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The Consumers Energy Foundation will help to end poverty in Michigan through grants supporting education, job readiness and basic needs.

  • Who doesn’t love a giant check? This one is written out to the Habitat for Humanity of Michigan’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.
  • We support nonprofit organizations that help some of Michigan’s most vulnerable families.
  • We fund programs that prepare Michigan’s residents for jobs today and create a quality workforce tomorrow.
  • We are proud to support the work of community agencies that provide meals for those in need.
  • The Consumers Energy Foundation has supported more than 200 food distribution organizations across Michigan.
  • In addition to Foundation grants, we also match employee donations to food banks dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 per employee per year.

Working to End Poverty in Michigan

The Consumers Energy Foundation is dedicated to ensuring all Michigan residents thrive economically, and have access to world-class educational resources. So we make it a priority to fund nonprofit organizations dedicated to ending poverty and reducing Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) individuals in Michigan. Whether they provide basic needs or resources for learning, development, higher education or career readiness, each organization we support helps provide people with economic security. 

Basic Needs

The Consumers Energy Foundation supports nonprofit agencies that help families and individuals in crisis and provide a pathway to self-sufficiency. These nonprofits care for Michigan’s most vulnerable populations by providing basic needs including shelter, food, clothing, and household goods, as well as job skills to enable future security and self-sufficiency.

These agencies, including United Way, community action agencies, food banks and food programs, shelters, senior services centers, and more offer a ray of hope during times of chaos and uncertainty.

Education

A quality education is the first step to preparing youth for a promising future. Data indicates that 3rd grade reading levels predict high school success and directly contribute to greater high school graduation rates. Our focus areas are pre-K through higher education, with an emphasis on early childhood programs and college readiness.

We foster creative approaches to early childhood development like the Great Start Collaborative Traverse Bay’s 5toOne initiative and the Library of Michigan’s Ready to Read Michigan program, and programs that support and mentor K-12 students including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Jackson.

Workforce Readiness

We’re also involved in a statewide effort to increase the number of qualified applicants for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and skilled labor jobs in Michigan. We support programs encouraging students to pursue STEM careers, such as FIRST in Michigan (Robotics), and higher education programs specific to STEM/skilled trade careers in Michigan, with an emphasis on Energy. Our goal is to ensure that Michigan has a skilled talent pool available now and many years to come.

Recent grant recipients include Kalamazoo RESA Youth Opportunities Unlimited career pathway initiative, Kinexus Youth Solutions’ skills development program, the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, MSU College of Engineering CoRe Experience – a first-year engineering program, and more.

Good To Know

Ministry with Community

When the shelter needed help to build a new facility to serve people in Kalamazoo struggling with homelessness, poverty and mental illness, we got involved. 

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Helping AmeriCorps Help Veterans

AmeriCorps needed funding to support a program to connect veterans with the benefits they need. We were honored to help.

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Apply for a Grant

We’re always taking applications for grants to care for the basic needs and future success of Michigan’s residents. Do you have a program that will help others? Let us know.

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