Michigan has reached the state's goal of vaccinating 70% of residents ages 16 and over, with at least one dose of the safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine. 

According to the state, nearly 5.7 million Michiganders have received at least one of the COVID-19 vaccines since the first doses became available less than a year ago.

“This is an important step to stemming the spread of the virus,” Kyle Caldwell, president and CEO of CMF and member of the state’s Protect Michigan Commission said. "Unfortunately, Michigan is also once again the top state for cases per capita. More urgently Black, Indigenous and People of Color remain at higher risk of illness and death due to COVID-19. This virus remains an important equity challenge for Michigan and an ongoing opportunity for philanthropy and the nonprofit sector to lead.”

The Protect Michigan Commission has been focused on raising awareness of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, educating Michiganders and helping protect the health and safety of all Michigan residents.

Caldwell was appointed to the Protect Michigan Commission along with other leaders from across the state who are serving as an advisory group to Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

“I have had the distinct honor to serve on the Protect Michigan Commission to advise on how we can all work together to eradicate the spread of COVID-19. This has been important work and Michigan achieved two important milestones in the COVID-19 pandemic that we need to heed,” Caldwell said.

Since the vaccine first became available in January, CMF has highlighted Michigan philanthropy’s collaborative responses to increasing equitable access and education of the vaccine within their communities. 

Earlier this year, a partnership with the Saginaw Community Foundation, Saginaw County Health Department and several other organizations resulted in the creation of the Health and Community Connected (HCC) Workgroup.

The workgroup supported access to and education about COVID-19 vaccines for those who were considered to be most at risk of being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.

The Greater Flint Urgent Relief Fund, established by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF) in partnership with the United Way of Genesee County, awarded funding to support the Community Health Navigator program. Launched by Michigan United, the program is aimed at educating and raising awareness of the vaccines to community members.

The grant awarded by CFGF and the Greater Flint Urgent Relief Fund went toward the purchase of iPads to help register community members for the vaccine. 

CFGF also partnered with Michigan State University (MSU) and the Michigan Public Health Institute on a collaborative effort to promote COVID-19 vaccine knowledge and increase vaccination rates in Flint.

The National Network to Innovate for COVID-19 and Adult Vaccine Equity, or NNICE project, seeks to address the barriers preventing people of color from getting a COVID-19 vaccine. The project is funded in part by a $6 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control to MSU.

In partnership with MSU, CFGF is administered $900,000 in funding from the CDC for a year of research on solutions to increase adult vaccination.

The Kresge Foundation announced $1 million to bolster vaccine access and health equity through Detroit’s community health centers, community development organizations and human service agencies.

The Foellinger Foundation matched a donation from Uber to support a program offering free transportation for residents in Fort Wayne, Indiana. 

The Michigan Health Endowment Fund, The Kresge Foundation and the Michigan Association of United Ways supported the Vaccination Champion program, a program aimed at increasing the COVID-19 vaccination rates and addressing misinformation in Southwest Michigan.

The Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation collaborated with Honor Community Health, a federally qualified health center, to support COVID-19 community-based vaccine clinics in Pontiac and surrounding areas.  

The Dart Foundation supported the Cristo Rey Community Center, a nonprofit basic needs service center that provides access to food, medical care and counseling programs to the community of Lansing, and their efforts to administer vaccines by purchasing coolers and other equipment and to offset vaccination clinic staffing costs. 

These efforts are just a snapshot of the work our community of philanthropy is leading to support vaccination equity and distribution.

The state is focusing on encouraging all Michiganders 18 and older to receive their booster shot now that the FDA has approved for all adults. As of last week, Michigan has administered over 1.1 million boosters. The state is also working on getting children ages 5 and older vaccinated.

Recently, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Protect Michigan Commission hosted a virtual town hall to answer questions for parents and families about the COVID-19 vaccine.

The town hall included a panel of pediatricians and family physicians answering questions and talking about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

The Governor launched a new pilot program, MI Backpack Home Tests, in partnership with the MDHHS to provide free, at-home COVID antigen tests to participating schools to create a safer environment for K-12 students, parents, teachers and support staff amid the pandemic. 

The program kicked off last week in Charlotte Public Schools. Parents, students and staff enrolled in the program receive one at-home COVID-19 test kit that includes two tests. MDHHS will provide the kits and educational materials and schools will distribute the kits to participants.  

Is your organization supporting efforts connected to the education, access or distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine? We invite you to share your story with the CMF team so we can lift up opportunities for peer engagement and share emerging grantmaking practices with our entire CMF community.