Opportunity Overview
Michigan Gas Utilities (MGU), in partnership with the Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, accepts charitable grant applications from qualified organizations serving Michigan Gas Utilities customer communities. Funding priorities include health and human services, education, community and neighborhood development, arts and culture, and the environment.
Deadline and Application
The current quarterly deadline is October 31, 2026. The controlling MGU page does not publish an exact closing clock time or time zone, so Atlas does not infer one. Beginning July 1, 2026, applicants use the upgraded Blackbaud/YourCause portal and must establish an account with an email address and password unless they already have a Blackbaud ID. Organizations may receive funding only once per calendar year.
Eligibility and Geography
Eligible applicants are qualified charitable, not-for-profit organizations recognized as tax-exempt under IRS Section 501(c)(3) and located in the Michigan Gas Utilities service area. Organizations outside the service area may be considered only for a specific project delivered directly to MGU customer communities. The issuer’s service-area mapping is the controlling geography reference.
Funding and Allowable Uses
MGU prefers support for a particular program or project and also considers some capital campaigns. The funder does not publish a fixed minimum or maximum award. Its funding FAQ says many grants are $1,000 or less and grants of $25,000 or more are rare. Request size should be grounded in the project budget, existing organizational resources, other anticipated funding, organizational financial health, and projected impact.
General operating support is limited. United Way-supported agencies generally are not eligible for general operating support but may apply for project, program, capital campaign, event sponsorship, or similar eligible support.
Ineligible Applicants and Activities
Published exclusions include individuals; fraternal, religious, or political organizations; trips, tours, pageants, or athletics; team or extracurricular school events and student exchange programs; organizations outside the service area without a project directly serving customer communities; non-501(c)(3) organizations; and organizations that discriminate.
Match, Procurement, Forms, and Other Requirements
The public guidelines reviewed by Atlas do not state a mandatory non-federal match or cost share, a solicitation number, a universal vendor-registration requirement, a references requirement, or a separate addenda/amendment process. The Blackbaud online application is the submission method. Any project-specific procurement or vendor documentation remains applicant-controlled and should be confirmed before budgeting a commercial product or service.
Atlas Strategic Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 76/100.
N9+ Fit Score: 10/100, conditional. Health and human services and some capital support create a possible applicant-led pathway, but the published materials do not specifically identify telehealth, remote physical examination technology, clinical equipment, or digital-health infrastructure. Atlas should not force Nonagon N9+ into this grant. QC Healthcare or other Dr. Miltie services are likewise low-confidence unless an eligible applicant independently establishes a qualifying health project and confirms service/vendor allowability.
Dr. Miltie, LLC direct eligibility: not established and not treated as eligible. The program requires a qualified 501(c)(3) charitable applicant. Dr. Miltie could participate only through a legitimate applicant-selected vendor or partner role after allowability and procurement requirements are independently confirmed.
Contact and Verified Sources
Michigan Gas Utilities program coordinator: 734-457-6110; renee.burzynski@michigangasutilities.com.
Official sources: Michigan Gas Utilities charitable giving and WEC funding questions and answers.