HUDSON-WEBBER FOUNDATION UNVEILS IMPACT REPORT, HIGHLIGHTS GRANTMAKING ACHIEVEMENTS AND STRATEGIC ACTIVITIES

Six-year impact report celebrates progress made between 2017 to 2022 following adoption of new strategic framework aimed at improving the quality of life of Detroiters

DETROIT, July 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Trustees of the Hudson-Webber Foundation today announced the release of "Six Years in Review: Impact Report 2017-2022." The report, a first of its kind for the Foundation, highlights milestone achievements in grantmaking and funding strategies and was initiated by the Trustees to have a better understanding of the impact of the Foundation's strategy in Detroit. The report also documents and reflects on lessons learned from grantees and key external stakeholders and to inform the ongoing development of Hudson-Webber Foundation strategies and objectives moving forward.

In 2017, the Hudson-Webber Foundation launched a new strategic framework to ensure that it would continue to meaningfully contribute to its mission of improving the quality of life of Detroiters. This strategy reset encompassed objectives for each of Hudson-Webber's four key mission areas: Safe and Just Communities, Community & Economic Development, Built Environment and Arts & Culture. "Six Years in Review: Impact Report 2017-2022" outlines the progress that the Foundation made toward this new strategy, along with its policy work.

"We express our heartfelt appreciation to all who participated in the review and whose insights and feedback will continue to be invaluable in helping to shape the direction of the Foundation's work," said Melanca Clark, outgoing president and CEO of the Hudson-Webber Foundation. "This report presents us an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the remarkable contributions of our non-profit grantee partners who have been instrumental in driving positive change in Detroit."

Between 2017 and 2022, the Hudson-Webber Foundation awarded 241 grants to partner organizations totaling more than $36.5 million. The Foundation moved significant resources to advance equitable neighborhood reinvestment and worked with partners to address critical social and economic, and community issues facing Detroiters, including housing stability and affordability, small business development and job access, the tax foreclosure crisis and mass incarceration. 

Key metrics revealed in Hudson-Webber's "Six Years in Review: Impact Report 2017-2022" report include:

• Spearheading the Michigan Justice Fund (MJF), a funders collaborative housed at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan that makes investments to stem the flow of individuals into the criminal justice system, support the investment of public dollars to community-driven alternatives to incarceration and ensure that those who are returning home after incarceration receive the support they need to flourish. The MJF, comprised of 15 Michigan-based and national funders, has contributed more than $20 million to advance criminal legal reform and the economic mobility of individuals with criminal convictions in Michigan.
  
  
• Launching the Community Policing Innovations Initiative with the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to work with communities to address issues in police practices, systems and services. The goal of the initiative is to provide the guidance and support necessary for local communities in partnership with local law enforcement, to develop community-driven, substantive, and pragmatic changes in the way that policing and public safety services are provided. The Community Policing Innovations Initiative is chaired by Hudson-Webber Foundation Trustee Barbara McQuade, a professor of law at the University of Michigan Law School and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan.
  
  
• Investing more than $10.3 million in neighborhood economic growth strategies and projects, specifically for initiatives where neighborhood residents hold seats at the table. Two of those projects include the Building the Engine of Community Development in Detroit, a citywide initiative designed to strengthen Detroit neighborhoods by building a coordinated, equitable system for community development work throughout the city and the Strategic Neighborhood Fund, a public- private partnership between Invest Detroit and the City of Detroit aimed at spurring community-driven planning in 10 neighborhoods starting in Islandview/Villages, Livernois/McNichols and Southwest/Vernor neighborhoods.
  
  
• Awarding a $2 million grant to the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy to advance the Conservancy's vision for developing a world-class park and to support community engagement in park planning, design and programming. The strategic investment allowed for continued redevelopment and improvements to public access to 5.5 miles of the Detroit International River with recreational paths, park amenities and spaces for inclusive recreational and cultural events.
  
  
• Committing more than $3 million in operating support grants to 31 arts and culture organizations in metro Detroit through the Detroit Arts Support (DAS) program to deliver and sustain high-quality, accessible cultural experiences to the community. Aside from the DIA millage, DAS is the largest public or philanthropic investment in southeast Michigan's arts and culture sector and has played a significant role in the stabilization of the sector through both challenging and promising times.

"As the Hudson-Webber Foundation looks forward to its next chapter, it will remain committed to its mission and the growth of a vibrant city that provides opportunities for all Detroiters to prosper," said Jennifer Hudson Parke, Board Chair. "The Trustees and staff embrace the challenges that lie ahead and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners and stakeholders."

Hudson-Webber's "Six Years in Review: Impact Report 2017-2022" by the numbers: 

• $36,510,550 in grants and investments awarded to partner organizations
• 241 number of partner organizations awarded grants
• $75,000 median grant size to partner organizations

To read the "Six Years in Review: Impact Report 2017-2022" visit H-W-Impact-Report_072823_web-3.pdf (hudson-webber.org).

ABOUT Hudson Webber Foundation  
The Hudson-Webber Foundation's origins date back to 1939 with major contributions from Mr. and Mrs. Richard H. Webber, other members of the Webber family and The J.L. Hudson Company. The foundation is governed by a 13-member board of trustees, with assets of approximately $190 million, and has contributed over $200 million to improve the quality of life in Detroit. The mission areas of the foundation include support of community and economic development, built environment, safe and just communities, and arts and culture. To learn more about the Hudson-Webber Foundation, visit www.hudson-webber.org.  

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SOURCE Hudson-Webber Foundation