Homegrown foundation leader builds bridges, trust in Flint

By EDEN STIFFMAN of The Chronicle of Philanthropy
Chronicle of Philanthropy

FLINT, Mich. (AP) — As CEO of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, Isaiah Oliver is well known throughout the city. Now as families recover from the water crisis and the pandemic, the foundation and Oliver are building on their reserve of trust and their proximity to the community. As the foundation’s first Flint native and first Black leader since it was founded in 1988, Oliver works to build bridges between marginalized people and wealthy donors.  Even more than the erosion of the city’s water pipes, “the erosion of trust was the biggest issue that came out of the water crisis,” Oliver said in an interview in his office. Rebuilding trust in institutions is a continuing process.