New AI Platform Simplifies Grant Access for Michigan Communities
The Michigan Municipal League has introduced a free online platform to help local governments and community organizations access state and federal grants more efficiently. The site, MIFunding.Hub.org, uses artificial intelligence to offer a searchable database of current grant opportunities, a grant-basics toolkit, and a monthly newsletter.
Developed in partnership with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and Syncurrent, a government technology company based in Marquette, the platform serves municipalities, nonprofits, tribal governments, and other community groups. Users can filter funding options by category and application timeframe and request personalized assistance via a help desk.
Features Supporting Effective Grant Applications
- Comprehensive, up-to-date grant listings from multiple federal and state sources
- Webinars and technical support tailored to grant seekers
- A curated resource library to guide users through grant basics and application processes
The platform aims to reduce the time and effort involved in finding suitable grants, helping communities focus on strategic investments such as infrastructure improvements and affordable housing projects.
Jonathan Smith, senior chief deputy director of LEO, highlighted that public funding access should not demand a full-time grant writer. He emphasized the collaboration as a way to streamline processes and empower local leaders to concentrate on community development.
Shana Draheim, director of Policy Research Labs at MML, pointed out that Michigan is one of the few states offering a centralized public grant hub for local and tribal governments. She noted that the partnership with Syncurrent significantly cuts down grant search time from months to minutes by leveraging a government-wide data framework.
Syncurrent’s platform is already in use by over a hundred small governments nationwide, pulling grant data directly from federal and state websites. Dhruv C. Patel, Syncurrent’s CEO and co-founder, praised the initiative for addressing common challenges faced by local and tribal governments in securing grant funding. Syncurrent also holds the distinction of being the first AI startup to receive grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development through a Rural Business-Cooperative Service Agreement.
Getting Started and Additional Resources
Communities interested in the program can contact Shana Draheim at sdraheim@mml.org for more information.
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