Why Focus on Flint?
Why Focus on Flint?
For more than 90 years, the Mott Foundation has had a focus on Flint. Through good times and bad, we’ve tried to help our hometown deal with challenges and create opportunities. And though we’ve granted more than $1 billion locally, we know that, too often, struggles still thwart success, and pessimism competes with promise.
National media attention generated by the water crisis has, for the most part, painted a very negative picture of Flint. Yet we hear so many community leaders and other residents saying, “That’s not the whole story of Flint. That’s only part of the picture.”
So what is the bigger picture of Flint? What can we celebrate? What needs improvement? What’s happening to help make the bad things better? Who’s doing that work?
Focus on Flint explores these issues.
Throughout this site, you’ll see data that tell a story about how we’re doing as a community. You likely won’t be surprised that some of the statistics are frustrating. But you may be surprised to learn about points of progress and exciting efforts underway to address specific challenges.
This is by no means a comprehensive look at everything that can or should be measured. Rather, it’s a springboard for a community conversation, input and action.
As Flint continues to recover and rise from the water crisis, it seems we’re at a point where we should take a big-picture look at where we stand — and set our sights on where we want to be.
The Mott Foundation has sent Focus on Flint to every household, business and organization in the city. In the months ahead, we’ll also invite all interested members of the community to participate in conversations about these measures of quality of life and local efforts to improve them for everyone.
The conversations will help all of us understand the strengths and challenges identified by our community — and, with everyone’s input, contribute to solutions and pathways to a promising future. Sign up for an upcoming conversation.
We hope you’ll add your thoughts and ideas as we all focus on Flint.
Ridgway White, President and CEO
Charles Stewart Mott Foundation