To transform the future by supporting mission-driven people, organizations, and communities—strengthening nonprofits through consulting, fiscal sponsorship, financial services, learning communities, and shared space to build a just and thriving society.
A fiscal sponsorship program sits at the center of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work Inc’s grantmaking. Through that model, projects can accept donations, apply for funding, and operate under the organization’s nonprofit status while they receive back-end support on the path to an independent entity or other structure. The recent grant list shows this approach in practice: Washtenaw Care-Based Safety received $213,252 in 2024, and Washtenaw Cty Black Farmers Fd received $105,291 in 2023. Those grants are paired with smaller awards to community-based initiatives such as Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale, Black Men Read, and We The People Opportunity Farm, showing support for projects at different stages and scales. The foundation’s stated purpose is to strengthen mission-driven people, organizations, and communities through consulting, fiscal sponsorship, financial services, learning communities, and shared space. Its focus areas include organizational development, financial capacity building and bookkeeping, diversity, equity & inclusion, nonprofit technology support, and community and space development. The pattern points to hands-on, operationally oriented funding rather than broad unrestricted philanthropy.
A primary theme is nonprofit incubation. In 2024, the foundation gave $213,252 to Washtenaw Care-Based Safety for Fiscal Sponsorship, and in 2023 it provided $105,291 to Washtenaw Cty Black Farmers Fd for the same purpose. That work aligns with its program that lets projects operate under NEW’s nonprofit status while they build toward an independent entity. Community-based cultural and educational projects also appear in the recent grants list. The foundation awarded $30,351 to Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale in 2023 and $14,064 in 2024, both through Fiscal Sponsorship, indicating continued support for the same project. Youth and learning-oriented work is another thread. Black Men Read received $25,116 in 2023 and $14,529 in 2024, both under Fiscal Sponsorship, while Mentor2Youth received $8,370 in 2024 and $7,020 in 2023.
Typical awards cluster in the mid-five-figure range, with a p25 of $12,640, median of $18,042, and p75 of $26,425. The recent record shows repeat support to the same recipients across 2023 and 2024, including Black Men Read, Mentor2Youth, and Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale, which points to ongoing project support rather than isolated one-time awards. The organization is not a foundation that funds individuals, and it does not make program-related investments. The active program is a Fiscal Sponsorship Program, and it accepts unsolicited requests.
$275K
$2.4M
$4.2M
$3.7M
Most grants fall between $13K and $26K, with a median of $18K.
25th Percentile
$13K
Median
$18K
75th Percentile
$26K
Yodit Mesfin Johnson
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Grantmaking is fully concentrated in Michigan, with 100% of grants to recipients in the HQ state and Michigan listed as the top state by grant count. The recent grants cluster in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, with additional awards in Royal Oak and Detroit. Ann Arbor appears repeatedly through recipients such as Washtenaw Care-Based Safety, Washtenaw Cty Black Farmers Fd, and Washtenaw Justice Project, while Ypsilanti shows up through Black Men Read, We The People Opportunity Farm, and Mentor2Youth. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 12 grants in the United States.
It uses fiscal sponsorship as its main grantmaking model. Projects can accept donations, apply for funding, and operate under NEW’s nonprofit status while receiving financial and back-end support until they transition to a standalone nonprofit or another entity.
The grant-size distribution is centered in the five-figure range: p25 is $12,640, median is $18,042, and p75 is $26,425.
The recent grants provided are all in Michigan, and 100% of grants in the recipient-country distribution went to U.S. recipients. The geographic profile shows Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Royal Oak, and Detroit as recipient locations.
Yes. The active Fiscal Sponsorship Program accepts unsolicited applications.
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including Black Men Read in 2023 and 2024, Mentor2Youth in 2023 and 2024, and Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale in 2023 and 2024.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Nonprofit Enterprise at Work that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Project should align with NEW’s mission and vision. Applicants are expected to describe long-term vision, leadership team, budget (grant or organizational), and potential risks (financial, reputational, or physical). Projects must be appropriate for a fiscal sponsorship relationship.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washtenaw Care-Based Safety | Ann Arbor, MI | $213,252 | 2024 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network | Royal Oak, MI | $25,000 | 2024 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Black Men Read | Ypsilanti, MI | $14,529 | 2024 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Willlis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale | Ann Arbor, MI | $14,064 | 2024 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Mentor2Youth | Ypsilanti, MI | $8,370 | 2024 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Washtenaw Cty Black Farmers Fd | Ann Arbor, MI | $105,291 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale | Ann Arbor, MI | $30,351 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Black Men Read | Ypsilanti, MI | $25,116 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| We The People Opportunity Farm | Ypsilanti, MI | $21,185 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Washtenaw Justice Project | Ann Arbor, MI | $14,900 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Mentor2Youth | Ypsilanti, MI | $7,020 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
| Black Microbiologists Association | Detroit, MI | $6,613 | 2023 | Fiscal Sponsorship |
Washtenaw Care-Based Safety
$213,252Fiscal Sponsorship
Michigan Unitarian Universalist Social Justice Network
$25,000Fiscal Sponsorship
Black Men Read
$14,529Fiscal Sponsorship
Willlis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale
$14,064Fiscal Sponsorship
Mentor2Youth
$8,370Fiscal Sponsorship
Washtenaw Cty Black Farmers Fd
$105,291Fiscal Sponsorship
Willis Patterson Our Own Thing Chorale
$30,351Fiscal Sponsorship
Black Men Read
$25,116Fiscal Sponsorship
We The People Opportunity Farm
$21,185Fiscal Sponsorship
Washtenaw Justice Project
$14,900Fiscal Sponsorship
Mentor2Youth
$7,020Fiscal Sponsorship
Black Microbiologists Association
$6,613Fiscal Sponsorship
