A Letter From Our President

“Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice, and justice at its best is power correcting everything that stands against love.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

These words resonate deeply with me as we continue to walk clumsily toward our commitment to justice, compassion, and transformation throughout our community. This journey has brought us face-to-face with the urgent need for connection, both among individuals and within our broader systems of support.

In our last annual report, I wrote about our dedication to “praxis,” a concept central to Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Freire describes liberation as an ongoing, iterative process of reflection and action to transform the world. This cycle of action and reflection is crucial for us as we navigate the complex challenges facing our country today. It drives our efforts to listen critically, reflect thoughtfully, act decisively, and repeat—all in collaboration with those doing the critical work on the ground.

Our mission is rooted in this cycle of praxis. It requires us to challenge our own assumptions, question our systems, and remain vigilant in our stewardship of this work. We are committed to supporting those most affected by unjust systems, amplifying their voices, and ensuring that our efforts are grounded in justice.

This year, we emphasized “Making Connections” as a central theme. In a world marked by division, isolation, and disconnection, building bridges between people and ideas has never been more crucial. Recently, Joe Waters, CEO of Capita, and I wrote a piece for the Detroit News about the loneliness epidemic, highlighting how isolation, disconnection, and loneliness fuel fear, division, and depression. This issue touches every aspect of our lives, and we must confront it through policies, structures, and community spaces that foster authentic connections and radical compassion. This work is vital to living out our commitment to praxis and is central to our broader strategy to improve the day-to-day experiences of families.

At the heart of this commitment is the need to prioritize collective well-being over individual attainment. We are dedicated to creating a community-driven approach that fosters agency, self-efficacy, and connection. This means reexamining our policies and practices to ensure they prioritize people first.

A few examples of how we are attempting to engage differently include initiatives in which we actively collaborate with communities, learning directly from those closest to the work:

• Early-Stage Operations and Planning Fund: This fund provides multi-year general operating dollars and technical support for new and emerging organizations that are deeply embedded in the community. These organizations are mission-aligned and committed to driving change through place-based programming. They are the architects of the future we wish to see.

• Brilliant Leaders Fellowship: Launched to support the professional and emotional growth of local nonprofit leaders, this fellowship elevates the voices, power, and impact of these changemakers while providing space for reflection, learning, and re-energizing from the heavy emotional toll of their work. Our Program Officer, Trudy Ngo Brown, and I co-facilitate this fellowship and have been privileged to hear firsthand the challenges and triumphs felt by these leaders on the ground.

• Investment in Families Initiative: Led by Stacy Stout, our Director of Family-Centered Philanthropy, this 10-year initiative focuses on improving the well-being of Black and Latina mothers in Kent County, Michigan. By investing in families, we aim to address systemic barriers and advocate for policies that prioritize their long-term well-being. Through this initiative, we study the direct impact on mothers and their families and advocate for the changes needed to create a better future for Michigan families.

We are also taking a learning-centered approach to our grantmaking. By simplifying our processes and focusing on shared growth, we aim to spotlight the lessons and insights coming directly from the community. In this year’s Annual Report, over 100 community contributors shared their voices and stories with us, offering a diversity of perspectives that are shaping our collective efforts.

As we move forward, we remain committed to addressing the immediate harms facing children and families while also working toward a future that centers their long-term well-being. Our goal is to foster communities where families can flourish, where children can access quality education in a supportive environment, and where connection and compassion are the cornerstones of our collective success.

We invite you to join us on this journey as we continue to learn, grow, and act—together.