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Connecting Communities to State and Federal Funding Opportunities

A new program led by CMF members provides a platform and resources for municipalities to connect with streams of existing state and federal funding to support their water infrastructure needs. 

A new program led by CMF members provides a platform and resources for municipalities to connect with streams of existing state and federal funding to support their water infrastructure needs. 

The Michigan Municipal League (MML) Foundation, a CMF member, recently launched phase one of the MI Water Navigator Program. The program is funded in partnership by CMF members the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation and The Joyce Foundation. 

The program offers technical assistance through the MI Water Navigator Helpdesk and a toolkit to provide direction in searching for state and federal funding including the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, USDA Rural Development Water and Environmental Programs, American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) and MI Clean Water Plan. 

The program was built on the learnings from initiatives like ServeMICity, which was launched by the MML and MML Foundation in 2020 to support communities accessing and implementing CARES Act and ARPA funding. Their initial $100,000 investment leveraged over $200 million in CARES Act and ARPA funding to date.

“Programs like the MI Water Navigator allow us to meet communities where they are and create opportunities that build capacity and support sustainable solutions. We want Michigan municipalities to be successful and we’re here to help,” Grace Carey, program officer at the MML Foundation said. 

The Mott Foundation and The Joyce Foundation have collaborated to support numerous water-related initiatives in the Great Lakes region. According to Kimberly Gleffe, environment program officer at the Mott Foundation, this program evolved from discussions among staff at Mott, MML and the Governor’s Office of Foundation Liaison, which then worked with Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to develop the project.

According to Molly Flanagan, consultant for the Joyce Foundation’s environment program, Mott initially introduced Joyce to the project.

The Water Navigator Helpdesk is now live, and communities can submit an inquiry to the technical assistance team. 

The team begins a dialogue with the community and then works to:

•    Assess the community’s resources and needs

•    Identify state and federal funding sources

•    Assist communities in submitting applications

“This project will address an important aspect of water equity by helping to level the playing field among Michigan communities seeking state and federal funding for water infrastructure upgrades. It will help small, economically distressed and rural communities compete more effectively for funding with larger cities that have greater administrative capacity,” Gleffe said.

MML Foundation is partnering with the Environmental Policy Innovation Center (EPIC) to provide technical assistance to communities.

Gleffe shared that some communities may not have the capacity to effectively compete for federal funding because of a lack of grant writers and administrative capacity to access government programs that are available to support water infrastructure upgrades. She said this is especially challenging for historically underserved, low-income, small and rural communities.

“MML Foundation and EPIC are focusing on underserved communities and providing additional technical assistance. Larger communities often have experience applying for these funds, smaller and low-income communities don’t always have the experience or resources to apply for funding for needed projects,” Flanagan said. 

Joyce and Mott provided funding through two-year grants to ensure communities are well supported throughout the process. 

“The program may work with a community over a number of months, we want to make sure that the support is available on an extended basis,” Ed Miller, co-director of Joyce's environment program said.   

Flanagan shared that MML Foundation and EPIC are hoping to identify barriers to these communities applying for water infrastructure funding in order to make recommendations directly to EGLE about how it can improve its programs to make them more accessible in the future. 

“MML Foundation is having a direct impact on communities applying for funding right now and hopefully will have an impact on policy that will influence how funding is spent well into the future,” Flanagan said. 

Gleffe shared that the hope is that the project will help MML Foundation strengthen relationships with state policy leaders and elevate the voices of underserved communities and nonprofit organizations working on water equity — all of which could help address the larger challenge of upgrading water infrastructure.

In July, MML Foundation will be rolling out phase two of the program which will feature a webinar series, toolkits covering common funding applications and grant management, as well as an extensive resource library. 

“Moving forward we would encourage our partners across sectors – nonprofit, government, private – to join us in this effort and help us to expand the resources our communities need. We have a responsibility to support and uplift our local governments and utilities as they strive to create safe, equitable and accessible water infrastructure for their residents,” Carey said. 

Want more?

Read more about the MI Water Navigator Program. 

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