$35 million MI Nonprofit Relief Fund for Nonprofits

Michigan’s nonprofits who are struggling with the negative impacts and hardships of the COVID-19 pandemic can now take the first step to receiving much-needed funding from the $35 million MI Nonprofit Relief Fund for serving their hard-hit communities.

The Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) today announced the launch of the “intent to apply” phase for the relief fund, which is focused on assisting small charitable nonprofit organizations. The website is open and available for nonprofits to fill out the intent to apply form at MINonprofitRelief.org. Nonprofits do NOT have to be members of MNA to apply for grant funding.

The bipartisan relief program was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer as part of FY23 budget and program funding comes from the federal Coronavirus Relief Funds awarded to the State of Michigan as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The relief fund, designed for small nonprofits, is part of a two-part grant program. An additional $15 million in grants will be available to larger nonprofits later this year.

MNA and LEO have partnered to design the grant program and select grantees as well as manage the application portal, grant agreements and award payments. To be eligible for this funding, organizations must be a Michigan-based, 501(c)(3) nonprofit or a fiscally sponsored project by a 501(c)(3).

“These relief funds, which MNA tirelessly advocated for on behalf of Michigan nonprofits, are a lifeline for those who are most in need across the state,” said MNA President and CEO Kelley Kuhn. “We will continue to advocate for them through implementation of the relief program and distribution of the funds. We are working to ensure the funding gets to the nonprofits that need it most, while also ensuring that the program is consistent with federal and state requirements.”

“LEO is excited to partner with the MNA to strengthen Michigan’s nonprofit ecosystem and deliver on our mission to close equity gaps within the state,” said Kim Trent, LEO Deputy Director for Prosperity. “We will prioritize partnerships with nonprofits who share the state’s commitment to educating Michiganders, providing services to lift residents out of poverty, and removing barriers to employment and economic prosperity.”

The $35 million MI Nonprofit Relief Fund, which is being administered by MNA, is designed to provide aid and recovery to nonprofits with annual revenues of less than $1 million that were negatively impacted by the pandemic. Organizations must be able to demonstrate necessary expenditures and/or losses due to the COVID-19 public health emergency incurred after March 3, 2021. This includes lost public service revenue, costs for responding to a public health emergency, providing assistance to households, payroll protection, and other economic impacts negatively affecting service delivery.