Austin Past & Future Fund

06/05/2026

We'd like to thank all of our donors and Detroit luminaries who have shared their support with us since our launch three months ago. We have made incredible progress toward our goal of $100,000, but we still have a way to go to ensure that we can offer meaningful scholarships to Detroit youth and to keep HistoricDetroit.org running as a free community resource in perpetuity. Will you consider helping us by making a tax-deductible donation at www.austinfund.org? It would mean a lot to help us preserve the past while investing in Detroit's future.

05/27/2026

We are incredibly grateful for all who have helped support our mission, but we are still a long way from hitting our fund-raising goal if we are to give scholarships of meaningful amounts to Detroit youth. ... Can we rely on you to help us help Detroit's future?

All donations are 100% tax-deductible and can be made at www.austinfund.org.

Thank you!

05/17/2026

We’ve been asked: Why start this fund now?

The simple answer is this — we believe in building legacy intentionally.

Too often, foundations are created after someone is gone.
We wanted to do something different.

We wanted to shape this together.

To define the values.
To create the framework carefully.
To ensure the work reflects what matters most and benefits those who need it most.

The Austin Past & Future Fund isn’t about looking back.
It’s about taking everything that’s been learned and asking ... How do we invest forward?

Will you join us in our work to preserve Detroit's past while investing in its future? Learn more or make a deductible donation at

Honoring Detroit’s past. Supporting Detroit’s future. Inspired by Dan Austin’s passion for Detroit, we are building a living legacy that is dedicated to preserving Detroit’s history while investing in the youth who will lead the city into the future. Your tax-deductible donations keep Histor...

05/08/2026

A huge thank you to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for helping us raise money for educational scholarships for Detroit youth and to keep HistoricDetroit.org running as a free community resource.

Will you join Rashida in helping us reach our goal of raising $100,000 before the end of the year? All donations are tax-deductible and will go a long way to preserving Detroit's past while investing in its future. For information or to make a gift, please go to www.austinfund.org.

05/03/2026

We set out with a goal of raising $5,000 last night at the Austin Past & Future Fund Fund-raiser w/Motor City Soul Club.

Detroit, you absolutely blew us away and our goal away. Thanks to you, we raised $10,360 for scholarships for Detroit youth and for keeping HistoricDetroit.org up and running as a free community resource.

That's five years of keeping the website up and running. That's several scholarships. In one night. Just imagine what we can accomplish as we keep going. How much good we can do for our city, together.

On behalf of the fund, we cannot thank you enough for believing in us and our mission, for all your support and for your incredible generosity.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

If you have photos from last night's event, we'd love for you to share them. It was a magical night.

Photo by Arleen Bailey and Vince Keenan

05/02/2026

Coming to today’s Austin Past & Future Fund Fund-raiser w/Motor City Soul Club and looking to skip the line? Buy tickets in advance: https://givebutter.com/apff-jump-off-fundraiser-th2y58

See you from 4-8 pm!

By Austin Past & Future Fund

04/28/2026

We are honored to have the support of former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan in our effort to preserve Detroit's past while investing in its future through scholarships for our city's youth.

Learn more about our mission, and please consider making a tax-deductible donation at www.austinfund.org.

04/26/2026

Why “Past & Future”?

Because we don’t see them as separate.

The past gives us identity.
The future gives us direction.

The Austin Past & Future Fund exists in that space between, honoring what’s been built and supporting those who will decide what is to come.

HistoricDetroit.org will always focus on preserving and sharing the city’s architectural and cultural history, but a city cannot survive by looking only to its past.

This fund complements that work by looking ahead — toward scholarships, education, and investing in Detroit students who will shape the city’s next chapter.

Preserving the past while building our future. Together.

Can we ask you to help us by making a 100% tax-deductible donation? Thank you for your support and for doing your part for the city we all love - and the youth who will ensure it thrives for decades to come.

Keep Detroit Stories Alive. Support Detroit’s Past and FutureYour donation helps preserve Detroit’s architectural history through HistoricDetroit.org while supporting educational opportunities for the next generation through the Austin Past & Future Fund.Every contribution plays a role in sustai...

04/25/2026

Today at noon, we will be on WDET 101.9FM talking about next week’s Austin Past & Future Fund Fund-raiser w/Motor City Soul Club. Tune in for some good tunes and good conversation about a great cause with Ann Delisi's Essential Music!