Grant Funding Provides Your Metroparks the Opportunity for a Trail Connections Feasibility Study in Livingston County

Endowed funds at the Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan are designed to grow over time and provide funding in perpetuity for charitable causes according to a donor’s wishes. The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation established endowment funds at the Community Foundation to provide support to issue areas that were important to Mr. Wilson during his lifetime: Caregiving, Design and Access, Youth Sports, and the Grosse Pointe community.

“The innovative programs in the areas supported by the Wilson Legacy Funds are a testament to the power of philanthropy and endowment,” said Mariam C. Noland, President of the Community Foundation. “Mr. Wilson’s impact continues to grow every year with our ability to support more projects on an increasing list of inspiring organizations that are meeting today’s challenges. For example, this year we saw an increase in the number of Design and Access applications and grants, demonstrating the importance of public spaces during the pandemic.”

This year, 19 grants from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Fund for Design and Access were awarded. Your Metroparks were excited to be included in the group of awardees, with a $47,000 grant to be used for a trail connections feasibility study In Livingston County.

The feasibility study will be used to determine the best way to make trail connections between local State Recreation Areas and your Metroparks in Livingston County.  This includes looking at the best route over US-23. This project expands on the work completed to create the Livingston County Trails Plan and is part of a larger effort to bring the plan to fruition.