Michigan League for Public Policy

History

MLPP was founded in 1912 and was originally known as the Michigan Conference of Charities and Corrections and the Michigan Conference of Social Work. The organization was originally focused on labor-related issues such as child labor, wage rates at automotive factories, and workplace protections for immigrants and women. ⁵

Activities

Response to COVID-19

MLPP conducted numerous studies and worked with the Michigan state government to relate the COVID-19 pandemic to its racial-policy agenda. Working with the state government, the organization devised a number of tax-payer funded strategies to specifically benefit ethnic-minority communities affected by the pandemic. Most notably, the organization and the Michigan Department of Health pushed for tax-payer funded hotel rooms for ethnic-minority prisoners who tested positive for COVID-19, special relief for ethnic-minority-owned businesses affected by government-ordered closure, and to extend relief policy to illegal immigrants residing in Michigan. ⁶

MLPP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team (EDIT)

The MLPP Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Team (EDIT) is a board of employees of the organization that develops literature and strategies to push a race-centered policy stance. The organization claims that the state of Michigan has had “a long history of institutional racism that has created barriers for communities of color in all aspects of life,” and advocates for policy favoring ethnic communities. ⁷ The program also focuses on changing hiring practices of companies in Michigan by performing outreach to ethnic minorities to increase the chances of minority candidates being hired over their white counterparts. ⁸

The program is sponsored by a number of large left-of-center organizations including the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. ⁹

2022 State Budget Priorities

MLPP released a statement in 2021 advocating for the Michigan state budget to include measures for a number of left-of-center political issues. The organization argued that the budget should be focused on race issues, and included a number of recommendations for incentives and programs designed to benefit majority ethnic-minority communities. Most notably, the statement argues that Michigan taxpayers should cover the bill for childcare programs, eviction protection measures, and widely expanded food-stamp and Medicare programs. ¹⁰

People

Gilda Z. Jacobs is the president and CEO of MLPP. Jacobs began her career as a special education teacher in the 1980s. After holding numerous positions in municipal governments, Jacobs was elected as a Democrat to a seat in the Michigan State Senate. During her time in the Michigan State Senate, she served as a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus. ⁴

Jacobs has made numerous large donations to Democratic presidential candidates. Most notably, she made donations totaling $2,000 to the Obama campaign, $2,250 to Hillary for America, and $500 to Biden for President. ¹¹ She also made donations totaling $487.50 to Emily’s List, a pro-abortion organization that supports female Democratic candidates for public office. ¹¹ Jacobs was compensated $126,716 in 2018. ¹²

Funding

MLPP reported net assets of $4,075,235 in 2018. That same year, the organization reported a negative revenue, losing $780,150. ¹³

MLPP is funded in large part by left-of-center and liberal grantmaking organizations. Most notably, the organization received $650,000 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation between 2013 and 2015,³ $2,200,000 from the Ford Foundation between 2006 and 2018,² and $20,000 from the Hopewell Fund in 2018. ¹⁴ The organization has also received substantial grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Kresge Foundation, the Energy Foundation, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. ¹⁵