WHAT WE FUND

Knight supports informed and engaged communities where the Knight brothers owned and operated newspapers. We believe an engaged community is one in which people are attached to the place where they live and are invested in the community’s future. Learn more through our Statement of Strategy.

In Detroit, Knight Foundation’s work is focused on the Historic North End, which is experiencing significant private and commercial investment. Leveraging the momentum around economic growth, we envision the North End as an equitable, thriving and connected residential and commercial corridor. Our investments focus on: 

Catalyzing commercial development centered on the fundamental needs of the North End.
Creation and reimagining of innovative and sustainable public spaces that strengthen neighborhood cohesion.
Development and implementation of a comprehensive North End framework plan.

Knight also invests in Detroit’s arts and culture as a way to connect people to place and to one another. Investing in arts and culture is central to Knight’s effort to build stronger, better informed and more engaged communities, which are critical for a more effective democracy. Learn more about Knight’s Arts program.

OUR WORK

We work with various partners, including Develop Detroit, North End Woodward Community Coalition and Vanguard Community Development Corporation, in building a thriving and engaged community in the North End.  

In 2014, Knight made a $30 million commitment to Detroit’s future by way of the Detroit Institute of Arts Settlement, commonly referred to as the “Grand Bargain,” which helps the city honor its commitment to hardworking retirees and preserves a key civic asset that contributes to the city’s vibrancy and supports the local economy.

Detroit Community Advisory Committee Members:

Dennis Archer, Ignition Media Group; Peter Cummings, Platform Group; James Feagin, Feagin Media Group; Dan Kinkead, SmithGroup; Anelia Kuzon, Ford Mobility

Knight’s Detroit Office:

2937 E. Grand Boulevard, Suite 302
Detroit, MI 48202