CITY CONNECT DETROIT’S KATE CHERRY NAMED ALTERNATIVES FOR GIRLS PROGRAM CHAIR

DETROIT – June 9, 2017 – City Connect Detroit today announced Chief Development and Strategy Officer Kate Cherry has been named Program Committee Chair for the Detroit non-profit, Alternatives For Girls (AFG). Cherry joined the AFG Program Committee in 2012 as a volunteer and in 2016 became a member of the non-profit’s board of directors.

“Kate has been a long-time and passionate supporter of our organization,” said Amy Good, Executive Director, Alternatives For Girls. “Her professional experience, understanding of the non-profit landscape, thoughtful contributions to board discussions, leadership, and boundless energy and enthusiasm help inspire her fellow board members and drive our organization, helping countless young women shape their own futures.”

In her role as Program Chair, Cherry will be responsible for guiding the program committee and upholding and evolving AFG’s mission statement. She will work with fellow board and committee members, as well as program directors to evaluate the feasibility of and benefits to prospective program initiatives to fulfill the needs of the community and those the organization serves.

Along with members of the committee, Cherry will be responsible for supporting staff as they evaluate individual programs and the overall agency’s implementation of goals and objectives as well as supporting the volunteer coordinator as needed to review volunteer recruitment and training plans.

AFG helps homeless and high-risk girls and young women avoid violence, teen pregnancy, and exploitation, and helps them to explore and access the support, resources and opportunities necessary to be safe, to grow strong and to make positive choices in their lives.

Since 2003, Cherry has raised more than $30 million for charities in and around the city of Detroit, for projects in the arts, community development, behavioral health, workforce development, and for programs and services targeting young people.

In her current role with City Connect Detroit, she is responsible for developing grant funding and most written external communications on behalf of the organization. She has secured more than $10 million for summer youth employment programs in Detroit. She recently competed alongside her colleague in the Points of Light Foundation’s nationally-acclaimed Civic Accelerator social impact incubator, where her team was selected from among thirty peers for a social impact investment. In addition to her work at City Connect Detroit, she regularly provides consulting services as an independent contractor to Detroit area nonprofits in strategic planning and fund development.

Prior to joining City Connect Detroit, from 2010 to 2011, Cherry served as the Grants Manager at the Detroit Institute of Arts.