The Kresge Foundation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Kresge Foundation is a U.S. philanthropic foundation dedicated to building stronger nonprofit organizations. It was established in 1924 by the founder of Kmart, Sebastian Kresge.
The Foundation is a $3.5 billion national foundation that builds stronger nonprofit organizations—catalyzing their growth, helping them connect with their stakeholders, and challenging them with grants that leverage greater support. The Foundation concentrates its programming on capital campaigns as a key opportunity for nonprofit growth. In 2005, the Foundation awarded 216 grants totaling $131,770,027 to organizations in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, South Africa, and Mexico.
Their second main program, the Green Building Initiative which was launched in 2003, is intended to increase the awareness of sustainable or green building practices among nonprofits and encourage them to consider building green. Upfront planning and an integrated design process are necessary to achieve the full benefits of a green building. The Initiative offers educational resources and special grants to help nonprofits during this planning phase.
In June 2006 the foundation announced the retirement of its Executive Director and CEO, John Marshall III. Marshall has been replaced by Rip Rapson, formerly of the McKnight Foundation.
