Our Projects

Written by: Morgan Schwanky Women are continuing to break records in 2023, with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie breaking records at the box office, Taylor Swift having the most No. 1 albums of any artist, and Beyoncé being the most-awarded Grammy artist. For the first time ever, the upcoming MTV Video Music Awards’ Artist of the Year category nominees are all female … Read More

  Here at the MML Foundation we believe that the next big thing is a million little things – in Trenton, MI that next big thing is composed of a million little stories. The downtown business district is a stage for the rich history of a town built on trade and the vibrant stories of the folks who call Trenton home. The … Read More

When COVID-19 hit our state, and various financial assistance became available, the Michigan Municipal League launched a new program called ServeMICity to help MML members navigate this new funding. And now that the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is approved and additional support is heading your way, ServeMICity will continue to help your community. The League hopes your community … Read More

At the MML Foundation, we believe that a civically engaged community is key to sparking and sustaining positive change and growth in Michigan’s cities. As 2020 continues to bring hardship and uncertainty, we see deepening divisions highlighted in the news, and a sense of hopelessness, as individuals, over the state of our world. Despite that, we have seen neighbors coming … Read More

Chances are good you have heard that famous 2,500 year-old quote from a colleague or relative. You may have even uttered it to help yourself or a coworker process yet another major shift in a project that seemed so straightforward and simple when you started. We all know this game. Our job, as professionals, is to gain new tools and … Read More

This guest blog comes from Kelly Warren, director of Membership & Affiliate Engagement for the Michigan Municipal League. In 2019, she was appointed by Governor Whitmer to serve on the State Census Complete Count Committee. Kelly has been managing the deployment of capacity-building grants to Michigan’s communities from the MML Foundation and coordinating state-wide and localized efforts to increase participation … Read More

This blog post originally appeared on the 16/50 Project blog on Nov. 14, 2019. Transformative, bold action–that’s how the 16/50 Project is bringing gender equity to local government chief administrative offices. Women make up over 50 percent of Michigan’s population, but represent just 16 percent of Michigan’s municipal chief administrative officers. In 2018, the League unveiled our 16/50 Project to … Read More

Thanks to our generous donors, the Women’s Municipal Leadership Program — part of the Michigan Municipal League’s 16/50 Project — is celebrating its fourth success story. Ellen Glass, the Village of Vernon clerk, starts her job as the new Linden city manager on Sept. 3. Glass is a graduate of the inaugural class of the Women’s Municipal Leadership Program. She holds … Read More

Thanks to our generous donors, three Michigan communities now have women leaders with the skills they need to make the best decisions for their communities! The Women’s Municipal Leadership Program — part of the League’s 16/50 Project — is celebrating its third success story from the class of 2018. Courtney Magaluk, WMLP 2018 graduate and project manager for the City of Grand Rapids, is … Read More

The Women’s Municipal Leadership Program is an opportunity for aspiring women to advance their skills and hone their leadership abilities on the path to becoming strong local managers. The program is available, in part, with support from the MML Foundation thanks to our generous donors. It packs a lot of learning – lectures and panels filled with content, tools, and tactics … Read More