FLINT, Michigan, Aug. 1, 2016 – A mobile health clinic for water crisis recovery, a job training program for at-risk youth, and north Flint neighborhood improvement projects are some of the valuable programs supported by more than $1.2 million in grants awarded by the Ruth Mott Foundation.
The Board of Trustees approved the $1,263,930 in grant funding at its June meeting, continuing the Ruth Mott Foundation’s commitment to improving the quality of life for residents in north Flint. The Foundation’s new strategy focuses grantmaking on four priority areas that north Flint residents identified as critical: youth, safety, economic opportunity and neighborhoods.
During the Foundation’s strategic planning process with the community, many north Flint residents expressed a need for more support for neighborhood-level projects. This year, the Ruth Mott Foundation continued its support of the Neighborhoods Small Grants Program by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. The program funds projects by citizen-based organizations that address pressing issues in their neighborhoods.
Last year’s Neighborhoods Small Grants Program engaged more than 200 youth and adults from north Flint in service projects that included building a mobile produce stand, mowing lots, boarding vacant homes and hosting events for youth and families. In Dewey Park in the 3rd Ward, for example, a $1,000 small grant supported visible improvements that included a cleanup, revamping the basketball courts and building benches.
“This streamlines the process for neighborhood small groups to be able to do things in the community,” said Flint resident Quincy Murphy, leader of the Garfield-Bunche Community Service Corporation and past recipient of a neighborhood small grant for Dewey Park. “This program makes it much easier for us to get funding for small projects that make a difference.”
Also included in the Ruth Mott Foundation’s latest round of grants is $50,000 in funding for the Genesee Health System’s Community Support and Resiliency Program, which will provide a Flint mobile mental health unit for children and adults affected by the Flint water crisis. The award is part of the Foundation’s overall $1 million commitment to addressing the short-term and long-term needs of Flint’s children and adults exposed to lead.
Another top priority addressed by the grants is job training for young people. A new $54,000 grant for the Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates program will help prepare at-risk youth for employment.
“We heard loud and clear the priorities that north Flint residents have for their families and neighborhoods,” said Handy Lindsey, president of the Ruth Mott Foundation. “We’re committed to following through with our new strategy and providing the resources and support to help them thrive.”
In all, 19 grants were awarded to the following organizations:
| Grantee | Project/Program Name | Amount |
| United Way of Genesee County | General Operating Support | $250,000 |
| Flint Institute of Music | Tapology | $130,000 |
| Floyd J. McCree Theatre | General Operating Support | $101,250 |
| Flint Institute of Music | Community Outreach 2016-17 | $94,770 |
| Flint Institute of Music | Flint Youth Theatre 2016-17 Signature Series | $85,000 |
| Genesee County Habitat for Humanity | Target Neighborhood Repair 2016 | $75,000 |
| Community Foundation of Greater Flint | Neighborhood Small Grants Program 2016 | $67,770 |
| Sphinx Organization | Sphinx Overture and Artist Residencies | $67,040 |
| GST Michigan Works | Jobs for Michigan’s Graduates | $54,000 |
| Flint Cultural Center Corporation | Community Engagement and Cultural Education 2016 | $53,155 |
| Project SYNCERE | STEMNETICS 2016 | $50,375 |
| Genesee Health System | Community Support & Resiliency Program | $50,000 |
| University of Michigan-Flint | North Flint Economic Prosperity Program | $49,050 |
| Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Flint | 100 Men 100 Boys Mentoring Program | $42,500 |
| Eastside Compassionate Mission Center | Empowering Through Employment | $28,520 |
| African Drum & Dance Parents Assoc. | General Operating Support | $20,000 |
| Michigan League for Public Policy | Empowering North Flint Residents | $20,000 |
| Carriage Town Ministries | Summer Education and Enrichment Program | $14,500 |
| El Ballet Folklorico Estudiantil | General Operating Support | $11,000 |
| TOTAL | $1,263,930 |