By Vice President of Impact, Kelly Brittain
At the Children’s Foundation of Michigan, our work is guided by a core belief: every child deserves to thrive. We also know that no single organization can solve the complex challenges facing Michigan’s kids alone.
That’s why we participate in or are part of funding collaboratives — partnerships where foundations and other funders come together to combine resources, align strategy, and take on big issues in a coordinated way.
In a collaborative, multiple donors pool their funding and expertise around a shared goal. Many collaboratives operate as structured, time-bound projects with clear decision-making processes and coordinated grantmaking. They are often housed at a trusted organization that manages the funds and ensures accountability.
Collaboratives matter because they:
- Pool resources and share risk, enabling larger, more ambitious investments.
- Align strategy and governance, ensuring funding decisions are coordinated and focused.
- Increase efficiency, reducing administrative burden on grantees through larger, more flexible grants.
- Strengthen learning and relationships, connecting donors with field experts and one another.
For Michigan’s children, this means more coordinated solutions, systemic change, and greater impact.
The Children’s Foundation plays two important roles in collaborative funding: we lead collaboratives and we participate in them.
We lead Collaboratives
When we lead a collaborative, other trusted foundations and partners rely on us to house, manage, and implement a shared funding strategy. We provide governance, financial oversight, coordination, and on-the-ground leadership to ensure the initiative achieves measurable outcomes for children.
Serving as a lead allows us to align partners around a common vision, streamline grantmaking, and drive collective action in areas where children face persistent barriers.
Example: Oral Health Coalition
The Oral Health Coalition brings together leading foundations to improve pediatric oral health in Detroit. Despite nearly 80% of children having dental insurance through programs like Healthy Kids Dental, oral health challenges remain a leading cause of school absenteeism. In 2026, funders pooled $660,000 at the Children’s Foundation of Michigan to implement a coordinated Oral Health Initiative. We now manage the collaboration and implementation, aligning partners including:
- Kresge Foundation
- W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- Delta Dental Foundation
- Michigan Health Endowment Fund
- Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation
- The Ballmer Group
We participate in Collaboratives
We also participate in collaboratives led by other trusted partners. In this role, we align our resources with peer funders to stretch every dollar further, catalyze broader impact, and advance systemic solutions that no single funder could accomplish alone.
Participating allows us to invest strategically in shared priorities, while leveraging collective expertise, reducing duplication, and expanding the support available to grantees through technical assistance, peer learning, and evaluation.
Example: Leaders in Mental Health
Leaders in Mental Health (LMH) is a collaborative where funding partners each committed resources to supporting multi-year grants to community organizations expanding mental health access. As part of LMH, we supported The Yunion as a new grantee partner.
Beyond grant funding, grantees receive project management, technical assistance, peer learning, and evaluation support—strengthening pathways to care for Michigan’s youth.
Funders include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (co-leader)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation (co-leader)
- Children’s Foundation of Michigan
- Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
- Ethel & James Flinn Foundation
- Kresge Foundation
- Michigan Health Endowment Fund
- The Jewish Fund
- W. K. Kellogg Foundation
Through both leadership and participation in collaboratives, the Children’s Foundation of Michigan continues to serve as a catalyst for change, bringing funders together, aligning strategy, and ensuring that Michigan’s children have access to the care and opportunities they need to thrive.
If you are interested in partnering with us on a collaborative, please contact Vice President of Impact, Kelly Brittain at [email protected]
