Gilbert Family Foundation

We're excited to get back to work with renewed purpose in 2025. Wishing our partners, team members, and communities a safe and prosperous new year. Here's to building opportunity and inspiring hope! More about our work: https://lnkd.in/ezFmZyRh

Happy Holidays from Gilbert Family Foundation and Rocket Community Fund. To our partners and our dedicated team: Your collaborative spirit and innovative approaches continue to drive meaningful change. We're grateful to work alongside you in this vital mission. We're excited to build upon our vision together in 2025!

A few months ago, Mayor Mike Duggan highlighted an important milestone in Detroit's revitalization: creating "a city where people of all income levels are able to live in any neighborhood." The West Euclid Gateway project, which we proudly supported, will bring 20 fully renovated affordable housing units to Detroit's Virginia Park neighborhood. Working together with partners at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Michigan State Housing Development Authority, Detroit Housing for the Future Authority, as well as CENTRAL DETROIT CHRISTIAN CDC and 360 DETROIT, we're creating quality homes for families that breathe new life into the community. As Darnell Adams, our VP of Detroit Community Initiatives, shared: "Our mission is to drive inclusive growth and opportunity within Detroit's neighborhoods." This project exemplifies that commitment by providing quality, affordable housing and supporting vital neighborhood nonprofits. This collaborative project is bringing much-needed, affordable multifamily housing to the area... as well as building community, opportunity, and hope. Learn More: https://bit.ly/3MRuZfx

We are beyond proud to witness how the Motor City Contractor Fund is growing to meet the needs of Detroit-based contractors, supporting small construction businesses with the resources they need to thrive. As Kinnus Paul, our Senior Program Manager for Economic Mobility who helped launch and continues to drive the program said recently: "The Motor City Contractor Fund is my way of creating meaningful change—building a stronger, more inclusive skilled labor workforce that supports BIPOC workers and contractors alike. Our goal is simple: to give our contractors a real edge in the construction ecosystem and set them up for lasting success." Learn More: https://bit.ly/4is52BT

As we approach the season of giving thanks, we would like to recognize the incredible network of caring people who make our mission possible. This year has been both transformative and challenging, and our success is a direct result of the dedicated individuals who bring passion, expertise, and commitment to our shared goals. To our team members, strategic partners, and visionary leaders: your collaborative spirit drives meaningful change. We're grateful not just for what we accomplish, but for the collective potential we represent. Together, we continue to break barriers, create opportunities, and build stronger, more resilient communities. Thank you for being an essential part of our journey. 💙

Tis' the season for gratitude... Yesterday we hosted an intimate event at the cozy Cadillac Lodge to thank our partners at Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency for their dedication to improving the lives of Detroiters through property tax foreclosure prevention. Thanks to the collective efforts of our teams through the Detroit Tax Relief Fund, we're keeping families in their homes. This collaborative effort is more than just preventing property tax foreclosures – it's about preserving hope, dignity, and the fabric of Detroit's neighborhoods. We are profoundly grateful for the opportunity to work alongside such remarkable individuals who are transforming lives, one family at a time. A very special shoutout to Paris K. Wilson, MPA, Kenyetta Yarbrough and Andrea B. for all that you do, every day. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

"We’re in the midst of a creative renaissance in workforce development, with incredible opportunities for wage growth and career advancement all around us. Technological advancements across industries are transforming the way we work, opening doors we never thought possible. These innovations are just the beginning, and they have me energized about the possibilities. The goal is clear: to create more opportunities and Get Detroiters Paid!" --Kinnus Paul, Sr. Program Manager, Economic Mobility, Gilbert Family Foundation Kinnus Paul knows what it takes for teams to succeed - both on and off the field! He leads the Motor City Contractor Fund, a program that provides Detroit contractors with the resources and technical assistance they need to thrive in an increasingly competitive marketplace. In this interview, Kinnus shares how MCCF is expanding to better support our second cohort, as well as how innovations are opening up new pathways for workforce development. Learn More: https://bit.ly/4i0ZrSJ

We believe in the power of Detroit's creative entrepreneurs. Take our Graphic Designer, Betsy Cooper, (aka "Big Bets"), who doesn't just design—she champions our city's small business ecosystem. Her annual holiday gift guide for the Winter Markets isn't just a gift list; it's a love letter to Detroit's makers, artisans, and dreamers. This holiday season - and all year 'round - we're challenging our network to shop local. Discover what makes Detroit so unique. Make a purchase that matters! Check out the guide - and see you in Cadillac Square! https://bit.ly/4fWmjRx

Our friends at Byers Eye Institute at Stanford are looking for healthy volunteers to participate in their research initiative! This study will help us and our partners accelerate a cure for NF. Please consider applying.

Each step we take with the Gilbert Family Foundation brings us closer to new treatments and a cure, as we honor Nick Gilbert’s resilience, and the many lives touched by NF. By combining our resources, knowledge, and dedication, we’re forging a path toward a future without NF. Nearly halfway through #NoNFNovember, we continue our commitment to raising awareness, sharing stories, and inspiring action to make NF history, together with our friends at Modern Giving Foundation and Modern Executive Solutions. #EndNF Laura Grannemann