2023 has been an incredible year for Advancing Macomb. With the leadership and support of our board members, community leaders, sponsors and donors, we continued to pursue our essential mission: convene the resources needed to solve community challenges in Macomb County.

Here are highlights from 2023:

Named Phil Gilchrist as Advancing Macomb Executive Director

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of long-serving nonprofit executive Phil Gilchrist as Advancing Macomb’s new executive director. Phil will lead all aspects of Advancing Macomb, including program oversight, financial administration, strategic planning and execution, marketing and public relations.

Phil brings an extensive background in nonprofit management, fundraising and community development, which will help further Advancing Macomb’s mission.

Welcome, Phil! We are excited to see all that we will accomplish under your leadership in 2024.

Secured a $118,000 Grant From The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation

We successfully secured a $118,000 grant from The Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation for operational capacity building to support our mission and help enrich the lives of Macomb County residents.

We are incredibly grateful for this grant, which will help us expand our reach and impact throughout Macomb County and set us up for continued success in 2024.

Launched the Inaugural Community Engagement Summit at Macomb Community College

We launched the inaugural Community Engagement Summit at Macomb Community College as part of a broader initiative to strengthen Macomb County communities. This kick-off event served two purposes:

• To inspire investment in emotionally engaging citizen-led projects that enhance the county and region’s quality of life and economic vitality.
• To launch a broader plan for Advancing Macomb leadership to work with Macomb County cities and townships to bring community-building ideas to life.

Plans are already underway for the next Community Engagement Summit. We look forward to sharing more details soon.

Grew the Advancing Macomb Nonprofit Roundtable From 20 to 80 Organizations Strong

We successfully grew the Advancing Macomb Nonprofit Roundtable, a monthly forum that enables nonprofit leaders to seek and provide feedback, brainstorm solutions, learn new strategies and identify collaboration areas. The Nonprofit Roundtable has grown from 20 to 80 organizations strong and continues to expand.

Celebrated a Successful First Year of Breaking Barriers To Play

Every kid should have access to play, so we were excited to celebrate a successful first year of Breaking Barriers to Play in 2023. This program levels the playing field and makes recreation accessible and affordable to youth and families in underserved communities in Macomb County. After one year, nearly 600 kids participated in camps and leagues provided by Breaking Barriers to Play. Most participants have never participated in organized youth sports.

Continued Work on the Eastside Community Hub Revitalization Project

As a result of the HUD grant secured through Andy Levin’s office in 2022, we continued our work with the Boys & Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan for capital improvements to a building in Eastpointe and with the City of Mount Clemens for capital improvements to the Cairns Community Center.

Looking Ahead

Our work throughout 2023 continued to reflect the importance of collaboration and partnership in solving community challenges. With new leadership in place and the support of our community partners, we are confident we will expand our reach even further in 2024. We are excited about the year ahead and look forward to sharing more updates soon.

If you’d like to get involved with Advancing Macomb in 2024 or learn more about our services, please contact us at our website here. We’d love to hear from you and discuss ways to work together.