The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation is looking to fill a gaping hole in metro Detroit’s support system for nonprofits — and it’s turning to some experts in entrepreneurial cross-pollination to help.

The foundation is putting more than $5 million in grants over the next few years behind what could be a first-of-its-kind nonprofit support and innovation center. To run it, the foundation has tapped the TechTown business incubator in Detroit to transfer the supportive approach and collaborative, innovative environment it’s created for entrepreneurs to the region’s nonprofits.

That funding is just the tip of the $1 billion foundation’s planned commitment to nonprofit support and innovation.

While there are many consultants and organizations offering various capacity-building and operating supports for nonprofits, there’s no coordinated system of them in the region, the foundation found after a yearlong study. Just as importantly, there’s no local, dedicated space for nonprofits to innovate together.

Read the full article at Crain's Detroit Business »