By Adam King, MNA Technology Director

As the IT Services Director at MNA, I am fortunate enough to meet and work with numerous nonprofits across Michigan that work to improve communities and make an impact on society. In late 2021, I had the opportunity to meet with the leaders of Human-I-T, an organization in Detroit.

Human-I-T is a social enterprise that is focused on the creation of equitable access to digital opportunities through several different programs. As part of their mission, they work with businesses and organizations to divert unwanted technology from landfills into the hands of people who need it the most. This program effectively solves two problems at once – filling the gap of the digital divide and curbing the e-waste crisis. Human-I-T then provides jobs to the local economy by wiping the sensitive data on the devices and refurbishing them for their second life. The refurbished devices are distributed to local organizations in need of this technology.

By Nellie Tsai- Social Innovation Officer, Michigan Nonprofit Association

As 2021 draws to a close I want to take the opportunity to reflect on a year that turned out much differently than any of us could have imagined. 2021 was yet another year disrupted by the pandemic with many of us forced to miss events or keep our distance from our colleagues, family, and friends. We continued to navigate meetings, fundraisers, and other events online. I salute those of you who found the strength to keep going even when times were tough. 
 
MNA’s commitment to advocacy and influencing change never wavered this year. We advocated for changes in the language and application process for the Paycheck Protection Program and we continued our webinars where we provided Covid-19 resources exclusively for Michigan nonprofits to help them operate in an environment that is anything but normal. Most importantly, we continued our quest for diversity, equity, inclusion and justice for all.
 
Some of our initiatives included:

The past two years have laid the racial inequities that persist in our nation to bare. Throughout the pandemic and following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others, MNA knew that we had to double down on our work to address racial inequality. Now more than ever before, we are committed to confronting ingrained systemic racism with action.

As a middle school student, Asia Jones was inspired to help other girls around her succeed. Growing up in Mason, Michigan, she noticed that some of her peers weren’t getting the same kinds of opportunities that she was. “I realized that not all of my friends had the village of support I had, and I wanted to fix that,” she said. She and her mom, LaShaunta Waller, began hosting workshops for friends at their house. As Jones began helping girls at her school, she realized the larger need around the Greater Lansing Area.

By Tammy Pitts, MNA Director of Communications and Marketing

The impact of COVID-19 on Michigan nonprofits has meant canceled in-person fundraisers and a strain on budgets and resources. Yet, at a time when local nonprofits need funding to remain afloat, one of the oldest charitable organizations in Detroit tells me that applications for grant funding are down. Grants are vital for nonprofits- especially in a pandemic. So, what could be the reason for a decline in applications for funding that can be used to help children in the Detroit area? Board member Eileen Dixon of the Detroit Industrial School Foundation provided some insight.

by Claire Horlings

We’re nearing the end of the year and you’re likely preparing to kick off your year-end giving campaign by writing an appeal letter to donors. If you’re wondering how to make your letter stand out from the crowd and get results, here are a few tips.  

By MJ Galbraith | Courtesy of modeldmedia.com

Community Redistricting is a series about how Michigan communities are working together to end gerrymandering so that all residents have a voice at the local, state, and federal level. This series is made possible with funding from the Michigan Nonprofit Association.

After 80 Michigan residents stood before the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission to comment on the draft maps released by the commission this past October, the in-person portion of the Lansing public hearing, it had appeared, was complete. It was time for the commission to move on to remote public commentary, held virtually via Zoom.

By MJ Galbraith - Model D

Jerron Totten has a question for the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission.

If the purpose of the Michigan Redistricting Public Comment Portal was to enable the public, as the website itself states, “to submit public comment to the Commission, and tell them what’s important to know as they draw the new district lines,” why was the most popular map submitted not reflected in any of the Commission’s recently released draft maps?

MNA President and CEO Donna Murray-Brown reflects on sabbatical

By Tammy Pitts, Director of Communications and Marketing

Michigan Nonprofit Association is growing by leaps and bounds! We’re proud to welcome Claire Horlings to our organization as our new Business Development Officer. In this role, she is responsible for all business development activities including membership cultivation and retention, network growth, customer service strategy and sales. We’re impressed by the depth of experience and passion for the nonprofit sector that Claire has and having her on our team is a great honor. So, what should you know about Claire? For starters, she’s a foodie!

