Civic & Community Participation

Civic and Community Engagement

For more than 30 years, Michigan Nonprofit Association has been a trusted partner supporting nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Our values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice are reflected in our commitment to breaking down barriers and influencing change for marginalized communities. MNA has created an infrastructure model for nonprofits to transform civic and community engagement and address issues that threaten the health and wellbeing of our communities. 

The long-term outcomes of this transformation model include:

• Through relationships with nonprofits, the opportunity for all Michiganders to be seen and heard.
• Partnerships with policymakers who understand community priorities and needs.
• System-level change that leads to fair and equitable distribution of state and federal resources.

Background

In 2017, the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) and the Council of Michigan Foundations, with the financial support of more than 40 foundations and the State of Michigan, launched an ambitious campaign to mobilize nonprofits to help Michigan get a complete and accurate count in the 2020 Census. It was a unique, nonpartisan, multi- racial coalition of hundreds of nonprofits educating their communities about the process and the community benefits of getting their fair share of federal funds for programs like food assistance, early childhood education, health services and many more.

MNA got involved because historically, the Census has missed disproportionate numbers of certain populations such as people of color, immigrant communities, and low- income populations. This has led to inequality in political power, government funding and private-sector investment for these communities.