Courtesy of Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC)

 

Consumers Energy Foundation Announces $50,000 in Support for Michigan’s Small Towns in ‘Put Your Town on the Map’ Competition: The Consumers Energy Foundation announced it is again sponsoring a competition that will provide $50,000 to support big ideas in small towns across Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. The ‘Put Your Town on the Map’ pitch competition will provide dollars for three projects that build strong communities. Up to 10 finalist communities will compete for the funding at the annual Small Town and Rural Development Conference on April 22^nd at Crystal Mountain in Thompsonville, MI. Consumers Energy created the competition to reward ideas and provide critical dollars for projects in Michigan’s small towns. Communities with a population of up to 10,000 have until March 2^nd to submit proposals. Consumers Energy and the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) will select 10 communities to make a pitch at the Rural Partners of Michigan conference for grants worth $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000.

 

Last year’s first competition featured $15,000 in grants. The winners were:

 

The “Put Your Town on the Map” competition aims to reward a variety of innovative ideas, such as those that attract visitors to downtowns, focus on housing, education or employment, create community pride and more. Community leaders can learn more and apply at http://cedamichigan.org/rpm/conference-rpm. The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm of Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider. The Foundation enables communities to thrive and grow by investing in what’s most important to Michigan — its people, our planet and Michigan’s prosperity. In 2019, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers Energy, its employees, and retirees contributed more than $11.5 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more information about the Consumers Energy Foundation, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.