Change-making
Initiatives

Community Transportation (M1 Mobility)

Transportation partnerships that connect residents to needed programs and opportunities.

  • Transportation is one of the most critical issues in the City of Pontiac with over 17% of Pontiac’s households having no access to a vehicle. These issues manifest in a variety of areas, such as residents facing issues traveling to their doctor’s appointments, challenges with access to healthy foods, or even for the city’s youth and seniors to participate in the recreational activities. Not only is this seen on an individual basis with Pontiac residents, but it is consistently noted as a problem with organizations across the community. Pontiac Community Foundation’s transportation partnership, M1 Mobility, aims to solve these issues by providing a variety of services to both individuals and nonprofits.

    The goal of M1 Mobility is to ensure all residents in the City of Pontiac have equitable access to transportation, especially youth and seniors in the community. M1 Mobility is built on transportation partnerships that connect residents to the needed programs and opportunities. The initiative currently operates three 15-passenger vans and one 9-passenger van that are deployed in the form of community-based transportation. 

    Visit m1mobility.com to learn more about our Community Transportation.

Addressing issues of equity and wealth-building in the communities Pontiac residents call home. 

Housing Initiatives

  • Collaboration and coalition building are at the heart of PCF’s work. In the housing space, PCF currently serves as the project manager for the Oakland County Regional Housing Partnership. This partnership, with the support of MSHDA, is working to address affordable housing issues in Oakland County. This group consists of thirty-four organizations involved in Oakland County’s housing ecosystem. This is a multi-sector coalition, with organizations from education, local government, for-profit developers, and nonprofit organizations represented.

  • Pontiac Community Foundation serves as the Community Organizaing body for the Transforming Communities Initiative. Transforming Communities Initiative (TCI) – Pontiac was formed in 2022 as a part of Trinity Health’s Transforming Communities Initiative, a funding and technical assistance initiative that works at policy, system, and institutional changes to challenging social issues. Today, TCI - Pontiac is a collaborative local partnership, composed of residents, community organizers, and representatives of partner organizations.

    TCI - Pontiac is rooted in its commitment to engage local residents and partners to work toward health equity goals by building community capacity and accelerating community health improvements for under-resourced, low-income BIPOC residents.

    The priorities and activities fulfilled within this partnership are informed and determined by the Pontiac residents most impacted by social and racial health inequities. As a grassroots community partnership, TCI - Pontiac defines membership broadly, and in a way that prioritizes active participation and commitment to the group’s mission and values. Like many grassroots organizations, TCI - Pontiac is democratically-led and supported by skilled community organizers and uses consensus decision-making, where decisions are made deliberately and collectively, holding participants to principles of transparency and accountability. 

    Community organizers identified and recruited Pontiac residents to participate in the TCI Advisory Group which includes 11 members: residents (3) and representatives of the faith-based community (1), businesses (2), government (1), community-based organizations (2), and the community at-large (2). Of the 9 members who self-reported demographics, 8 identify as Black (89%), and 1 as White (11%). At least one member represents the youth population, and at least one identifies as an older adult. In addition to the core TCI Advisory Group, TCI - Pontiac has engaged dozens of residents in the activities of its first two program years.

Fiscal Sponsorships

Supporting local organizations and initiatives with financial and administrative services to steward philanthropic investments.

  • Friends of the Pontiac Parks Association is a group of Pontiac residents who have organized to advocate and pursue funding to upgrade, maintain, and promote our city parks. Friends of the Pontiac Parks Association was created after the city’s Parks and Recreation Department was dissolved in 2009 due to emergency management to ensure that these services could continue.

    We are grateful to partner with Pontiac Community Foundation as our fiduciary to fulfill our vision of a comprehensive, state-of-the-art parks system for our city’s low income, diverse residents.

    We strongly believe that the redevelopment of Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park will not only have an incredible benefit for residents of the City of Pontiac, but it will also set a visually prominent precedent for the future of a high-quality parks system in the city. We look forward to seeing the impact this will continue to have and look forward to continuing to partner with Pontiac Community Foundation in the future.

  • Karman is an initiative dedicated to guiding Pontiac high school seniors and alumni through personalized career pathways that will help them stay on track as they pursue careers and higher education after graduation. The name, Karman, refers to the Karman Line used by scientists to distinguish where the earth’s atmosphere ends and outer space begins. 

    Karman is committed to providing a bridge for students between the life they have known and the dreams and goals that wait for them beyond what they can see.

    Pontiac Community Foundation has recognized Karman’s founder, Josh Kozlowski, as the right leader to partner with in order to serve at-risk students who trust his already established mentorship role in their lives. Because Karman operates in cooperation with the school district, the program is unique in its rapport with students. Josh has built relationships and credibility with students and their families over the past 10+ years of teaching upperclassmen in the Pontiac School District, which makes him invaluable to the success of connecting students directly in the classroom into a program such as this.

  • Pontiac Community Foundation (PCF) serves the role of fiscal sponsor for the City of Pontiac. We wholeheartedly support the city’s goal as stated; “to build capacity for funding pursuit on behalf of the City of Pontiac by providing an alternate means of charitable contribution for City sanctioned projects”. As a 501(c)(3) organization here in the heart of Pontiac committed to its own mission to “see Pontiac as the premier place to live, work and play”, we believe that PCF is perfectly positioned and uniquely aligned to lend our capacity for city projects.

  • Partnering with Pontiac School District (PSD) is not only a service that PCF provides, but in doing so, together we fulfill a common goal - to provide opportunities for all to invest in the growth of Pontiac.

    Pontiac Community Foundation (PCF) shows alignment with the Pontiac School District’s mission. Furthermore, PCF supports PSD by lending our nonprofit incorporation and compliance for educational and community fundraising activities.

Partnerships

Targeted community partnerships that foster
lasting impact in the Pontiac community.

  • The Center for Pontiac Entrepreneurship (CFPE) is a collaborative initiative started by Pontiac Community Foundation dedicated to empowering existing and aspiring entrepreneurs with the resources, skills, and connections needed to successfully navigate starting and growing their business. The goal is to ensure that businesses are built on a strong foundation and that small business owners have access to necessary training and resources needed to move from a start-up phase to a well-established business. The Center for Pontiac Entrepreneurship is built on a platform of the following three pillars:

    1) Skills represent the core education classes and curriculum of CFPE. Small business owners will leave with increased skills and knowledge to develop their idea and/or business.

    2) Support includes any and all the programs that uplift and grow local businesses such as workshops, networking events, mentorship, technical assistance, alumni programs, etc.

    3) Capital represents not only funding but also other assets that support the sustainability and growth of a business’ operations such as physical space and equipment.

    Visit CenterforPontiac.com to learn more about CFPE.

  • Prevention Pontiac is an initiative in dedicated to making Pontiac a premier place to live through efforts highlighting health and safety. As a member of the Alliance of Coalitions for Healthy Communities, we are focused on preventing alcohol and drug use among youth, promoting mental health, and providing outreach and support to the greater Pontiac community.

    Visit PreventionPontiac.org for more information.

  • Pontiac Community Foundation believes strongly in the importance of our community feeling valued, and this begins with developing spaces for people to gather, congregate, and recreate. No one embodies this desire more than Mattie McKinney Hatchett, a community leader and legend. Therefore, Pontiac Community Foundation will be partnering with the City of Pontiac to redevelop Mattie McKinney Hatchett Park, formerly Neighborhood Park, into a modern-day, multi-use park for residents of all ages.