News Flash

What: 

The Bridge Builders Project began with a pilot in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The microgrant program launched was intended to encourage the acts of creativity, selflessness, and connection that we were seeing in Michigan in response to the isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, we have an opportunity to re-emerge from the pandemic as co-creators of the future we want to see. We invite Michigan residents to imagine a future for their communities where trust and belonging thrive, individuals’ well-being is valued, and diversity and culture are celebrated community assets.

This year, the MML Foundation is offering two categories for funding: Neighborhood Microgrants and Main Street Microgrants. See below for further details on eligibility and upcoming informational webinars.

Microgrant= $500

 

Who:

Commissions

DDA/ TIFA

Neighborhood organizations

When: 

Timeline- Application April 30-May31

Internal review- and public voting round in June

Selections and awards in July

Implementation July- Nov

What:

Microgrants

Different categories

 

Visit: https://mmlfoundation.org/grants/

 

Good project:

Impact

Inclusive

Celebrates and unit-fuels the community

Community driven , bottom up approach

See website for ideas

Follow safety precautions for COVID-19

 

Cannot fund loans or return maintenance or partisan driven projects

Cannot fund protests

 

15 semi-finalist will be selected by internal review committee and then goes to public voting

 

Example: Multi-cultural festival- partner with HYPE (Dearborn Heights)

 

Criteria:

 

Innovation & creativity

Community impact

Address equity issues in the community

Overall feasibility

Weighted votes

 

Application questions:

Establish a main point of contact- name, email, phone

 

Describe your project

What outcomes do you hope to achieve? Impact

Why does your community need this?

What resources do you have now? Time, talent, space? Any other funders?

grants@mml.org

 

TIFA / DDA for main street microgrants- visit website- $5,000

 

Respectfully,

 

Lisa Hicks-Clayton

Deputy Chief of Staff

Michigan State Senator Betty Jean Alexander