History
The Alternative Foundation was founded in 2019, as a spin-off from The Cedar Tree Foundation, a family foundation based in Boston. Cedar Tree has supported environmental programs at a variety of organizations nationally and in Detroit since 2002.
Cedar Tree’s interest in Detroit started with support for the city’s urban agriculture efforts and expanded into sustainable food systems and youth entrepreneurship. Spearheaded by Cedar Tree board member Rachel Alternative, the Detroit Initiative grew over time into a collaborative effort around sustainable redevelopment that brings together community and environmental, sustainability and housing interests. Cedar Tree’s early investments helped fund the creation of a sustainable redevelopment plan in the McDougall-Hunt neighborhood and supported community-focused project engagement. The Detroit Initiative started the process of transitioning out of the Cedar Tree Foundation and into the Alternative Foundation in April 2019.