SMALL TOWN LENS ON PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS

Rural Insights for Philanthropy

The land. Our people.  We’ve got the edict to take care of them.  And so, how do we best do that? … we do that in partnerships with other people.

– Mark Cochran, City Manager, City of Monroe (MI)

By: Katie Brisson, Senior Director of Special Initiatives
September 2026

Through this series, Senior Director of Special Initiatives Katie Brisson shares stories and insights from small towns and rural communities across Southeast Michigan and Western New York. Each post highlights lessons from local leaders that can help shape more responsive and effective philanthropy.

In small towns and rural communities, the role of local municipal leaders is critical in terms of spurring innovation.  We’ve observed that effective leaders are ones who have the skill – and genuine belief – in the value of true partnerships with residents, nonprofits, local businesses and others as the route to address community needs in a meaningful way.

The City of Monroe, located in Monroe County, Michigan, has a population of 20,000.  The Foundation has made investments in Monroe over the years, primarily connected to parks & trails, youth programming, and economic development planning.   

In 2025, we were approached about a project in the Orchard East Neighborhood, which is one of Monroe’s most culturally diverse and historically resilient communities. In 2022, the City of Monroe launched the Orchard East Master Plan to guide reinvestment in the neighborhood with a focus on inclusive growth.  With that plan in hand, a collaboration of local leaders planned for, pursued and obtained funds for a $9.3 million state-of-the-art facility for the community, including significant investment from the State of Michigan.

Partners of the “Opportunity Center”, which celebrated its grand opening in May 2026, include the Arthur Lesow Community Center, the Navarre Library Branch, the Learning Bank and the Monroe County Opportunity Program.  They all realigned services and improved their physical spaces collectively, in the redeveloped 28,000 square feet location.  

Partnerships are everything. Relationships are the currency of the 21^st century, and through relationships and partnerships, that’s how all things get done.  No one person, no one organization could do this alone … It takes everybody to make this happen.  I’m just glad to be a part of it.

– Aaron Lavender, Board Member, Opportunity Center & Lifetime Resident

Following this accomplishment, the collective leaders immediately started to look ahead to a second phase of the project on the surrounding property. To support this next step, the Foundation approved a grant for planning and initial costs of Phase Two, which will aim to include a new multi-purpose facility for youth development and community arts, as well as a food truck venue to support local food entrepreneurs.  

We bring in community partners to be able to round out everything that we do here at the Center.  We couldn’t do it without our partnership with the city, but also with all the people that you see in this great building – our volunteers, our seniors, the kids who are running through each and every day.  Everybody makes a difference here.

– Stephanie Kasperzak, Executive Director, Monroe County Opportunity Center

The road for under-resourced small towns to build projects like the one in Monroe is not easy.  Coordination and alignment with community partners is critical.  We are excited to see some helpful support in resource development, such as the Michigan Municipal League’s MI Funding Hub tool, and Western New York’s Center for Regional Strategies’ efforts around collaborative economic growth in communities. 

While philanthropy has traditionally directed much of its grantmaking to nonprofit organizations, municipal governments can also be essential partners particularly when they are working collaboratively. Lasting community progress requires municipalities, nonprofits, residents, and philanthropy to work together.

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