Presenters:Danielle Beard, Associate Program Officer, Michigan Municipal League FoundationHelen D. Johnson, President, Michigan Municipal League Foundation

This webinar will provide details on how to apply for the Michigan Municipal League Foundation’s Bridge Builders Neighborhood Microgrants. Details on eligibility, timeline, and process will be provided. Time for questions and answers will take place at the end of the session.

In 2020 the MML Foundation launched the Bridge Builder microgrants to support innovative work that intentionally & creatively brings people together, while socially distant, and repairs broken relationships in the community.

In 2021, the program will offer two categories for funding:1) The Neighborhood Microgrants will offer ten $500 grants across the state.2) The Main Streets Microgrants will offer grants of $5,000 in four pilot communities in eligible regions (1 per region). These grants have been generously funded by the DTE Energy Foundation.

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.