Originally published by MJ Galbraith on Model D

By Adam King, Technology Director, MNA Technology Services

Nearly two years into the pandemic, many nonprofits are considering long-term remote work. And since you’re going to be working from home for the foreseeable future –maybe even permanently- now is the time to replace your older laptop. Don’t worry if you don’t know where to start.  I’ve come up with a list to help you make the best purchase.

Originally published by MJ Galbraith, Metromode - Detroit

From 1999 to 2002, Belda Garza served in the Michigan House of Representatives, representing what was then the state’s 8th district. At the turn of the century, Michigan’s 8th district contained much of Southwest Detroit, an area of the city with a substantial Latinx population that continues to thrive there to this day. Garza was the first — and remains the only — Latinx immigrant elected to represent a part of the state that is largely made up of people just like her.

By Karen Palka, Contributing Writer - The Nonprofit Journal Project 

A Beautiful Me, founded in 2008, has a mission to create better communities one person at a time, with our focus being on girls and young women. Through confidence building workshops, innovative programs, and special events, our participants thrive personally and professionally. We also operate The Closet, our nonprofit store located in downtown Port Huron designed to teach business & philanthropy skills to teen girls. We give our young ladies the tools they need to be successful, while also building their self esteem and confidence.

I started this organization because I didn't see value, purpose, and worth in myself until I was in my 40s. This realization made me wonder what would happen if my daughters and their friends never stumbled upon that knowledge? But if I could get them to recognize their value and worth at an early age, they wouldn't have to endure some of the pitfalls and obstacles I did. Studies show that self-esteem peaks in young girls at age nine, and gradually declines without proper guidance and positive reinforcement.

Picture the community as a chain, which is only as strong as its weakest link. If we can get our young women to understand their value and place in the world at elementary and adolescent ages, they are more likely to take on roles in their adult lives that enhance their communities in some shape, form or fashion. 

By Tammy Pitts, MNA Director of Communications & Marketing

He’s headed off to college this week, but 17-year-old Garret Lewis of Mason has been busy all year giving back.

By Sarah Williams, Contributing Writer - The Nonprofit Journal Project 

Over the last 18 months, nonprofit organizations in the region have spent much of their days in a reactive state: responding, experimenting and working to survive in order to continue serving community needs.

But the critical events of COVID-19, vaccination engagement, a heightened sense of racial justice and issues of climate change have also forced nonprofit leaders and those who support their work to look beyond the immediate, to consider the future.

How has this storm of challenges altered the nonprofit world, for better or worse, causing leaders to question and reimagine their systems of funding, models of work, governance and values? 

By Sarah-Grace Motley, MNA Marketing & Digital Engagement Manager

More engaging and eye catching design can not only elevate your nonprofit's mission, but also help your organization increase your impact, get additional funding, recruit volunteers, and more. Nonprofits often don't have time to spend on complex graphic design nor do they have budgets to hire outside to escalate the branding and impact of the organization. Lucky for you, Canva is your solution.

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Communications Director

Pride Month is still going strong, and we are turning the volume way up as we amplify and celebrate diversity, equity. and inclusivity. At Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA), our core values include diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, and we support and embrace a work environment where our LGBTQ+ colleagues can be their authentic selves. Pride Month is a month dedicated to the uplifting and celebration of LGBTQ+ voices and that includes some of my colleagues. But before you hear their stories, a quick history lesson on why we are celebrating Pride this month. On June 28, 1969, police in Manhattan, New York raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn sparking a series of riots and protests in the LGBTQ+ community and igniting the modern gay rights movement. Pride is celebrated every June in honor of the Stonewall Uprising which was a tipping point for the gay liberation movement. Pride Month also honors and celebrates some of the most influential and inspiring role models from the LGBTQ+ community.

