Michigan Retailers Association announces new grant program for local communities and downtowns

Michigan Retailers Association (MRA) announced on Monday that it has created a new grant program to support local communities and the vibrant retail businesses that anchor those downtowns. 

As part of its Buy Nearby Program, MRA’s on-going public service awareness program that encourages consumers to shop local, MRA will issue four (4), $7,500 awards to communities across Michigan that demonstrate out-of-the-box ideas that promote their downtown shopping districts.

“The pandemic amplified the importance of supporting local retailers, which has been our message all along,” said William J. Hallan, president and CEO of Michigan Retailers Association. “We feel that by offering grants through our Buy Nearby Program we can localize the message of shopping local and help the communities and the retailers that support them.”

MRA has partnered with Nexstar Media that will assist in collecting proposals and will provide assistance, at no cost to winners, in creating a customized marketing campaign that helps to expose local downtowns and their shopping districts to the masses.

Michigan-based communities, local downtown business associations, chambers, and convention & visitor bureaus are encouraged to visit buynearbymi.com/2022-buy-nearby-grant-program to submit their proposals online. Applications will be accepted online only. The deadline for submission is 5 p.m. on April 1. Questions can be directed to Jennifer Rook at jrook@retailers.com.

Four winners will be chosen and announced after April 15.

“This is a unique opportunity for communities across Michigan to share out-of-the-box ideas that encourage Michiganders to keep their money in Michigan,” said Hallan.  “As we learned in our 2021 survey, if Michiganders redirected 10 percent of the estimated $23.7 billion dollars of spending that goes to out-of-state purchases, the state would gain $1.9 billion in increased economic activity, meaning more local jobs and healthier communities.”

MRA created the Buy Nearby campaign in 2013 to benefit local retailers, their communities and Michigan’s economy.  For additional information on the MRA, visit www.Retailers.com.