JACKSON,
Mich., Jan. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Consumers Energy Foundation is calling for entries in the annual
Put Your Town on the Map pitch competition, which will provide
$50,000 in grant funding for three
projects to help small communities in Michigan grow and thrive. Communities with up
to 10,000 residents can submit proposals through Feb. 15.
"For many of Michigan's small
communities, funding for one big project can make the difference
for years of business attraction, economic development, and
population growth," said Brandon
Hofmeister, president of the Consumers Energy
Foundation. "The Consumers Energy Foundation is proud to
sponsor this competition to help enable creative ideas from
passionate community members to give new life to small towns across
the state."
The Put Your Town on the Map competition seeks to reward
innovative ideas that attract visitors to downtowns,
advance housing, education or employment, cultivate community
pride and more. Community leaders can learn more and apply
here.
The Consumers Energy Foundation and the Community Economic
Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) will select 10 finalists to
make their pitches at the Small Town and Rural Development
Conference in June. The top three winners will receive grants worth
$25,000, $15,000 and $10,000, respectively.
Consumers Energy started the competition in 2019. In 2023, grant
dollars were awarded to Fennville
to install bilingual community wayfinding signs, Reed City for the Crossroads Recreation
Connection, and Harbor Beach to
expand community gardening.
"I can imagine Hart a year from now with 75-100 visitors a day
to see the Tin Man, walking through our artisan marketplace and
reviewing local products, and shopping in Hart," said
Jim Evans, Hart City Council member.
The City of Hart was a 2022 grantee for its Hart Project
Initiative to bring more art, including a 20-foot tin man
sculpture holding a huge heart, in the city's downtown.
The Consumers Energy Foundation is the charitable arm
of Consumers Energy, Michigan's
largest energy provider. The Foundation contributes to the growth
and strengthening of Michigan
communities by investing in what's most important — our
people, our planet and Michigan's
prosperity. In 2023, the Consumers Energy Foundation, Consumers
Energy, its employees and retirees contributed more than
$11 million to Michigan nonprofits. For more
information, visit www.ConsumersEnergy.com/foundation.
Consumers Energy, Michigan's
largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy
(NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7
million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower
Peninsula counties.
For more information about Consumers Energy, go to
ConsumersEnergy.com.
Check out Consumers Energy on Social
Media
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan
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SOURCE Consumers Energy