The Kresge Foundation, in partnership with Co.act Detroit and Michigan Community Resources, has launched the first Cultural Heritage funding round under the Kresge Innovative Projects: Detroit Plus (KIP:D+) initiative. The programme will provide up to $1.25 million in funding to support community-led projects that preserve, celebrate, and activate cultural identity across Detroit, Hamtramck, and Highland Park.
The initiative focuses on strengthening neighbourhood identity and belonging through projects rooted in arts, culture, history, and community memory. Organizers explained that the funding aims to support residents and local organizations working to preserve stories, traditions, public spaces, and cultural heritage that shape the identity of their communities. Both physical and non-physical projects are eligible under the programme.
Since its launch in 2014, KIP:D+ has awarded 193 grants totaling approximately $15 million to resident-driven projects designed to improve neighbourhood quality of life. The new Cultural Heritage round marks the first time the programme has dedicated an entire funding cycle specifically to culture, history, and belonging-focused initiatives.
The Kresge Foundation stated that cultural heritage is deeply connected to community resilience and social cohesion. Wendy Lewis Jackson, Managing Director of the Foundation’s Detroit Program, noted that cultural identity is reflected in local stories, festivals, public art, and traditions that continue to shape neighbourhood life. The funding programme seeks to empower organizations and residents who are preserving and celebrating these community assets.
Eligible projects may include storytelling initiatives, oral history collections, archival efforts, exhibitions, public art, neighbourhood signage, placemaking activities, and cultural events. Organizers emphasized that projects should be community-driven, inclusive, and designed to strengthen local participation and belonging.
The initiative also builds upon broader efforts by the Kresge Foundation to support equitable community development through arts and culture. The Foundation’s Arts & Culture programme promotes creativity as a driver of healthier, more sustainable, and inclusive communities, particularly for historically underserved populations.
Applications for the Cultural Heritage funding round opened on May 4, 2026, and selected projects are expected to receive grants of up to $100,000. Funding decisions are scheduled to be announced in August 2026, with projects implemented over a two-year grant period.
