The Gift

credit:

When Detroit's historic North End was being ravaged by blight, Patrick Bouchain and Jean Louis Farges decided to turn a abandoned warehouse into a community library.

But instead of accepting a $250,000 grant from the philanthropic foundation that had offered it, Bouchain and Farges returned the money.

"It was a sobering declaration that the complexities of producing social impact design within communities marred by long-standing neglect, and highlighted the nuanced, occasionally fraught, nexus between philanthropy and the practice of architecture and urban design," they write at the Detroit Free Press.

"Thus, this story is as much about a project that never was as it is about ongoing discussions of the role of design in fostering social change, the stewardship of philanthropic resources, and the often challenging, contested paths to positive urban transformation," they continue.

Bouchain and Farges say they wanted to create a place where people could learn, work, and play.

But in Detroit, "the promise of collectivity and democratic resource distribution persistently clashes with reality," they write.

"The local government, stretched thin across a vast urban territory in decline, is ill-equipped to provide the very basics: public education, stable housing, transportation, and access to healthcare for its residents."

So they turned to Detroit-based nonprofit Const

Read the Entire Article

How's Your Community Doing?
Check Out it's
Community Vital Signs

Positioning Kenyan Livestock Sector for Impact Investment

It's no secret that Africa's livestock industry plays a big role in the region's economy. In fact, the demand for livestock products is expected to grow by 50% by 2030, notes Business...more

El Rito 2024 Spring Arts Festival May 18-19

The New Mexico town of El Rito has been named one of America's 10 most livable cities by Time. The honor goes to El Rito for the third year in a row, thanks in large part to the work of its...more

Undergraduate Research Week Poster Competition Winners Announced

"This research pushed me outside my comfort zone and forced me to interact first-hand with hard truths about what social media is being used for in the modern day," Daisy Rehbock writes in her...more

Decision Reversed: Fair Park Ceo Put on 45 Day Paid Leave as Board Evaluates Performance

The CEO of the nation's second-oldest civic monument has been ousted over allegations of financial impropriety at Dallas' Fair Park, the Dallas Morning News reports. On May 1, Brian Luallen...more

An Evening Worth Its Weight in Art!

Quebec City's Mus ? 'e des beaux-arts du Qu'bec museum is getting a major boost from a single man. Michael Audain, chairman of the Jean Paul Riopelle Foundation, has pledged $10 million toward...more

Hasbro Teen'S Prom

It's not every day that a Rhode Island hospital hosts a prom for its teen patients, but that's exactly what happened at Hasbro Children's Hospital in Providence on Friday, the Providence Journal...more

Ford Fund Rebrands as Ford Philanthropy
Foundation: Ford Motor Company Fund

The Ford Motor Company's philanthropic arm is getting a new name: Ford Philanthropy. The rebranding reflects Ford's 75-year legacy of "driving impact in Ford communities around the world," says...more

Philanthropic Cause Takes Center Stage with Apo

Grace Reynolds, 17, sang "Landslide" in the style of Fleetwood Mac, while 11-year-old Rylee Campbell performed "Once Upon a December" in the style of Liz Callaway, but it was Reynolds who took home...more

Communications Officer Job with University Of Western Australia

Western Australia's University of Western Australia is looking for a new director of alumni relations, and the ideal candidate will be a woman with at least five years' experience in donor...more

P.B. Scott Named Ey'S Master Entrepreneur of the Year for Ja

"It's very nice to be recognized. It's an honor to be a part of something that's global." So says P.B. Scott, president and CEO of the Musson Group, after being named the Master...more