The Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation supports organizations working toward a healthy, resilient Great Lakes ecosystem and a culturally vibrant and sustainable Southeast Michigan.

Great Lakes 

Support people, organizations, and institutions working to achieve a flourishing, healthy, and resilient Great Lakes ecosystem at different scales by: 

• Building community leadership and agency to ensure that impacted communities are partners in—and benefit from— these efforts. 

• Promoting effective public policies at all levels of government. 

• Investing in organizational health and the next generation of Great Lakes leaders. 

Strengthen efforts to address environmental harms and adapt to future challenges faced by Great Lakes communities and ecosystems by: 

• Incorporating watershed health into land use and management by promoting best practices to protect the health of Great Lakes ecosystems. 

• Equipping communities and policymakers to plan for and adapt to climate change and its impacts on the Great Lakes. 

• Incorporating environmental justice into efforts to achieve a flourishing Great Lakes ecosystem. 

Arts and Culture 

Strengthen Detroit's jazz culture and mentorship traditions by: 

• Investing in professional development and opportunities for artists, teachers, teaching artists, and nonprofit staff. 

• Providing young musicians pursuing jazz with program participation, lessons, and additional supports. 

• Developing future audiences through music instruction and activities that promote an appreciation for jazz. 

Strengthen the resiliency and development of arts and culture organizations, leaders, and the sector in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties by: 

• Supporting financial stability through earned income generation, reserve development, and best practices for financial management. 

• Improving operations through workforce retention, leadership and staff development, system improvements, capacity building, and operationalizing equity.

• Promoting artistic and operational innovation and collaboration, advocacy, audience development, and equitable practices.

Sustainable Business 

Promote sustainable business sector growth by: 

• Grow sustainable practices among small businesses in Southeast Michigan and strengthen the connection and collaboration among entities that support them. 

• Increase the capital available to entrepreneurs to implement triple-bottom-line practices and grow their businesses, in partnership with intermediaries. 

• Increase the technical assistance and expertise available to help entrepreneurs and small business owners implement triple-bottom-line practices and strengthen their businesses. 

Democracy

Promote a strong democracy, voter engagement, and fair election administration by: 

• Enabling voters in Southeast Michigan to register and turn out to vote in every election. 

• Ensuring free and fair election administration through advice and counsel to election administrators, support for legal issues, and efforts to combat misinformation.

• Protecting voter access to the ballot, particularly for those who have been historically targeted by voter suppression efforts. 

• Upholding the foundations of American democracy and the Constitution by supporting efforts that preserve the rule of law and the proper functions of government.

Our board currently reviews requests for funding three times a year, in January, May, and September. Grant requests typically take about four to six months to move from an initial conversation to consideration at a board meeting. The first step in our application process is a conversation with our program team.

Please email the appropriate Program Officer(s) about your interest: erbff.org/our-people