In Macomb County, community challenges rarely have simple, one-size-fits-all solutions. That’s where
Advancing Macomb steps in, bridging the gap between nonprofits, businesses and public entities to create meaningful change for the community.
By recognizing the importance of collaboration, the organization has helped launch initiatives that would have been difficult—if not impossible—to achieve alone.
“Collaboration is kind of the name of the game these days,” Phil Gilchrist, executive director of Advancing Macomb, says. “We've been trying to set a good example for how others can also approach collaborative efforts.”
He adds, “Collaboration as an idea, as a concept, as a way of getting things done, is starting to get some real play where it feels like it only got lip service previously.”
Community in need of stronger connections
A study conducted with the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy found that nonprofits in Macomb County are under-resourced compared to those across the state and nation, Gilchrist says. This finding has driven Advancing Macomb’s efforts to help equip local organizations with the tools and networks they need to thrive.
“What we've focused on as a result of that research is really working to support nonprofits here in Macomb County, helping them build skills and tool sets that they can utilize to improve their own ability to leverage resources and partner with others and be more successful and sustainable,” Gilchrist says.
Beyond strengthening nonprofits, Advancing Macomb advocates for community assets like parks and public spaces, bringing together funding partners, experts and volunteers to make these projects a reality.
Collaboration in action
A prime example of this collaborative approach is the play fountain project in Mount Clemens. Working with the City of Mount Clemens and the Anton Art Center, Advancing Macomb helped transform a local park into a beautiful community space.
At the time, Gilchrist was leading the Anton Art Center, prior to his move to his current role at Advancing Macomb around a year ago.
“Community members were really involved with helping to determine what it was that we put into this park,” Gilchrist says. “It was really a nice representation of not just what a good community asset can look like and be, but also how the community can become involved and contribute to making something that's really meaningful for the whole community, but especially meaningful for that neighborhood.”
The project highlighted how collaboration can lead to real improvements in public spaces while cultivating community pride.
A recent initiative, the
Nonprofit Accelerator Program, is another example that demonstrates how partnerships can amplify impact. By teaming up with eight nonprofit support organizations across the region, Advancing Macomb is working to help small, volunteer-run nonprofits navigate the complex nonprofit ecosystem and access critical resources.
“Many small nonprofits don’t even know where to look for resources,” Gilchrist says. “If you're in a very small volunteer-run nonprofit, maybe you've heard about one or two of these other intermediary partners that we're bringing in, but it's very likely that you have no idea who most of them are or what the resources are that they have."
The Nonprofit Accelerator Program helps make some of those connections in a very direct way so smaller nonprofits benefit by having a presence and foothold, adding value to the sector as a whole.
This type of collaboration allows organizations with diverse strengths, perspectives, and funding opportunities to pool their resources—creating a ripple effect that benefits the entire community.
Future of collaborative work in Macomb County
Looking ahead, Gilchrist hopes to see Macomb County’s nonprofit sector continue to grow stronger, with more organizations embracing collaboration as a core strategy.
“I’m really interested in how we can help nonprofits become more sustainable,” he says. “A lot of our work is focused on equipping them with real, actionable resources. The more tangible the tool, the more quickly someone can take it and put it into practice.”
Another priority is increasing awareness of nonprofit intermediary organizations like Advancing Macomb. Because it doesn't provide direct services, it can be challenging to convey its impact, but its behind-the-scenes work is crucial in making large-scale collaboration and change possible.
“If you asked someone on the street who Advancing Macomb is, they might not know,” Gilchrist says. “And if they’ve heard the name, they’d likely have a hard time describing what we do. We’re not a frontline service. We’re here to support those who are.”
This story is part of the Nonprofit Journal Project, an initiative focused on nonprofit leaders and programs across Metro Detroit. This series is made possible with the generous support of our partners, the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Michigan Nonprofit Association and Co.act Detroit.