Gilbert Family Foundation

05/29/2026

You'll See It When You Believe It is the core philosophy that drives our philanthropic vision. Because belief is a powerful thing. And in 2025, we made meaningful progress on achieving our mission to create opportunity for Detroiters and to accelerate a cure for neurofibromatosis.

Thank you to our team members, our leaders, our partners and our community for helping us shape a future we can all believe in.

Read our impact report to see how we're bringing this vision to life using the link in the comments.

05/28/2026

We spoke with Rebecca Dodd, Cancer Scientist and Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, last year at the Curing NF 2025 Annual Meetings — Brain Tumor Initiative Meeting and Next Generation Models Initiative Meeting — and she spoke about having people from all over the world in one place to better address NF and why this was important for building awareness about NF and for the NF community as a whole.

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

Our partnership with Sage Bionetworks highlights our commitment to accelerating a cure for NF with continued efforts to change how NF researchers access and utilize the tools needed to advance their work.

In 2025, we launched a five-year investment to strengthen the Neurofibromatosis Research Tools Central (NFRTC) database and NF Data Portal. The goal was to develop a comprehensive, disease-specific research platform that integrates advanced technology to support researchers with identifying and utilizing resources they need.

Read more about how this free-to-access platform is transforming how NF researchers worldwide access data using the link in the comments.

05/21/2026

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common rare disease that affects about 1 in 2,500 births.

Nick Gilbert, son of our founders Dan Gilbert and Jennifer Gilbert, was born with the disease and sadly passed away due to complications from NF1 in 2023. But his relentless optimism and positivity continue to inspire us.

To honor Nick's legacy, we are more determined than ever to advance groundbreaking, viable treatment options - and ultimately, a cure.

Recently, Dan sat down with CNBC to talk about Nick’s life, and the progress on research efforts being made to "wipe this disease off the planet."

Watch the full interview using the link in the comments.

Dan Gilbert honors his son Nick by funding research into neurofibromatosis, the rare disease that took Nick’s life.

05/21/2026

We're excited to celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Heidelberg Project with a $125,000 investment in the renovation of the iconic Number House!🏠🎨

At the Gilbert Family Foundation, we are committed to strengthening Detroit's arts economy and expanding access to the arts and cultural experiences for Detroiters. When fully restored, the Number House will act as an accessible arts and community space to support an artist-in-residence program and have other programming for the neighborhood.

The Heidelberg Project has been a staple in the Detroit community, and we're happy to not only honor its legacy but help sustain its mission for years to come. 💙

Read more about our investment using the link in our comments.

05/20/2026

Are you interested in becoming a vendor for this year's Downtown Detroit Winter Markets?

Join us tomorrow, May 21 at 6 PM, for a virtual info session where we will walk through the Downtown Detroit Winter Markets application and answer any questions you may have about the application.

This is the perfect opportunity to learn more about the Winter Markets and gain clarity about the application.

Register using the link in our comments.

05/19/2026

Attention all Detroit Small Business owners!

Applications for the Small Business Murals Project are LIVE! Submit your business for the chance to partner with a local artist who will paint a mural on your building’s façade to bring new eyes and traffic to your business and bring vibrant art to your neighborhood. 🎨

Apply today using the link in our comments.

1XRUN

05/19/2026

Yesterday, Detroitisit hosted the Business of Food Summit at Marrow in the Market for a day of conversation and learning around the region’s food culture.

Our Director of Economic Mobility, Linda Nosegbe, participated in the panel ‘From Home Kitchen to Household Name: Tips on Scaling Food-Based Businesses’ to discuss how emerging food businesses can strategically scale their operations while maintaining quality, culture, and community impact.

05/18/2026

Last year at the Curing NF 2025 Annual Meetings — Brain Tumor Initiative Meeting and Next Generation Models Initiative Meeting — Ivan Baines, Chief Operating Officer of the Nick Gilbert Neurofibromatosis Research Institute, spoke about the power of collaboration in the NF community, and how we remain committed to this collaborative approach in our efforts to deliver improved treatments and accelerate a cure for NF.