Building a Movement
The College: Proud Sponsor of Michigan’s Foundation, Michigan’s Future campaign is more than a communications effort. It is an invitation to build a statewide movement around a simple idea: higher education is a proud sponsor of the Michigan we all share.
Through MCAN’s statewide network, we will bring this idea to life by elevating local stories that show how colleges and universities strengthen our communities. From healthcare and workforce development to agriculture and local economies, partners, employers, and residents will be invited to answer one simple question: “What is college a proud sponsor of in your community?”
By connecting these local stories into a unified statewide narrative, the campaign will shift the conversation from “college benefits those who attend” to “college helps build the Michigan we all depend on and love.” Together, we will reinforce higher education as a public good and a vital foundation for Michigan’s prosperity, health, innovation, and community strength.
Messaging Toolkit
Ready to help build the movement in your community? Download the Proud Sponsor Toolkit for the resources, messaging, and tools you need to bring the Proud Sponsor campaign to life. The toolkit is designed to help colleges, community partners, employers, educators, and advocates tell local stories that showcase the many ways higher education contributes to the communities we all call home. From social media and campaign messaging to ideas for sharing your own Proud Sponsor stories, these resources make it easy to join the movement and help show that college is more than an individual investment—it is a proud sponsor of the Michigan we all depend on and love.
A Proven Concept
A national survey of 2,004 U.S. adults (ages 35–64) found that exposure to the national Proud Sponsor campaign successfully improved public perception of higher education. Most importantly, the messaging resonated strongly with historically skeptical audiences—including rural Americans, political conservatives, and adults without degrees—proving this campaign has the power to shift the narrative and highlight higher education’s shared value across all communities.