Detroit People’s Platform Receives $2 Million Gift from the Yield Giving Open Call
Detroit, March 19, 2024 – Today, MacKenzie Scott’s Yield Giving announced Detroit People’s Platform as one of the Yield Giving Open Call’s awardees working with people and in places experiencing the greatest need in the United States. As one of the highest scoring groups, Detroit People’s Platform received $2 million.
Detroit People’s Platform organizes and responds to emerging issues that impact the lives and well-being of majority Black Detroit. For over 10 years, DPP has worked for real community benefit agreements, advocated and organized for truly affordable housing, and for public transit that responds to the needs of Detroiters. Most notably, DPP has organized in coalition to bring the nation’s first Community Benefit Agreement Ordinance to the ballot, organized for the creation of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Detroit's first Community Land Trust.
In March 2023, Yield Giving launched an Open Call for community-led, community-focused organizations whose explicit purpose is to enable individuals and families to achieve substantive improvement in their well-being through foundational resources.
“This gift is meaningful because the process was peer-reviewed and based upon the strength and dedication of our staff, volunteers, and supporters,” shares DPP’s Senior Director Linda Campbell. “The success of DPPs work is rooted in the commitment of majority Black Detroit to organize and fight for the vision of an equitable and just Detroit.”
The Yield Giving Open Call received 6,353 applications and initially planned for 250 awards of $1 million each. In the Fall of 2023, organizations top-rated by their peers advanced to a second round of review by an external Evaluation Panel recruited for experience relevant to this cause. Groups then underwent a final round of due diligence. Considering the incredible work of these organizations, as judged by their peers and external panelists, the donor team decided to expand the awardee pool and the award amount.
"We are excited that our partnership with Yield Giving has resonated with so many organizations," said Cecilia Conrad, CEO of Lever for Change. "In a world teeming with potential and talent, the Open Call has given us an opportunity to identify, uplift, and empower transformative organizations that often remain unseen.”
More information on the Yield Giving Open Call and other initiatives can be found at www.leverforchange.org.