Say Detroit
SAY Detroit is a public charity based in Southfield, Michigan, founded in 2006. It says it provides pathways to success for Detroiters in need through its own learning, health care, and housing programs, and by supporting charitable organizations in the Detroit metro area.
Say Detroit at a glance
In short: Say Detroit gave $290K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $15K), mostly in Michigan. 11% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $289,500
- +2.1% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- -5.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $15,237
- +7.5% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $11,615,773
- -7.0% vs 2023
- New grantees (estimate)
- 11% first-time grantees (2 of 19, 2024; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Michigan (93% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Say Detroit
- Contact
Mailing address: 29836 Telegraph Road, Southfield, MI 48034
Phone: (313) 993-4700
Website: https://saydetroit.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Say Detroit funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was College for Creative Studies ($50K). Together the top 10 received $200K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 97 grants of 100 (97%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
SAY Detroit describes its programs as serving Detroiters and says its charitable funding supports organizations in the Detroit metro area. In 2024, 93% of grant dollars went to recipients in Michigan, 3% to Tennessee, and 3% to Washington, DC.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Say Detroit open to new grantees?
11%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 2 of 19 grantees (11%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $10K; repeat grants $16K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $13K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $280K (2020) to $394K (2021). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $290K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| College for Creative Studies Detroit, MI | To Support the Mission of the Organization | $50,000 |
| Cass Community Social Services Detroit, MI | Assist to Build Apartment Building to House Homeless | $25,000 |
| Detroit Rescue Mission Detroit, MI | Operations of Health Clinic | $25,000 |
| Humble Design Pontiac, MI | Provide furnishing and design services for families transitioning out of homeless shelters | $15,000 |
| La SED Inc Detroit, MI | Promote social and economic development within the hispanic community | $15,000 |
| Michigan Veterans Foundation Detroit, MI | Support Veterans | $15,000 |
| Sasha Center Detroit, MI | Assist in providing eductation support groups to survivors of sexual assault | $15,000 |
| Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services Detroit, MI | To Support the Mission of the Organization | $15,000 |
| Cotsbright Beginnings Detroit, MI | Provide funding for housing and comprehensive support services for both homeless individuals and families | $12,500 |
| Avalon Village Inc Highland Park, MI | Support Sustainable Eco-Village Being Constructed | $12,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Say Detroit?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,615,773 | $3,474,615 | $4,474,373 | $289,500 | 19 | $101,510 |
| 2023 | $12,490,497 | $5,032,915 | $3,428,767 | $283,575 | 20 | $72,684 |
| 2022 | $9,821,876 | $2,868,547 | $3,243,240 | $287,469 | 19 | $145,143 |
| 2021 | $10,220,382 | $4,947,599 | $2,858,279 | $394,025 | 22 | $99,564 |
| 2020 | $8,380,286 | $3,755,120 | $2,323,431 | $279,825 | 20 | $102,815 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
SAY Detroit states its mission as “providing pathways to success for Detroiters in need.” Its 2024 filing describes programs at the S.A.Y. Play Center, which offers educational and athletic programs for students ages 8–18, and the SAY Detroit Family Health Clinic, which provides medical care and day care for children of homeless women who are in transition or searching for work. The filing also describes funding charitable organizations in the Detroit metro area whose work aligns with the organization’s mission.
The 2024 grants included organizations working in areas such as arts education, affordable housing, services for survivors of sexual assault, youth mentoring, music access, and community development. For example, the College for Creative Studies says it educates visual artists and designers; Cass Community Social Services says it provides basic needs including affordable housing; and Notes for Notes says it gives youth free access to instruments, instruction, and a music-making environment.
Grantmaking
In 2024, SAY Detroit reported 19 grants totaling $289,500. Grants ranged from $7,500 to $50,000, with a median of $12,500.
Notable 2024 grants included $50,000 to the College for Creative Studies; $25,000 to Cass Community Social Services and $25,000 to Detroit Rescue Mission; and $15,000 each to Humble Design, La Sed, Michigan Veterans Foundation, Sasha Center, and Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services. Other grants included $12,500 to COTS Bright Beginnings and Avalon Village, $12,000 to Westside Cultural & Athletic Club, and $10,000 to Notes for Notes.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Charles Rothstein as board chair and Mitch Albom as treasurer. Directors listed were Rob Orley, Arn Tellum, Cynthia Ford, Dennis Archer, Al Papa, Chad Audi, and Carmen Harland. David Provost was listed as secretary.
Say Detroit is led by Richard Kelley, Executive Director on every filing since 2020; 1 of 14 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Richard Kelley
Executive Director
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$78K (2020) → $184K (2024)
Charles Rothstein
Board Chair
Director → Board Chair, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Al Papa
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arn Tellum
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Benjamin Carter
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Harland
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chad Audi
Director
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Cynthia Ford
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dennis Archer
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Orley
Director
President → Director, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Provost
Secretary
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Marc Rosenthal
COO
On filings since 2020
20 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Mendelsohn
CFO
Controller → CFO, 2023
On filings since 2020
10 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mitch Albom
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $184K, to Richard Kelley (Executive Director).
Frequently asked questions about Say Detroit
How much does Say Detroit give each year?
Say Detroit gave $290K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $284K across 20 grants.
What is Say Detroit's typical grant size?
Say Detroit's median grant in 2024 was $12,500, and its average grant was $15,237, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Say Detroit that year got $10K on average.
Where does Say Detroit give grants?
Say Detroit gives mostly in Michigan: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Detroit, MI (11 grants).
Does Say Detroit give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Say Detroit's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "To Support the Mission of the Organization" (5 grants).
Who are Say Detroit's largest grantees?
Say Detroit's largest 2024 grantees include College for Creative Studies ($50,000), Cass Community Social Services ($25,000) and Detroit Rescue Mission ($25,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 35% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Say Detroit?
Say Detroit reported $11.6M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.5M.
What does Say Detroit fund?
SAY Detroit states its mission as “providing pathways to success for Detroiters in need.” Its 2024 filing describes programs at the S.A.Y. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Say Detroit?
Say Detroit has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check saydetroit.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Say Detroit's EIN?
Say Detroit's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 20-4786626. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS November 15, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS November 15, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS November 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS November 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work Say Detroit funds
Housing & Shelter Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Say Detroit's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Say Detroit funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/say-detroit-morg_6abd3b57b9a54768ad73fb9c5e189f24
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_204786626_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Say Detroit funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/say-detroit-morg_6abd3b57b9a54768ad73fb9c5e189f24},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Say Detroit's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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