To honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. the Michigan Community Service Commission is offering MLK Day service grants to support volunteer projects and community needs during the pandemic.
The pandemic has challenged our communities with meeting ongoing and new needs. Organizations can create a project to address community challenges with volunteers and an MLK Day of Service grant. The MCSC turns to the creativity of nonprofit organizations across the state to implement MLK day projects to benefit your region.
Steps to take in designing your project
Create Project Plan
Develop a plan to address a community need. Projects will focus one or more of following areas: disaster services, economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, education, healthy futures, racial equality, diversity, equity and inclusion, and veterans and military families. Safety guidelines need to be followed to ensure all involved in the project are safe. Those who encounter others must be wearing a mask and follow all Center for Disease Control and State of Michigan safety guidelines. Ideally projects will include youth a volunteers (up to age of 25) involved in implementing the project.
Design Project Budget
Develop a list of all supplies needed and the costs. Awarded funds are reimbursed upon satisfactorily reporting of expenses. Organizations awarded funds will need to register as a vendor of the state to receive payment. The link to register as a vendor will be sent with the award letter. Funds must be used to support elements of implementing a service project.
Grant Award and Implementation
Completed grant applications for round 1 should be received by December 18, 2020. The MCSC will offer a more competitive second round of grants which should be submitted by January 8, 2021. Projects should be held between January 8, 2021 and January 24, 2021. Grant awards will be in the range of $100 to $1,000 with no matching requirements. However, partnering with local businesses and other sponsorships for your MLK project is recommended. Reviewers will evaluate applications based on community need and design, use of partnerships, number of volunteers engaged, equitable geographic representation and adherence to COVID-19 safety guidelines. Funds requested should be commensurate with the number of volunteers engaged. Additional consideration will be made for projects with youth involvement (up to age 25). Applicants can request funding for more than one or more of the three MLK grant award projects.
