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.

The announcement is the latest example of nonprofits playing a role as trusted sources in public service campaigns. Michigan Nonprofit Association tapped nonprofits across the state to help spur multicultural residents to participate in the recent U.S. Census. And early this year, the association tapped them again to engage the state's residents in redistricting conversations.

As of this morning, the death toll for Michiganders who have died from Covid-19 currently stands at 16,218. And for many of us, those statistics represent a loved one, friend or colleague taken from us far too soon.

Candid announced the appointment this month of Kami Dar, CEO of Uniti Networks; Kenneth Jones, vice president and CFO of the MacArthur Foundation; and Donna Murray-Brown, president and CEO of Michigan Nonprofit Association to its board of trustees.

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.”

Every ten years after the completion of the census, states around the country redraw the political maps that assign candidates and voters to congressional and legislative districts they will live in for the next decade.

The murders of eight people in Atlanta including six women of Asian descent this week is an unspeakable tragedy. We are heartbroken and horrified at this latest act of terror against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders which according to the coalition, Stop AAPI Hate, only exacerbates “the fear and pain that the Asian American community continues to endure.”

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.

One of the hardest jobs for the randomly selected group of Michigan voters charged with redrawing the state’s congressional and legislative districts this year is that they will be required to draw districts that keep communities that share political interests together.

On Sunday, February 28, Spotlight on the News will take viewers inside Michigan's redistricting process. How can you have input into the new maps that will be drawn to shape the future of the Great Lakes State?

Craig Fahle is an award winning journalist and talk show host who is committed to telling the full story about all things happening around Metro Detroit. He is equally at home with any subject, whether it be politics, public policy, business, arts and culture, and even sports. His conversational style, mixed with a probing yet civil interviewing style has earned him respect from a multi generational and multicultural audience.

Read more here. (Page 10)

The Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) is leading an effort alongside a coalition of partners to provide training and resources to help underrepresented communities give testimony and legislative maps to the new Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC).

The Michigan Nonprofit Association said it is working with a coalition to get underrepresented communities in Michigan involved in the redistricting process.

Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau announced states wouldn’t receive the data they need to draw new legislative maps until the end of September.

A nonprofit coalition led by the Michigan Nonprofit Association on Wednesday launched a campaign to engage historically underrepresented communities in the state's redistricting process.

Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA) and a coalition of nonprofit organizations representing communities in Southeast and West Michigan will present a panel discussion on the launch of their efforts to achieve fair and impartial legislative district maps for Michigan.

The full effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national economy was still largely unknown when the first round of federal Paycheck Protection Program loans was announced in late March 2020.