FLINT, Michigan – The Ruth Mott Foundation Board of Trustees awarded 19 grants totaling $3,036,174 in March for projects and programs designed to improve the quality of life for residents in north Flint.
From a new grocery store to neighborhood hubs to jobs for youth, the most recent grants support a range of initiatives that align with the Foundation’s strategy to strengthen north Flint neighborhoods and create opportunities for residents to contribute and thrive.
Six of the grants were awarded to programs that are new to the Foundation, and 13 were renewed grants to organizations that have demonstrated success.
Included in the awards is $24,715 in funding for a new mini orchard and vegetable garden on formerly vacant and blighted lots that were transformed by the Eastside Franklin Park Neighborhood Association. The program will also include job skills training and paid employment to north Flint youth who will assist with blight elimination work.
“Eastside Franklin Park has a dedicated group of residents who are committed to promoting change and engaging other residents within their neighborhood,” said Ruth Mott Foundation President Handy Lindsey. “Creating this new orchard and garden is a transformative step in the implementation of the overall vision residents have for their community.”
While this is a new grant, the funding builds on previous Ruth Mott Foundation support for the organization. In 2017, horticulture experts based at the Foundation’s historic Applewood Estate began providing technical assistance to Eastside Franklin Park in the areas of landscape design, plant selection, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design standards, community engagement and data collection. As part of its strategic plan to focus on north Flint, Ruth Mott Foundation staff provide assistance and expertise in a range of topic areas to local organizations working to improve the community.
In addition, the Eastside Franklin Park neighborhood plan, which includes the orchard and garden project, was developed by residents with support from the City of Flint through the Imagine Flint Neighborhood Planning Initiative funded by the Ruth Mott Foundation.
The project aligns with the Foundation’s safety priority. Blight elimination was identified by north Flint residents as a key strategy for improving safety in neighborhoods.
The following is a list of all the grants that were awarded in March:
| Organization | Program | Amount |
Metro Community Development Inc. |
North Flint Sustainable Housing and Economic Program |
$416,000 |
Genesee County Parks and Recreation |
North Flint Safety & Neighborhoods Initiative |
$403,327 |
Urban Renaissance Center |
General Operating Support |
$395,702 |
Genesee County Habitat for Humanity |
Target Neighborhood Repair |
$284,000 |
YMCA of Greater Flint |
Safe Places |
$250,000 |
North Flint Reinvestment Corp. |
Grocery Store Initiative – Pierson Road Corridor |
$230,000 |
Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village |
General Operating Support |
$150,000 |
Boys and Girls Club of Greater Flint |
General Operating Support |
$140,000 |
Specialized Employment Services Inc. |
Northside Impact Strategic Plan |
$140,000 |
New Community Baptist Church |
Working Actively Intentionally Together – The Phoenix Program |
$105,100 |
Flint District Library |
General Operating Support |
$100,000 |
Metro Community Development Inc. |
North Flint Neighborhood Action Council |
$91,600 |
Local Initiatives Support Corp. |
Building Sustainable Neighborhoods |
$75,000 |
Faith Foundation Resources |
Helping Young People with Employment (HYPE) Program |
$65,000 |
United Way of Genesee County |
FWC Berston Boxing Program |
$53,330 |
Motherly Intercession |
Reading and Counting to Success, and Capacity Building |
$53,300 |
Clingman Foundation |
Academic Improvement College Readiness Program |
$32,800 |
United Way of Genesee County |
Jackson Park Youth League |
$26,300 |
Asbury Community Development Corp. |
Eastside Franklin Park – Mini Orchard and Vegetable Garden |
$24,715 |
| TOTAL | $3,036,174 |
The Foundation defines its north Flint focus area as the city limits on the west, north and east sides, and the Flushing Road/5th Avenue/Robert T. Longway Boulevard corridor to the south.
The Foundation’s four main grantmaking areas identified by north Flint residents are youth, safety, economic opportunity and neighborhoods. The Foundation also awards grants related to Flint’s recovery from the water crisis.
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