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

You’re probably hearing a whole lot about Juneteenth these days as we get closer to June 19, 2021. I always find it surprising when people tell me they don’t know about Juneteenth. As a child, I knew exactly what Juneteenth was because my mother was a firm believer in children learning about Black history. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans that the war had ended, and they were now free. I can only imagine the shock and jubilation the slaves felt. Actually, they had been free since January 1, 1863, when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but according to history buffs, the Emancipation Proclamation had little impact in Texas due to the small number of Union troops on hand to enforce the order. Slave owners ignored the order until General Granger’s regiment showed up with plenty of manpower to force the locals to comply and free the slaves. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced according to Cliff Robinson, founder of Juneteenth.com.  

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

The pandemic has taken a heavy toll on youth mental health with hospitals nationwide reporting an increase in kids battling anxiety, depression, and feelings of isolation due in part to the stress of the pandemic. But even before Covid-19,  mental health problems such as anxiety and depression were already on the rise among children ages 6 to 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that is why nonprofits like CARE of Southeastern Michigan and the services it offers are so important. The nonprofit recently received a $50,000 grant and will use the funds to support youth mental health. “Some of the issues that teens and youth are experiencing are isolation from their friends and activities, and they have had to redefine their rites of passage and their caregivers are experiencing an increase in stress,” said Susan Styf, MNA member, and president and CEO of CARE.

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Communications Director

Among the benefits of an internship is the opportunity to gain real world work experience, personal development, career exploration, and networking. And Erica SooJin Song says she learned a lot from her experience as Michigan Nonprofit Association’s human resources intern from 2020-2021. To quote Erica directly, “It’s really been a great work experience. This internship has been my favorite and it’s the one I am most proud of; it’s been very rewarding.” Erica graduated from Michigan State University last month after receiving her master’s degree in human resources and labor relations. She was involved in various projects here at MNA, and I had the pleasure of hanging out with her for a little bit to discuss her school and work life, plus she filled me in on the “prince” in her life. Yes, you read that correctly. Here is the tale of Erica and Prince Zuko. Well, mostly this blog post is about Erica, but keep reading-- the part about the prince is coming up.

By Tammy Pitts - Director of Communications

When the pandemic struck in 2020, many internships were canceled that spring and summer impacting students who were counting on those jobs and professional experience. The connections internships enable can be crucial for job seekers, especially seniors who are in their last year of college. 

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

Chances are, when you arrive at a vaccination clinic in Michigan the first person to greet you is a volunteer. And one of those volunteers last month at Ford Field was Michigan Nonprofit Association’s Meridith Murley. The mass vaccination clinic in downtown Detroit opened in March for a span of eight weeks with the goal of inoculating as many Michiganders as possible inside the stadium.

By Nellie Tsai - Social Innovation Officer

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

Being a woman in a man’s world isn’t easy. Being a woman of color is even harder, but Mariana Martinez is among the trailblazing women helping to break down barriers. She is currently the Director of Civic Engagement Initiatives at Michigan Nonprofit Association and is leading MNA’s Redistricting Initiative.

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

The coronavirus crisis has shown no mercy to Michigan’s nonprofit organizations with many struggling to hang on for more than a year now. But help arrived last month thanks to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Michigan Small Business Survival Grant program. Relief totaling $52.5 million was doled out to nearly 6,000 small businesses and nonprofits statewide. The money is a lifeline for local nonprofits struggling to stay afloat. “I was extremely grateful to receive the survival grant,” said Regina Pinney, Michigan Nonprofit Association member and executive director at Nonprofit Network in Jackson County. Her nonprofit experienced a 30% reduction in revenue in 2020, and she says the $3,500 grant they received will be used to cover payroll. Protecting payroll is our number one priority,” said Pinney. “People deliver our mission and making sure they know their job is safe allows them to fully concentrate on helping nonprofits.”

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

March is reading month and children across Michigan have access to free books thanks to a partnership between a local nonprofit and Dolly Parton. Yes, Dolly Parton. If there is one thing that most people can agree on is their mutual love for Dolly. Am I right?  

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

Today is International Women’s Day and we’re celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women globally. 

By Tammy Pitts - MNA Director of Communications

*Taps mic* Is this thing on? Hello. I am Tammy Pitts, Director of Communications at Michigan Nonprofit Association and you’re reading the first post of MNA’s new blog: MI Nonprofit Lowdown. As chief writer, I took the liberty of sharing my story with you in the inaugural post.