McGregor Fund Grant

Overview

_NOTE: The Fund is currently focusing on the needs of existing grant partners serving people at immediate risk of losing housing, access to basic needs, or personal safety, and is not accepting inquiries from grant seekers new to the Fund at this time. Please check back September 1, 2025 for any updates to our process._

Overview

The McGregor Fund is a private foundation organized to relieve the misfortunes and promote the well-being of humankind. The principal area of interest of the Fund is metropolitan Detroit, although requests will be considered from organizations located elsewhere for programs or projects which significantly benefit the metropolitan Detroit area.

Grantmaking Priorities

Grounded in the lived examples of Tracy and Katherine McGregor, the McGregor Fund works to support and strengthen a safety net of essential resources and opportunities for vulnerable members of our community, particularly those experiencing sustained and concentrated poverty. The Fund accepts applications from nonprofit organizations in the following areas:

Basic Needs and Housing

A consistent focus dating back to our founders, we support non-profits that provide food, shelter and other necessities for day-to-day living, free of charge and in a high-quality, dignified, culturally aligned manner.

Some examples:

* High quality, culturally aligned providers of rapid and supportive housing, and state-of-the-art shelters designed to connect our community to permanent housing quickly.
* Strategies to address food insecurity and promote food sovereignty that prioritize food quality and honor community preferences on distribution.
* Holistic programs that provide various forms of direct aid or cash assistance that help people pursue housing, transportation, education, employment options, legal, and other material needs.
* Programs that help people navigate and connect to complex systems of public and social supports.
* Providers of other essential resources such as clothing and furniture that serve a city- or county-wide geography, align with other systems of care (i.e., homelessness, workforce development, health and human services), and provide goods free of charge in a highly dignified and culturally appropriate manner.

Recovery & Restoration

We fund supports for people experiencing interpersonal or community violence, substance use, human trafficking, or other highly traumatic circumstances. Resources may include specialized, trauma-informed interventions and holistic pathways to healing.

Some examples:

* Organizations offering supports to survivors impacted by domestic or interpersonal violence, human trafficking, gang membership, or other life-threatening, traumatic experiences.
* Trauma-informed, legal, and/or other holistic supports for individuals and families impacted by the justice system.
* Data-informed partnerships that center lived expertise to disrupt and prevent cycles of harm caused by justice and other system involvement.
* Community led efforts to interrupt community violence and promote justice and safety.
* Programs supporting older youth and young adults who have experienced abuse and neglect, particularly those aging out of foster or other state-supervised care.
* Programs offering multi-phased substance use recovery services that are minimally or not supported by government funding.

Skill Building & Employment

We support opportunities grounded in community, relationships and cultural humility that lead to broader personal and career opportunities for teens and adults affected by poverty and inequity.

Some examples:

* Programs for teens and young adults, sometimes tied to identity or passion projects, and focused on building a particular skill set, often in a sport, art form or academic subject, while instilling leadership and other essential life skills. Teens typically connect with these programs over a period of years and reach higher levels of educational attainment and career readiness.
* Programs supporting college students whose circumstances of personal hardship are greater than those of most of their academic peers. To reach their academic potential, these students may require resources beyond scholarships.
* Programs training adults or disconnected youth (age 16-29) facing high barriers to entering the workforce, equipping them with necessary soft and entry-level hard skills, and basic reading and math competencies. These skills enable them to secure and maintain entry-level employment and pursue advanced education and training opportunities connected to career pathways.

Types of Support

The Fund provides a variety of grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations. These types of support are listed below in general order of priority. However, the Fund is flexible and will consider exceptions based on the merits and potential impact of a specific request. The preferred types of support and particular emphasis for each are as follows:

Project Support

Time-limited support for innovative programs or projects in order to scale, establish proof of concept, or bring proven ideas to our community; grants are expected to leverage other funding sources and may be multi-year (but generally not more than three years) with interim report(s) specified by the Fund. If you are new to the Fund, this is the type of support to pursue.

Operating Support

General operating support is available by invitation for organizations that are previous grantees of the Fund, well managed and governed, and providing services of exceptional quality. Priority is given to organizations that fit within the Fund’s Basic Needs and Recovery and Restoration grantmaking priorities.

Capital Support

Support for the acquisition, construction and/or renovation of facilities of organizations that, typically, are previous recipients of grant support from the Fund.

Eligibility

_You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website._

* To Be Eligible For Consideration, Applicant Organization Must:

* Be a nonprofit with 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption;
* Have audited financial statements; 
* Have a demonstrated programmatic and financial track record; 
* Be located or provide services in the City of Detroit or in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties; 
* Not have a current, active grant with the Fund.

* Programs seeking funding must

* align with the fund’s grantmaking priorities
* serve adults and/or teens living in poverty.

* In general, organizations are limited to submitting one grant application per year.

Ineligibility

* The Fund does not provide support for:
* Individuals or start-ups
* Loans, scholarships or requests < $25k
* Expenses to travel or attend conferences or workshops
* Sponsorships for events
* Research, film/video projects
* Disease-specific organizations