Campaign Oppurtunities
DBG’s model is not a set of programs. It is a framework for becoming. Each stage of a young person’s journey requires something different — and each campaign in this architecture is designed to fund one of those stages.
the five stages
sTAGE 1
Access
The door opens. A young person can show up.
sTAGE 2
Stability
The weight lifts. A young person can focus.
sTAGE 3
Opportunity
The path emerges. A young person can discover.
sTAGE 4
Becoming
The story unfolds. A young person can be seen.
sTAGE 5
Scale
The building opens. Two thousand more can begin.
The campaign map
Before anything else, there is a door.
For a student in Detroit, the difference between a future and a dead end is sometimes just 8 miles. Eight miles from their home to DBG. Eight miles they cannot always cross on their own.
Our vans carry more than students. They carry the possibility that someone believed a kid from this neighborhood was worth picking up.
When you give $5 a month, you open that door. Every single month.
Donor tiers & benefits: 7 Vehicles in the fleet ($70K x 7 = $490K)
| TIER | NAME | AMOUNT | BENEFIT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title Sponsor | "Presented by [Name]" | $50,000 one-time | Name on van wrap, title recognition in all materials, website & social feature, VIP event invites |
| Route Sponsor | "[Name]'s Route" | $10,000/yr or $25,000 (3-yr) | Named official route sponsor, logo on side panel, newsletter recognition |
| Destination Sponsor | "Powered by [Name]" | $5,000/yr | Logo on van rear, social media spotlight, event recognition |
| Ride Sponsor | "Made possible by [Name]" | $1,000/yr | Name on interior plaque, website listing |
| Seat Sponsor | "This seat sponsored by [Name]" | $500/yr (15 available) | One per student seat — named, visible, personal |
| Message Sponsor | "Words of Wisdom" | $60 one-time / $5/mo | Inspirational message incorporated into the van wrap design |
Goal: $500,000
Growth doesn’t happen in isolation.
A student may have talent, ambition, and big dreams, but growth is difficult when the foundation underneath them is unstable.
A missed meal affects concentration.
A family emergency creates stress that follows a student into the classroom.
An unexpected financial challenge can interrupt plans that took years to build.
At DBG, we believe young people should be able to focus on learning, exploring, leading, and becoming—not navigating every obstacle alone.
Fuel The Journey provides the support systems that make growth possible: meals, emergency assistance, mental health resources, family support, and post-secondary persistence funding.
Because potential grows best when it has something solid to stand on. Because the research is unambiguous: students with consistent, stable support outperform their peers in self-efficacy, adaptability, graduation rates, and post-secondary success.
Giving levels
| AMOUNT | WHAT IT FUNDS | RECOGNITION |
|---|---|---|
| $25,000/yr | Full-year meal program for 50 students | Named Meal Program Sponsor in all annual materials |
| $10,000/yr | Emergency fund for 12 families annually | Named Family Stability Sponsor, website listing |
| $5,000/yr | Mental health support for 8 students | Named sponsor, quarterly impact report |
| $1,000/yr | One month of meals for 15 students | Website recognition |
| $500/yr | One student's emergency fund access for a year | Website recognition |
| $10/mo | Daily meals for one student for one month | Donor community updates |
Goal: $1,000,000+
The future is not waiting to be created.
The future is not waiting to be created.
Every day, DBG students are developing the skills, relationships, confidence, and experiences that will shape Detroit's future workforce, institutions, and communities.
The question is not whether talent exists.
The question is whether opportunity will meet it.
Build What's Next invests in the experiences that help young people discover who they can become — and equips them with the tools to get there.
This is more than workforce development. It is future development
Partnership tiers
| TIER | NAME | AMOUNT | BENEFIT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founding Partner | Title sponsor of a workforce pathway | $100,000/yr | Naming rights to pathway, co-branded curriculum, first access to graduates, featured at all events |
| Pathway Sponsor | Sponsor a complete workforce track | $25,000/yr (6 available) | Named sponsor of one pathway, quarterly cohort updates |
| Internship Partner | Fund a summer internship cohort | $15,000/yr | Host site recognition, 3–5 student placements, impact report |
| STEAM Sponsor | Support research and STEAM programming | $10,000/yr | Named in all STEAM materials, social recognition |
| Mentor Partner | Fund career exposure programming | $5,000/yr | Recognition in materials, events access |
Goal: $2,000,000+
Becoming
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| AMOUNT | WHAT IT FUNDS | RECOGNITION |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000,000+ | Naming rights — primary facility or wing | Anchor gift — moves the campaign |
| $1,000,000+ | Named space within the facility | Transforms what is possible in one area |
| $500,000 | Constellation Founder recognition | Permanent recognition in the building |
| $250,000 | Constellation Builder recognition | Named in all capital campaign materials |
| $100,000 | Constellation Champion recognition | Named on donor wall |
| $25,000 – $99,999 | Constellation Supporter | Donor wall recognition |
Goal: $---
For 20 years, Detroit families have trusted DBG with their children.
Today, more than 2,000 young people are waiting for the opportunity to join.
The question is no longer "does DBG work?"
The data already answers that. DBG students outperform peers in self-efficacy, adaptability, agency, purpose, graduation rates, and post-secondary outcomes. This is not anecdotal. This is longitudinal research.
The question is: how many more students can we reach?
The Constellation is the answer to that question. A permanent home for 7+ years of consistent, transformative support — at scale.
Gift levels
| AMOUNT | WHAT IT FUNDS | RECOGNITION |
|---|---|---|
| $5,000,000+ | Naming rights — primary facility or wing | Anchor gift — moves the campaign |
| $1,000,000+ | Named space within the facility | Transforms what is possible in one area |
| $500,000 | Constellation Founder recognition | Permanent recognition in the building |
| $250,000 | Constellation Builder recognition | Named in all capital campaign materials |
| $100,000 | Constellation Champion recognition | Named on donor wall |
| $25,000 – $99,999 | Constellation Supporter | Donor wall recognition |