Flint nonprofit receives grant from Michael Jordan

Flint, MI—A grant from basketball star Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand will help Flint tell its own story.

The Community Foundation of Greater Flint, a nonprofit that funds philanthropy work in Genesee County, has been selected as one of 18 recipients for a grant from Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand.

The grant is part of Jordan Brand’s Black Community Commitment Grant Program, a 10-year, $100 million donation program to support organizations working to ensure racial equality, social justice, and greater access to education. 

Craig Williams, president of Jordan Brand, said in a press release that choosing those 18 communities was not easy, but that the brand is “thrilled to stand behind them.” 

“We look forward to continuing to offer this program each year in support of local grassroots efforts that create real, meaningful change for people and communities,” he said.

While Mary Jo Herbig, AVP of communications and marketing for CFGF, said “the grant award is confidential upon request from the Jordan Brand,” the organization did confirm the funding will go toward the Flint Neighborhood Oral History Project. 

The Flint Neighborhood Oral History Project is a city-wide initiative that promotes active conversations with Flint community members to create a “candid history of this complex city.”

“We are grateful to Michael Jordan and the Jordan Brand for funding this unique community partnership that seeks to advance truth, racial healing, and transformation in Flint,” said Isaiah M. Oliver, president and CEO of CFGF.

Work for the oral history project is already underway by CFGF’s partners in the initiative: Sloan Museum of Discovery, Neighborhood Engagement Hub, and the University of Michigan-Flint.

“We also want to build on that by helping to support the collection of the stories, the archiving of the stories, and their sharing,” said Lynn Williams, Community Engagement Officer for CFGF. 

“So we’re wanting to add opportunities for the stories to be shared more broadly in the community through listening sessions.”

Williams said CFGF is in the process of formalizing how and when those listening sessions will take place, but more information will be made available as details are confirmed.