Features

Feature Story Friends of the Rouge Fish

What the Friends of the Rouge are doing to fight water pollution and connect communities

In an industrialized area like Metro Detroit, connecting communities to nature can be challenging. Friends of the Rouge are working on strategies to engage people with their local watershed and keep the river healthy for future generations.

Feature Story Shelley and Greg McArthur, co-founders and owners of NTL Industries, Inc. celebrate their 2025 National Small Business Persons of the Year award.

Sterling Heights businesses collect bevy of awards in contests both local and national

On the doorstep of summer, Sterling Heights businesses have already put an exclamation point on the year as accolades and awards have flooded the business community and, in turn, the city itself.

Development News A Vincent van Gogh reproduction from the DIA in downtown Farmington in 2022.

These communities have been selected to host DIA masterworks in public spaces

“Seeing art in the community is just one way we hope people will connect with our collection,” says Julie McFarland, Executive Director of Public Affairs and Engagement at the DIA.

Longform small-judy-logan

Dental aid helps cancer patients regain health and dignity

HNC Living Foundation provides dental care, nutrition, and support to head and neck cancer patients facing financial and treatment challenges.

Partner Content Boy in classroom

Blueprint for school funding would ensure equitable resources in special education

The MI Special Education Finance Reform Blueprint would ensure that Michigan adequately and equitably funds public special education in Michigan. 

Feature Story All Gods Children teacher

No-cost pre-K for all Michigan 4-year-olds enrolling for 2025-26 school year

QA with Jeffrey Capizzano, Policy Equity Group, on the implementation of Pre-K for All no-cost preschool for Michigan 4-year-olds.

Feature Story Nonprofit Day at the Capitol, February 2025

How Michigan nonprofits are navigating federal uncertaintyNonprofit Journal Project

Michigan nonprofits are facing uncertainty as federal funding streams fluctuate and administrative support wanes. The Michigan Nonprofit Association is helping organizations navigate this instability through advocacy, collaboration, and strategic planning.

Longform Spring has sprung in downtown Farmington.

New businesses begin to bloom as spring has sprung in downtown Farmington

Spring has sprung in downtown Farmington, where flowers and new businesses continue to bloom with vim and vigor.

Development News "This is a great example of transforming a purely functional space into a piece of public art,” says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League.

Gateway project nears fundraising deadline in its effort to unite Detroit, Oak Park, and Southfield

"This is a great example of transforming a purely functional space into a piece of public art,” says Dan Gilmartin, CEO and Executive Director of the Michigan Municipal League.

Development News “These enhancements reflect our long-term commitment to building a more sustainable Sterling Heights,” says Mayor Michael C. Taylor.

Community Garden opens at Nelson Park with improvements 'as engaging as they are practical'

“These enhancements reflect our long-term commitment to building a more sustainable Sterling Heights,” says Mayor Michael C. Taylor.

Longform Labrea Robinson with her daughter Amarrah.

Oakland County residents give back to family, community, and more after experiencing homelessness

After finding housing, people who've experienced homelessness frequently seek to further stabilize their lives, better support their families, and give back to their communities. Here are a few of their stories.

Feature Story City Café Owner Kyle Dudek poses for a photo outside his New Baltimore restaurant.

Little cafe with city charm opens in New Baltimore

Kyle Dudek has spent years behind the counter in the restaurant industry as a cook and manager. Now, he’s stepping out on his own as a restaurant owner to breathe new life into City Café – formerly A Little Mustard Seed – in New Baltimore.

Longform Lauren LaPine

Medicaid cuts would destabilize mental health care: How Michigan is responding

Proposed Medicaid funding cuts would dismantle critical services, especially for residents facing poverty, mental illness, or substance use disorders — and reduce access to mental health services for all.

Longform Kids participate in a water safety class at Adams Butzel Complex in Detroit.

Free swimming classes and equipment help improve water safety across Metro Detroit

A network of programs across Metro Detroit seeks to address high drowning rates and low swimming skills with free water safety education.

Development News “The Mobile Library allows us to reach residents in new and engaging ways,” says Sterling Heights Library Director Tammy Turgeon.

City unveils latest in lifelong learning opportunities with the Sterling Heights Mobile Library

“The Mobile Library allows us to reach residents in new and engaging ways,” says Sterling Heights Library Director Tammy Turgeon.

Feature Story Humanity first: Members of the Church of the Latter-day Saints volunteer at Zaman

Shared humanity that crosses language, religious and cultural barriersNonprofit Journal Project

An unlikely partnership has blossomed between the Mormon church and Zaman International, a nonprofit that serves mostly Middle Eastern Muslim women. Both faiths have more in common that it might appear on the surface. 

Feature Story Tiffany Brown founded Developing Despite Distance

Amplifying voices of “an historically invisible population of young people”Nonprofit Journal Project

Developing Despite Distance has gone deep investing in Detroit youth with incarcerated parents. In launching a teen advisory board, it looks to go broad.  

Feature Story Global Detroit

As border, visa policies face upheaval, Global Detroit remains committed to immigrant-founded biz

“If anything, in terms of our work, we can highlight the amazing contributions that our folks are making and motivating in Michigan.”

Longform Shariki Bell in her apartment in Pontiac.

Living on couches, in hotels, or in cars, many in Oakland County experience "hidden" homelessness

While homelessness is often thought of as sleeping either on the street or in a shelter, it takes many other forms. We talked to Oakland County residents who've experienced some of them.

Feature Story Ashley Carter of Michigan Justice Fund and Adam Grant of A Brighter Way

Boosting resources for legal reform in MichiganNonprofit Journal Project Feature

Michigan Justice Fund is pioneering a collaborative funding model to support justice reform initiatives across the state. By bringing together local and national funders, the fund invests in community-led solutions that address the long-term impact of mass incarceration.

 
Nonprofit leaders across southeast Michigan are contributing their thoughts via journal entries on how COVID-19 is affecting their organization. 
This series is made possible with the generous support of our partners, the Michigan Nonprofit Association and Co.ACT. Click here to read the journal entries.