starfish Family Services Strengthening creative contributions to the civic, social and cultural infrastructure that enhances the region’s vibrancy. Featured Partner: Enter Stage Right Public Space and Environment Investing in parks, trails and climate-smart infrastructure that improve environmental health and quality of life.

Featured: Stoudamire Park Your gift to our Southeast Michigan Forever Fund ensures that people throughout our region have greater access to jobs, healthy food, educational opportunities, community theater and vibrant public spaces. Stories that highlight how three of our partners are making a positive difference.

Andrew Camden, an ardent supporter of the arts and one of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’s greatest champions, shares his philanthropic journey. Inspired by poetry and a love for learning, the legacy of Clarita Mays lives on across generations with the Clarita Mays and Obie Hunt Harbin Intergenerational Fund.

CARES in Farmington Hills Thanks to Todd Lipa’s strong leadership, CARES in Farmington Hills ensures families and individuals who face suburban hunger can obtain the necessities they need to thrive.