Jennifer Granger

Jennifer Granger began her philanthropic work while living in New York City, where she joined her first non-profit, the Junior League, an organization dedicated to social change in communities. Her passion for charitable work quickly expanded to multiple organizations in the New York area, including the Pajama Program, a non-profit that provides new pajamas and books to children in foster care. From the Pajama Program she was inspired to co-create a new non-profit, Spirit of Hope, where they helped provide scholarships to kids in the foster care system.

Jennifer moved to Sacramento, California in 2013, and continued her passion for philanthropy by helping and advocating for dozens of charities and non-profits. Her kindness and generosity of spirit led many non-profits to ask her to chair events or become a board member, including Sacramento Children’s Home, Make-A-Wish, City Year, Salvation Army, Crocker Museum, and Sacramento Regional Family Justice Center. Her work was honored many times earning her multiple awards in the Sacramento area, including the City Year Ripple of Hope Award and an award from the Broadway Musical Gala.

Jennifer and her family moved to Detroit in 2017, as her husband’s work called them to this historic city. She transferred some of her work in Sacramento to Detroit as she is still heavily involved in City Year, serving on the National Steering Committee and on the board locally while chairing the Red Jacket Society. She also volunteers for Make-A-Wish, Gleaner’s Community Food Bank, the Detroit Music Hall, and Empowerment Plan, Fashion by Philanthropy, Humble Design, Lighthouse, Starfish Family Services, Beyond Basics, and is a governor appointee for the task force on women in sports in Michigan. Jennifer was recently honored by The Community House and awarded the ‘Pillar of Vibrancy’ for her work in philanthropy and education. Her charitable and giving nature have been passed down to her two daughters who have already begun helping the homeless in their local community. One of her daughters started making “Kids Caring Kits,” which are handed out to the homeless in the area and have personal care items in tube socks, which are in great need in the homeless community. Due to her extensive philanthropic work, Jennifer reminds her daughters of the importance of compassion for everyone and that one small act can have a huge impact on a person in need.

She continues to live by this quote, “Everybody has empathy but not everyone has the courage to show it. If everyone shows it, we can make our community, our country, our world a better place.”