The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation has announced a $100 million commitment to boost the financial strength and long-term viability of Detroit’s arts and culture community.

In combination with a similar commitment the foundation made in western New York, RCWJF has pledged a total of $200 million in support of the arts over the next decade. In the Detroit area, the commitment includes nearly $60 million over ten years to establish an endowment at the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan that will create permanent operational funding streams for eleven of the region’s largest arts and culture institutions, providing an annual grant opportunity for additional organizations across the region. Once fully funded, the endowment will generate approximately $3.75 million annually in support of the operations and sustainability of the region’s arts and culture nonprofits.

To ensure that the program has immediate impact on the sector and regional economy, RCWJF will provide an additional $3.75 million annually over nine years, for a total of $33.75 million, enabling grantmaking to begin in 2022. The annual commitment includes $100,000 to the Arab American National Museum; $300,000 to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; $200,000 to the Detroit Historical Society; $700,000 to Detroit Institute of Arts; $150,000 to the Detroit Zoological Society; $100,000 to the Holocaust Memorial Center; $200,000 to the Michigan Opera Theatre; $200,000 to the Michigan Science Center; $200,000 to the Motown Museum; and $150,000 to The Henry Ford.

In addition, the foundation has pledged a $5 million capital campaign gift to the Motown Museum. RCWJF also has pledged $500,000 annually in support of other arts and culture nonprofits, primarily small to midsize groups, across the seven counties of Southeast Michigan. These funds will be deployed flexibly based on organizational and community needs, and the first grants will be awarded by the end of 2022. The remaining $250,000 in annual funding will support permanent capacity at CFSEM, enabling it to manage and operate the endowment and grant program, which includes leading efforts to advance inclusion and access within the grantees’ individual operations and the sector. CFSEM, in partnership with CultureSource, will launch community conversations to help build capacity for adaptable and inclusive arts organizations.

“While arts and culture are not specific funding priorities for the Wilson Foundation, the pandemic laid bare the fragile operational health of this critical sector of our economy,” said RCWJF life trustee Eugene Driker. “Witnessing the subsequent struggles within this sector, the foundation trustees made the decision to address this broadly with a one-time strategic approach through the lens of our economic development focus area. Consistent with Ralph Wilson’s philosophy of giving, reflected in how he structured his foundation, our aim with this historic gift is to make an immediate and significant impact. We know there is more to be done and hope it will inspire many others to fund operations of cultural organizations across the sector and help further build their endowments.”

(Photo credit: Detroit Institute of Arts)