Five regional collaborative sites, led by CMF members, are leveraging their convening power to work closely with their local units of government and community to shape incoming federal funding toward equity-centered approaches to economic prosperity as part of CMF’s Statewide Equity Fund (SEF) Strategic Support Pilot.
Five regional collaborative sites, led by CMF members, are leveraging their convening power to work closely with their local units of government and community to shape incoming federal funding toward equity-centered approaches to economic prosperity as part of CMF’s Statewide Equity Fund (SEF) Strategic Support Pilot.
This comes as Michigan is receiving significant funding through federal and local recovery dollars. As part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP), Michigan is receiving an estimated $10 billion dollars. This is on top of billions already received through the CARES Act and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
As SEF Working Group Chairs Diana Sieger and Melanca Clark shared with our CMF community in 2021, the SEF was established through the recommendation of CMF’s COVID-19 Working Group to serve as a collaborative vehicle for Michigan philanthropy to address systemic challenges laid bare by the COVID-19 pandemic.
This $2 million pooled fund empowers CMF members to strategically pool resources toward systems change efforts with an equity-centered approach, utilizing a co-investment model focused on the policy domains of public health, education and economic prosperity within CMF’s Building an Equitable Future Together policy framework. The SEF pilot is initially focused on economic prosperity.
"The Statewide Equity Fund is an innovative way to ensure philanthropy's impact by participating and partnering with local governments to equitably distribute the federal funds being funneled to address the COVID health crisis. The fund can address the disparities that have been magnified in the past two years,” Diana Sieger, president of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation and co-chair of the SEF Strategic Pilot Working Group said.
CMF members Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Community Foundation of Marquette County, Grand Rapids Community Foundation and the Pontiac Funders Collaborative are piloting this work in their respective geographic service areas.
The regional collaboratives began engaging in the pilot in February, working with their local units of government and community as well as connecting virtually on a regular basis for shared learning across regions and for learning opportunities with similar models underway across the country.
The SEF pilot is:
"While the official pilot will conclude this year, the work will continue both within the five regions and statewide. We hope the insights that emerge from this work will create a template for partnering with government and informing long-term strategies for Michigan philanthropy to advance equity-centered efforts,” Melanca Clark, president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation, CMF trustee and co-chair of the SEF Strategic Pilot Working Group.
The SEF is supported by CMF members the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson Jr., Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Ballmer Group, DTE Foundation, Ford Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, the Skillman Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, the Hudson-Webber Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan and Grand Rapids Community Foundation.
CMF has launched a new website that provides enhanced features and content including the new SEF Strategic Support Pilot Resource page. This curated collection of resources highlights data, tools and resources related to shaping public dollars.
Join us on July 25 for a conversation with Angela Glover Blackwell, founder in residence at PolicyLink. We will discuss Blackwell’s work as a policy advocate, activist and social justice leader, and unpack opportunities for philanthropy to partner with government and community members to shape the allocation of public dollars toward equitable outcomes.
Want more?
Visit the new SEF Strategic Support Pilot Resource Hub to explore resources related to shaping public dollars.
