FLINT, Mich. – Ten foundations are pledging tens of millions of dollars toward helping Flint recover from the crisis spurred by lead-contaminated drinking water.Participants plan to commit a total of nearly $125 million to the collaborative effort.
The organizations announced their support Wednesday, led by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Flint-based organization said it's committing $50 million in new and existing grants this year and up to $100 million overall during the next five years.
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The money aims to support efforts in six areas: safe water, health care, early education, nonprofits, community engagement and economic development.
As one part of efforts to support the health needs of Flint families, there will be a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $5 million on donations made to the Flint Child Health & Development Fund through Dec. 31, 2016.
The fund was established at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint with an initial donation from Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, whose research on elevated blood lead levels among Flint children demonstrated the severity of the crisis.
The 10 founding sponsors of the collaborative funding initiative are:
- Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, committing up to $50 million over the first year and up to $100 million total over five years, with grants across all six priority areas, as well as investments in K – 12 education;
- FlintNOW Foundation, committing continued support from a $10 million pledge to aid in a broad range of relief and revitalization efforts in Flint. To date, FlintNOW has helped generate millions of dollars in aid for a variety of short- and long-term programs focused on immediate relief, children’s health and education, and long-term economic development;
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation, committing up to $5 million over the next year to support children’s education, health and well-being, backed by significant investments in community engagement;
- The Kresge Foundation, committing up to $2.5 million for operations and recovery programs of select nonprofit partners, grants that build on the Foundation’s expertise in community development, health, and human services, and exploration of future support to enhance civic capacity and community engagement;
- Carnegie Corporation of New York, committing $1 million to support the educational needs of children in Flint;
- Ford Foundation, committing $1 million to the health needs of the Flint community;
- The Hagerman Foundation, committing $1 million over the first year to support the non-profit sector and efforts to revitalize Flint’s economy, with plans to support education, health and wellness for children and their families for years to come;
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, committing a total of $1 million to support children’s health needs through the Flint Child Health & Development Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, and to an evaluation of how the community is recovering in the immediate and long term;
- Ruth Mott Foundation, committing $1 million for the short- and long-term needs of Flint children and adults, in addition to investments already made in priorities identified by residents;
- Skillman Foundation, committing $500,000 immediately, with the potential for an additional $1.5 million over the next three years, to support civic capacity, childhood health and nutrition, and childhood literacy.