In spite of the ongoing pandemic, a small, little-known sports and youth development nonprofit serving kids from a single Detroit neighborhood was able to raise $1 million last year to round out most of the funding needed for ground-up construction of a new home.
Racquet Up Detroit, broke ground in January on a $6.5 million building about five minutes from the Northwest Activities Center, its home since its national affiliate, the New York-based Squash and Education Alliance, launched programs in northwest Detroit a decade ago.
The organization works with five schools in the neighborhood to attract youth to its program, using the game of squash as a hook and engaging them in youth development, career and college prep services and educational support. It was serving about 110 youth, from grade five to college, before the pandemic.
As demand grew, Racquet Up began looking at options to expand its space and settled on construction of a new building. In the fall of 2018, it launched a capital campaign to purchase just over 2 acres of property a mile and a half away from Westminster Church of Detroit, construct a 19,000-square-foot building and equip its new squash courts and classrooms.
"We were at the 30-yard line when the pandemic hit," Executive Director Derek Aguirre said.
"We had to decide, do we pause because we think it's going to be too complicated during the pandemic and economic downturn?"
The nonprofit's board and leadership met with its architect, SmithGroup, owners representative Taktix Solutions and its pro bono legal counsel, Dykema Gossett PLLC.
"We decided honestly like it felt like an even more important time to keep pushing," Aguirre, 40, said.
"As we're thinking about the end of the pandemic, it feels like this facility will be even more important in playing a role in helping families and young people to get back on their feet and to feel optimistic again."
Racquet Up had raised about $5 million before the pandemic, he said, including $1.2 million from current and former board members, $450,000 from the McGregor Fund toward capital costs and programming and a $500,000 gift to name the college and career center from the A.A. Van Elslander Foundation, which is just beginning to make new grants as it spends down its assets.
"Since the McGregor Fund first provided start-up support in 2010, Racquet Up Detroit has grown into a standout youth development organization," said McGregor Fund President Kate Levin Markel, in an email.
"Derek and his extraordinary team develop deep connections with and among participants, open doors to high-quality educational and enrichment opportunities, and equip graduates with the academic skills, strength of character and self-confidence required to succeed. They also utilize the advantages of a highly dedicated board and proven national model to fullest advantage."
Once Racquet Up made the decision last year to continue pushing to raise the remaining dollars it needed to break ground on the center, it began approaching individuals, corporations and other foundations, Aguirre said.
"We did hit some dead ends as funders adjusted their giving strategies to be responsive to the needs of the community during the pandemic," he said.
"But we've really had a productive period during the pandemic (with) some surprises."
The nonprofit has secured significant relationship-driven support from undisclosed individuals, he said.
Retired real estate executive George Haggarty has chaired its board for the past nine years. Other board members include Plante Moran Partner Paul Flanagan, Merrill Lynch Vice President Nathan Marsden, retired Comerica Senior Vice President Linda Forte and Gary Van Elslander.
Racquet Up has also gained good visibility with private foundations like the Wayne and Joan Webber Foundation, Elaine Stern Foundation and the A. Alfred Taubman Foundation, each of which contributed $250,000 last year to name the classrooms in the new building, Aguirre said.
"Foundations, understandably so, have moved to more COVID-related emergency funding…(but) I think it's temporary," he said.
"Fortunately, it's been our strategy from the beginning of the capital campaign to have lots of irons in the fire."
So far, 75 individuals, foundations and corporations have contributed to the capital campaign, with just $500,000 left to raise, Aguirre said.
A long list of foundations are also providing operating and programmatic support for the nonprofit, which is operating on a $1.1 million budget. They include: Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation, Skillman Foundation, Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, DeRoy Testamentary Foundation, Jamie and Denise Jacob Family Foundation, Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, SVS Vision, Bank of America and LoVasco Consulting Group.
With new facility, Racquet Up will have more education space and squash courts that will enable us to serve over 200 students and another 50 graduates who continue to be supported by the organization. Aguirre said it could be completed as early as late November or early December.
"Our goal is to be a longterm support system for our students and to extent we can, for their families," he said.
Most of the kids Racquet Up serves graduate high school; most go on to college, and most are on track to get their degree, Aguirre said. Six are playing on their college squash teams.
Over the past decade, the nonprofit has also worked to forge broader relationships with its neighbors in the community, he said. It's already looking for ways to partner with its new neighbors, Westminster Church, Hartford Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Sinai Grace Guild CDC and surrounding schools. The church, for example, has provided scholarship support for Racquet Up alumni, and youth in the program have begun forging relationships with seniors at Hartford through homemade cards with encouraging sentiments for residents.
"My vision is when we're truly neighbors, we'll visit (Hartford's residents); they'll visit us, and it will be a true relationship," Aguirre said.
"We see value in intergenerational relationships."
Editor's note: Racquet Up Detroit board member Paul Flanagan's name was misspelled in a previous version of this story This version is correct.
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