Census 2020
NMM was given responsibility for Census outreach to minorities statewide. This is a grant from the MI Nonprofit Association, through the State of MI.
NMM has been working with approx. 80 ethnic and minority media across the State, from here to Marquette (including Yemeni, Filipino, African Am., Latino, Arab Am., Jewish, Native Am., Chinese, Bengali, Japanese, Polish, German, Serbian, Korean, Indian, Armenian, Vietnamese, Albanian…).
The effort has become a great deal more challenging because of the Covid-19 pandemic, but it’s also been successful in creating awareness and in getting minority communities to fill out the Census.
Hayg Oshagan is also on the Governor’s Statewide Complete Count Committee, as well as on Census Committees of the City of Detroit, Wayne County, the MI Nonprofit Association and the Detroit City Council’s Immigration task Force.
Redistricting
Services provided
- Community Outreach
- Media Planning
- Publishing
The deadline for applying to be on the new Independent Redistricting Commission was June 1. But it was clear that minorities were not applying (out of 6,000 applications, there were fewer than 70 Latinos, less than 45 Asian-Americans, etc.).
In May, NMM partnered with The Secretary of State’s Office (MI Department of State) and organized a 1-month intensive campaign, involving traditional media as well as social media and personal outreach through calls, texts, etc. in the Arab, Bengali, Latino and Asian communities.
The project was funded by the MDOS and the MI Nonprofit Association. Volunteer community notaries were even brought on to help with the remote notary process (a technological challenge for many).
This campaign was hugely successful as we were able to have a few hundred minorities (90 Bengalis, 150 Latinos, etc.) apply to be considered for the Redistricting Commission.
PPP
Services provided
- Community Outreach
- Media Planning
- Publishing
As the second round of the PPP was approaching, the foundation leaders and the Small Business Association of MI realized that minorities were not applying to the PPP. NMM organized a 1-month campaign similar to the Redistricting campaign to help spread the word and get small minority businesses to apply to the PPP.
This was funded through a grant from the MI Nonprofit Association and other statewide non-profits. NMM even created special partnerships with some banks (Flagstar and others) to make it easier for minorities to apply for the PPP assistance.
Social Media Engagement
NMM is in the middle of a 4-year grant from the Ford Foundation, to help ethnic and minority media better connect and communicate with their minority audiences through social media engagement strategies (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
Coronavirus Task Forces
Hayg Oshagan is on 2 Coronavirus Task Forces focused on minority communities, one in Southwest Detroit (Latino community), the other with the Detroit City Council’s Immigration Task Force.
Invest Detroit
NMM advised and helped Invest Detroit with a special $1m fund they created for landlords to give relief to their business tenants who had trouble with rent because of the pandemic. NMM helped with the Arab, Latino and Bengali communities.
Redistricting II
NMM is starting work with the the MI Nonprofit Association to engage minority participation in the general Redistricting process in 2021.
